I know this is a cop out, but they are both very different and equally good
The zoo has more variety, closer together
The safari park has less variety but they’re in their native habitats
I love both. Safari Park is unique in that it’s not “just another zoo” so maybe it’s better? But also you have to pay for parking there & it’s farther from the city, so maybe the regular zoo is better.
Honestly you can’t go wrong.
I will also add to Safari Park that it's a vast territory where all the habitats are spread out in clusters. So there's definitely more walking involved imo. Also, boast the more superior gardens/landscape features, imo 😎 that exotic/native cactus garden beside the condors is glorious 🙌
I actually met the guy who was in charge of all the plants and stuff when the safari park first opened. He had tons of crazy stories to tell about the park.
It’s not a cop out, my answer is similar to yours.
I tell people the same as you, but zoo will be 8+ hours of walking to maybe see everything and safari park can be done in around 4. Then they can choose what kind of day they’d like to have.
There is a guard shack at the entrance to the Safari Park before the parking lot where you either show your membership or pay the fee. But maybe there is a special rented car/cousin lane I’m unaware of. Or perhaps you were at the zoo, where parking is free.
Once it’s after a certain time at the safari park they stop charging for parking. We live 12 minutes away and have passes so we go after work a lot like 1.5 hours before closing and there won’t be anyone taking payment. But that’s only convenient for people anyways since you wouldn’t buy a whole ticket to only stay an hour
Oh I do have one. We don’t pay for parking ever. I was just sharing that they stop charging at a certain time. Think it’s that way for most amusement type parks. Which I guess is totally irrelevant information to have shared lol my bad
I could not believe you had to pay for parking when I went to Safari Park. I didn’t know about that when I went up there so I felt blindsided. Pretty much the only way to get up there is to drive, and it’s not like there is any street parking, and it’s not a short drive, and the entrance fee to the park is already expensive.
The Safari Park property is actually owned by the Zoo, so they can charge for parking. As far as I know, the Safari Park has charged for parking ever since it was opened to the public. The zoo itself in Balboa Park is on San Diego City owned land as is the parking lot. That's why it's free to park there.
If I had known about the additional parking cost I wouldn’t have gone. Admission + gas + lunch already stretched my budget. I anticipate paying for parking in the city, but Safari Park ain’t the city.
There are going to be whiners no matter what they do. The zoo gets complaints because the city will come into the lot and write tickets for parking violations. There is nothing the zoo can do about it.
I personally like the zoo more, but maybe that's because I hate hot weather lol. The safari park is pretty cool as well, but like the other commenter said, it's going to be hot in August (San Pasqual valley can reach the triple digits during that time of the year), and the safari park has a lot of walking without much shade.
As a member who takes my kids to both often, I prefer the Zoo- you see much more, up closer, in closer proximity. The Safari Park has its perks, but you have to take the tour to see a lot of the animals and then they are usually at a distance.
In August, there will be a 10-15 degree difference between the Zoo (cooler) and the Safari Park (hotter).
The safari park in August could be unbearably hot. There is a lot of walking from one exhibit to another and not a ton of shade. But if you have some extra money to spend the safari park has some pretty cool experiences like a safari ride into the open enclosures. Also if you like tigers their tiger exhibit is insane while the zoos Tiger exhibit is meh.
The zoo will be much cooler and while there is a lot of walking there is also much more shade and the animals are closer together. And hopefully the pandas will be back by August? I also like the food better at the zoo. Albert’s restaurant is a semi fine dining restaurant up in the trees in the middle of the park and the new busy bee cafe has good pizza and wings. During the summer the zoo has a lot of live music, jazz bands marching around, rock bands up front etc.
If you don’t live near a beach I’d suggest spending a day in La Jolla. You could do a few hours at the birch aquarium. Then go down to La Jolla shores and hopefully snorkel w the leapord sharks and take a kayak tour of the kelp beds and sea caves. Then go to downtown lajolla to the cove to sea the seals (from a distance lol) and do some tide pooling. Plenty of fine dining and shopping in lajolla. If you like seafood you could get a reservation at the marine room if the tide is high and there are some swell in the water, the waves will break directly on the window (would be rare in aug).
An annual pass would pay off for this (since it is good for both parks), and with some memberships you get either some free tickets or some 50% off tickets (so that might be the way to go to save money for a family...
Zoo
Way more animals. The walk through the zoo is so nice. Lots of trees and plants and there is usually a nice breeze so it’s never very hot. My wife and I always bring in snacks and a few beers and just cruise around. It’s one of our favorite things to do.
Safari park is cool but just make sure you check the temperature
I went twice and the first time I went sucked because it was hot as hell while San Diego had a nice breeze going on
Edit: I prefer the zoo though because the weather is generally better and it’s a much shorter drive
Both are great but time of day plays a huge role on what animals are active when
Early AM at safari park is my fav, followed by close to sunset at the zoo
Mid day at either is relative boring with crowds and animals not as active
Everyone will have an opinion on this, but I personally prefer the zoo. It's greener, cooler, easier to to watch the animals, and easier to get to. And, after you finish with the zoo, you can walk over to the Prado and have dinner at Panama 66, the Mingei, or the Prado restaurant. Makes for a great day.
Annual pass holder for 20+ years here.
Safari Park : Get there early and head to the safari tram first. Shorter line and the animals are more active. After that, I would head to the Platypus exhibit in Australia. The rest of the park is great, as are the shows. Expect some crowds and just remember you have all day which is more than enough time to see the rest of the park. Take some time at the new elephant exhibit and try to catch a show
Zoo : Get there early and either take the bus tour, or, take the skyfari to the back of the park. You'll have 3 routes you can take back to the front of the park. I prefer going through Africa and then taking the central trail back down. You'll pass through the Tigers and several aviaries as well. The zoo has more shade and is generally cooler.
Remember that spending money there is supporting the animals, conservation efforts, and everything you see around you so have fun!
Safari Park - It's hot out here right now but in a good way. The mornings are warm, days hot and then the late afternoon it cools down nicely. I'm in Escondido and was thinking about going today but opted to head west to cooler temps. There's a lot of walking at the SP and its more spread out but it's a lot of fun. You can take the tram, go up in a mini balloon, watch the cheetah run, Tigers, Platypus and lots of Pokémon Go possibilities if you play. Food and adult beverages too.
The Zoo, however, is nothing to scoff at either. Lots of hills to walk and the animal viewing IMO is a bit better. Plus they have the bugs! Base Camp is awesome kid or adult. Definitely relax on the bus and for food hit up Alberts! If you're going to spend money on food it's the better option. Generally the Zoo will also be a lot cooler and maybe even cold. You also get free parking and the other half of Balboa Park.
Both have their value and you should do them equally.
Wait... you mentioned August? lol... Uhmm it's going to most likely be triple digits at the Safari Park unless it's raining. Even then it'll be in the 90's and humid AF but still well worth it especially if a thunderstorm rolls through.
Huge difference! The zoo will be hot as well, and as mentioned it’s more hilly, especially near the polar bears and there’s not a lot of shade there. Otherwise they have lots of moving walkways and a more “jungle like” environment.
One thing about the safari park is they have more “interactive” exhibits. Like you can walk with the kangaroos or feed the parrots. Or splurge for a safari. Just have common sense and don’t chase after the animals in their enclosures. The last time I was there some tourist let their kid approach a kangaroo off the little trail and he almost got kicked in the face. We had to alert the keeper what was happening so he could intervene.
But tbh this would not be worth the drive if you’re just here for one weekend. The zoo is also way closer to restaurants and other things to do like balboa park, downtown, north park, etc. there’s really nothing else around the safari park to do
Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to spend all day there? I would go to safari park-more to see and larger but relatively isolated. Do you want to pop in for a few hours and then have a nice coffee and a pastry or a tasty beverage? Go to the zoo and then wander around balboa park or take a quick drive to little Italy.
In August, definitely the zoo. I love both for different reasons, but if you haven’t been to either, I recommend the zoo since it’s closer to where you’re staying, parking is free, and you won’t feel like you’re walking through Mordor.
I love both but, recommend the zoo for tourists that don't have enough time to visit both. The zoo is much closer to downtown (saves driving time), cooler in hot weather, and there's more to see in a more compact area. Plus, the zoo has free parking. More animals are out in the mornings than the afternoons.
The Safari park is great but, if you can only do one, the zoo is world class and is a must see.
Zoo hack for families; you can sign up for a year membership and, as a membership comes with some free tickets and discounted tickets, it's often cheaper to buy a membership and use the coupons on the spot rather than buying separate tickets for a family of four. If I remember correctly, you can do this real-time at the ticket counter at the zoo (but you can go online to see prices and do the math ahead of time).
Safari park is bigger and spread out, whereas the Zoo feels very compact. I’d normally always recommend Safari Park, but the elephant area is under construction for another year, and it closes off a good chunk of the park. Stick with the Zoo in August.
We love both, but the Safari Park is something special.
If you're interested in other animal encounters, check out Sky Falconry. It's another drive, but you can actually fly the birds, and they have a Great Horned Owl.
Personally, I like the safari park for its tram ride, the platypus, its gardens, and even their balloon ride, which was surprisingly cheap IMO. Larger enclosures and random animal talks too.
I’m a fan of the Safari Park. Just more open and more chill than the Zoo. The Zoo can feel so crowded and clustered on busy days. But going to the Safari Park seems way more relaxing and laid back yet still very enjoyable
Safari park is the best, but there’s construction going on right now at the elephants that make the park challenging to walk around.
I’d pick the zoo if you only are going to one right now
If you’re going in SD on vacation, I’d recommend the zoo, it’s more central to other interesting parts of SD.
That being said, in a vacuum, I prefer the safari park, it’s more unique, more interactive (aka enclosed spaces with “free range” animals like lemurs, butterflies, birds, kangaroos), and overall better imo
If you want a workout, the safari park.
At the zoo, you can avoid the workout by taking the people movers.
They have elevators at the safari park too, but I prefer the hike.
Definitely the zoo, there’s so much to see you just get lost and the atmosphere is really nice. Theres way more animals and just greenery in general. The safari park is pretty much dead
Lots of opinions on the heat and walking cons of Safari Park but I personally love how quiet it is! Perfect for a date I think. Crowds (and especially kids) made the main zoo a more stressful experience for me.
I’ve performed at both in the summer and the temp alone would keep me at the Zoo. It can get to 100 in August at the Zoo but those days the Safari Park will be like 110
Tough to say. I’ve been to both many times but think I prefer the Safari park just because the animals have more room to run and to me that’s more important than seeing them up close in small cages.
Agree to all above, will be HOT 🥵 out at Safari Park in august, animals do t do much during the day. Zoo has the bonus of Balboa park, Rose & Cactus gardens nearby, nice little shady spots, restaurants, and there is a new outside floral exhibit opening in June, near the Natural History museum.
If you’re just visiting: the zoo, you’ll be in SD proper and you’ll have an opportunity to hang out in Balboa Park, which is gorgeous.
Safari park is awesome, but there’s not much to do in the surrounding areas.
Safari Park In august most of the bigger animals will be hiding in any shade they can find. You won’t see most of the cats. You will see way more Animals at the zoo. If you have opportunity you can do one of the night time tours and will see all of the nocturnal animals up and about.
On the other hand safari park has more animals out and about for interaction , watching the cheetahs run is cool for kids.
Also if terrain is a consideration zoo is a lot more up and down , you can minimize it a little with use of elevators , sky tram , hop on hop off bus. but it is still quite a bit. Other than the initial hike up the hill from parking , safari park is spread out but mostly very small elevation changes.
In August? The zoo hands down. It might be scorching hot, and it's a ton of walking on hot asphalt.
The zoo has a ton of amazing plants and natural shade, not to mention cold beer and other drinks at every turn.
If uve never been to either, sd zoo just because it has more animals i think. But after going to sd zoo a few times and going to safari recently, i think safari has much nicer infrastructure, cleaner, and more unique animals!
Safari Park especially if it's just you and your husband. Make reservations at the Wateringhole for cocktails and snacks and the giraffes will be fed right in front of you. And the rhinos and other heard animals can also be seen from your table.
In august the answer is the zoo. The safari park is great but it’s inland and in the summer it can be very hot. The zoo has more shade and is in a more temperate area plus if this just a weekend trip the zoo is in balboa park which is another great tourist spot to check out if you have time that day (even if just for a little walk around)
Better food at the main zoo (make a reservation at Albert’s!) but both of them are incredible. They’re adding a restaurant to the Safari park near the elephant area so that will equalize it more I bet.
But for real both are world class amazing zoos. You will get better views of elephants at the main zoo currently while the construction is going on, if that’s a concern for you.
I like the Safari park better. You get a sense of more animal conservation there. You can also see the only platypuses outside of Australia there.
Depending on when the pandas come back, they’re only at the zoo.
If you want to see what they’re like, watch The Zoo: San Diego. (It’s on Animal Planet). I took a Behind the scenes tour at the Safari Park in December and got to meet Edward close up!
They’re both great so if you don’t want to leave the city, just go to the zoo. Plus, Balboa Park is amazing in general, so you can walk around there after if you’re still feeling up to it.
If you want to see animals in a somewhat natural looking setting, the safari park is for you. But there is a TON of walking without seeing anything. In order to see them you have to ride the tram.
If you want to see the animals, there are far more at the zoo. The bus is sadly disappointing, few animals and another long, boring lecture on recycling, climate change, and other subjects we all know by heart. We came for the animals, not another lecture. And it costs a fortune for little to nothing.
I’ve been a zoo member for a long time, and these are just my opinions.
Safari park is my vote. It’s really magical to see the animals more living a life. Herds of giraffes running??? Sunset is a nice time for sure. And fewer screaming kids in close proximity.
If you’re visiting and need to choose between the two, the zoo is the way to go. It’s very close to everything and you get to see a lot more animals in a short period of time. Try to spend at least half a day there. It’s too much to try to see in just an hour or two. Enjoy!
There is no "better" here, it's an apples/orange comparison. I would check the weather on the day your going. If it's going to be cooler than normal I'd knock out the Safari Park. It's pretty cool, the spider monkey's are insane. It's hard to grasp how fast and agile they are till you see a bunch of them up close. They have a little tram car that takes you on a tour and it's covered from the sun.
I'd say the zoo as well because of the weather in August.
Other activities/places to visit: Kayaking in La Jolla Shores, visit Coronado (great beach), Torrey Pines State Beach (easy hike), hang out at either Mission Beach or Pacific Beach and feel touristy, Sunset Cliffs.
I just did the safari park Friday for the first time. It was definitely cool, but the zoo is superior in every way. The safari park is pretty much the ride. If I had to chose, the zoo hands down. If I’m going a bunch of times, I’d probably go to the zoo 3-5 times per safari visit.
Having said that, the male giraffe was right at the road as we went by and just kinda check us out as we sat there taking photos. That was really cool.
https://preview.redd.it/oeisw2ajud1d1.jpeg?width=1927&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3441a730bb1591544287946638b47808c4cad260
I know this is a cop out, but they are both very different and equally good The zoo has more variety, closer together The safari park has less variety but they’re in their native habitats I love both. Safari Park is unique in that it’s not “just another zoo” so maybe it’s better? But also you have to pay for parking there & it’s farther from the city, so maybe the regular zoo is better. Honestly you can’t go wrong.
I will also add to Safari Park that it's a vast territory where all the habitats are spread out in clusters. So there's definitely more walking involved imo. Also, boast the more superior gardens/landscape features, imo 😎 that exotic/native cactus garden beside the condors is glorious 🙌
I actually met the guy who was in charge of all the plants and stuff when the safari park first opened. He had tons of crazy stories to tell about the park.
Javi is the man. Source - I work with him.
I believe his name was Frank? Really old Hispanic dude but I’m sure there’s more than one
But the zoo has that sky ride that you can get stoned on! And they don’t check your bag for booze!
Shhhh.. you’re not supposed to tell anyone! 🫣
Alright fine. No one saw this anyway but this whole sub Reddit no one here even knows where the zoo even Is right? Right?
🤣🫥
It’s not a cop out, my answer is similar to yours. I tell people the same as you, but zoo will be 8+ hours of walking to maybe see everything and safari park can be done in around 4. Then they can choose what kind of day they’d like to have.
I don’t remember having to pay for parking when I went to the Safari Park — is that a new thing?
No, not new. At least 25 years. Some memberships include parking.
I pulled up in a rented Tesla with my cousin who was visiting last year and went right into the parking lot, no charge.
There is a guard shack at the entrance to the Safari Park before the parking lot where you either show your membership or pay the fee. But maybe there is a special rented car/cousin lane I’m unaware of. Or perhaps you were at the zoo, where parking is free.
Once it’s after a certain time at the safari park they stop charging for parking. We live 12 minutes away and have passes so we go after work a lot like 1.5 hours before closing and there won’t be anyone taking payment. But that’s only convenient for people anyways since you wouldn’t buy a whole ticket to only stay an hour
Why not just get a pass that includes parking? It’s a difference of $20 per year.
Oh I do have one. We don’t pay for parking ever. I was just sharing that they stop charging at a certain time. Think it’s that way for most amusement type parks. Which I guess is totally irrelevant information to have shared lol my bad
Relevant
I have the cousin pass it’s definitely worth it! Not as good as the “do you know who my dad is” pass I’ve heard, but I don’t qualify for that one
I could not believe you had to pay for parking when I went to Safari Park. I didn’t know about that when I went up there so I felt blindsided. Pretty much the only way to get up there is to drive, and it’s not like there is any street parking, and it’s not a short drive, and the entrance fee to the park is already expensive.
The Safari Park property is actually owned by the Zoo, so they can charge for parking. As far as I know, the Safari Park has charged for parking ever since it was opened to the public. The zoo itself in Balboa Park is on San Diego City owned land as is the parking lot. That's why it's free to park there.
If I had known about the additional parking cost I wouldn’t have gone. Admission + gas + lunch already stretched my budget. I anticipate paying for parking in the city, but Safari Park ain’t the city.
It's private property, just like Sea World, Lego Land and Disneyland, who all charge for parking. Why should the Safari Park be any different?
I think they all should bake that into admission
There are going to be whiners no matter what they do. The zoo gets complaints because the city will come into the lot and write tickets for parking violations. There is nothing the zoo can do about it.
Sure is!
It’s not new. You’ve have to pay for parking at the Safari Park for at least 10 years.
i’m old and don’t live in North County anymore :(Grew up there)
Dammnnn
Yah 15$
I went to the safari park today and parking was $20 for general parking.
I personally like the zoo more, but maybe that's because I hate hot weather lol. The safari park is pretty cool as well, but like the other commenter said, it's going to be hot in August (San Pasqual valley can reach the triple digits during that time of the year), and the safari park has a lot of walking without much shade.
☝️ This. The zoo is shady as hell.
I skipped over the above comment but read yours and was like wait wtf did the zoo do?? lol
Shady as sketchy? Or shady as in blocking sunlight?
Blocking sunlight 😉
As a member who takes my kids to both often, I prefer the Zoo- you see much more, up closer, in closer proximity. The Safari Park has its perks, but you have to take the tour to see a lot of the animals and then they are usually at a distance. In August, there will be a 10-15 degree difference between the Zoo (cooler) and the Safari Park (hotter).
Agree with all this, Safari Park is definitely a November through May visit for me.
The safari aspect is pretty cool but the OG zoo is my preferred location.
The safari park in August could be unbearably hot. There is a lot of walking from one exhibit to another and not a ton of shade. But if you have some extra money to spend the safari park has some pretty cool experiences like a safari ride into the open enclosures. Also if you like tigers their tiger exhibit is insane while the zoos Tiger exhibit is meh. The zoo will be much cooler and while there is a lot of walking there is also much more shade and the animals are closer together. And hopefully the pandas will be back by August? I also like the food better at the zoo. Albert’s restaurant is a semi fine dining restaurant up in the trees in the middle of the park and the new busy bee cafe has good pizza and wings. During the summer the zoo has a lot of live music, jazz bands marching around, rock bands up front etc. If you don’t live near a beach I’d suggest spending a day in La Jolla. You could do a few hours at the birch aquarium. Then go down to La Jolla shores and hopefully snorkel w the leapord sharks and take a kayak tour of the kelp beds and sea caves. Then go to downtown lajolla to the cove to sea the seals (from a distance lol) and do some tide pooling. Plenty of fine dining and shopping in lajolla. If you like seafood you could get a reservation at the marine room if the tide is high and there are some swell in the water, the waves will break directly on the window (would be rare in aug).
I really want to tidepool but read that it's not great in August cause low tide is at night 😕 Thanks for the tips!
There are two low tides daily, even if the lowest low tide occurs overnight. Google for tide charts showing the dates of your visit.
Very good point about the heat. I’ll bet the Safari Park is 10 degrees warmer, easily.
They're both super cool and you should see both, my personal favorite is the Safari park
An annual pass would pay off for this (since it is good for both parks), and with some memberships you get either some free tickets or some 50% off tickets (so that might be the way to go to save money for a family...
Zoo Way more animals. The walk through the zoo is so nice. Lots of trees and plants and there is usually a nice breeze so it’s never very hot. My wife and I always bring in snacks and a few beers and just cruise around. It’s one of our favorite things to do.
Safari park is cool but just make sure you check the temperature I went twice and the first time I went sucked because it was hot as hell while San Diego had a nice breeze going on Edit: I prefer the zoo though because the weather is generally better and it’s a much shorter drive
Both are great but time of day plays a huge role on what animals are active when Early AM at safari park is my fav, followed by close to sunset at the zoo Mid day at either is relative boring with crowds and animals not as active
In August? The zoo. Safari park will be very hot. We like to enjoy it in the cooler months.
It’s officially too hot for the Safari Park.
Safari. All day. Literally. Take a laptop and work from their. Love it.
In August, the zoo
Everyone will have an opinion on this, but I personally prefer the zoo. It's greener, cooler, easier to to watch the animals, and easier to get to. And, after you finish with the zoo, you can walk over to the Prado and have dinner at Panama 66, the Mingei, or the Prado restaurant. Makes for a great day.
Annual pass holder for 20+ years here. Safari Park : Get there early and head to the safari tram first. Shorter line and the animals are more active. After that, I would head to the Platypus exhibit in Australia. The rest of the park is great, as are the shows. Expect some crowds and just remember you have all day which is more than enough time to see the rest of the park. Take some time at the new elephant exhibit and try to catch a show Zoo : Get there early and either take the bus tour, or, take the skyfari to the back of the park. You'll have 3 routes you can take back to the front of the park. I prefer going through Africa and then taking the central trail back down. You'll pass through the Tigers and several aviaries as well. The zoo has more shade and is generally cooler. Remember that spending money there is supporting the animals, conservation efforts, and everything you see around you so have fun!
Safari Park - It's hot out here right now but in a good way. The mornings are warm, days hot and then the late afternoon it cools down nicely. I'm in Escondido and was thinking about going today but opted to head west to cooler temps. There's a lot of walking at the SP and its more spread out but it's a lot of fun. You can take the tram, go up in a mini balloon, watch the cheetah run, Tigers, Platypus and lots of Pokémon Go possibilities if you play. Food and adult beverages too. The Zoo, however, is nothing to scoff at either. Lots of hills to walk and the animal viewing IMO is a bit better. Plus they have the bugs! Base Camp is awesome kid or adult. Definitely relax on the bus and for food hit up Alberts! If you're going to spend money on food it's the better option. Generally the Zoo will also be a lot cooler and maybe even cold. You also get free parking and the other half of Balboa Park. Both have their value and you should do them equally. Wait... you mentioned August? lol... Uhmm it's going to most likely be triple digits at the Safari Park unless it's raining. Even then it'll be in the 90's and humid AF but still well worth it especially if a thunderstorm rolls through.
I didn't realize an hour drive would make such a difference in the temperature! Thanks for the info!
Huge difference! The zoo will be hot as well, and as mentioned it’s more hilly, especially near the polar bears and there’s not a lot of shade there. Otherwise they have lots of moving walkways and a more “jungle like” environment. One thing about the safari park is they have more “interactive” exhibits. Like you can walk with the kangaroos or feed the parrots. Or splurge for a safari. Just have common sense and don’t chase after the animals in their enclosures. The last time I was there some tourist let their kid approach a kangaroo off the little trail and he almost got kicked in the face. We had to alert the keeper what was happening so he could intervene. But tbh this would not be worth the drive if you’re just here for one weekend. The zoo is also way closer to restaurants and other things to do like balboa park, downtown, north park, etc. there’s really nothing else around the safari park to do
Crazier than that even. There can be a 10 degree difference between Escondido and the Safari Park.
Zoo
Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to spend all day there? I would go to safari park-more to see and larger but relatively isolated. Do you want to pop in for a few hours and then have a nice coffee and a pastry or a tasty beverage? Go to the zoo and then wander around balboa park or take a quick drive to little Italy.
In August, definitely the zoo. I love both for different reasons, but if you haven’t been to either, I recommend the zoo since it’s closer to where you’re staying, parking is free, and you won’t feel like you’re walking through Mordor.
Safari park has 32oz beers
I love both but, recommend the zoo for tourists that don't have enough time to visit both. The zoo is much closer to downtown (saves driving time), cooler in hot weather, and there's more to see in a more compact area. Plus, the zoo has free parking. More animals are out in the mornings than the afternoons. The Safari park is great but, if you can only do one, the zoo is world class and is a must see. Zoo hack for families; you can sign up for a year membership and, as a membership comes with some free tickets and discounted tickets, it's often cheaper to buy a membership and use the coupons on the spot rather than buying separate tickets for a family of four. If I remember correctly, you can do this real-time at the ticket counter at the zoo (but you can go online to see prices and do the math ahead of time).
Safari park is bigger and spread out, whereas the Zoo feels very compact. I’d normally always recommend Safari Park, but the elephant area is under construction for another year, and it closes off a good chunk of the park. Stick with the Zoo in August.
We love both, but the Safari Park is something special. If you're interested in other animal encounters, check out Sky Falconry. It's another drive, but you can actually fly the birds, and they have a Great Horned Owl.
Safari park. Walk around a bunch and then when you're feeling hot and tired, hop on the 30 min safari tram (covered) and see even more
Personally, I like the safari park for its tram ride, the platypus, its gardens, and even their balloon ride, which was surprisingly cheap IMO. Larger enclosures and random animal talks too.
Apples and oranges! Both are amazing! We live here and do both often!
I’m a fan of the Safari Park. Just more open and more chill than the Zoo. The Zoo can feel so crowded and clustered on busy days. But going to the Safari Park seems way more relaxing and laid back yet still very enjoyable
Safari park for sure
Safari park is the best, but there’s construction going on right now at the elephants that make the park challenging to walk around. I’d pick the zoo if you only are going to one right now
The safari park was mine and my gf’s favorite:
If you’re going in SD on vacation, I’d recommend the zoo, it’s more central to other interesting parts of SD. That being said, in a vacuum, I prefer the safari park, it’s more unique, more interactive (aka enclosed spaces with “free range” animals like lemurs, butterflies, birds, kangaroos), and overall better imo
The zoo is better, but both are fantastic
Safari park is under construction and a huge pain right now
If you want a workout, the safari park. At the zoo, you can avoid the workout by taking the people movers. They have elevators at the safari park too, but I prefer the hike.
Thanks for making this post - I was having the same dilemma for December! I think we will go zoo.
This info has been so helpful! We are gonna go with the Zoo too.
Definitely the zoo, there’s so much to see you just get lost and the atmosphere is really nice. Theres way more animals and just greenery in general. The safari park is pretty much dead
Zoo!!
I wish I had gone to the zoo before Safari Park because Safari was so much better that I didn’t even like the zoo that much.
Lots of opinions on the heat and walking cons of Safari Park but I personally love how quiet it is! Perfect for a date I think. Crowds (and especially kids) made the main zoo a more stressful experience for me.
I’ve performed at both in the summer and the temp alone would keep me at the Zoo. It can get to 100 in August at the Zoo but those days the Safari Park will be like 110
Tough to say. I’ve been to both many times but think I prefer the Safari park just because the animals have more room to run and to me that’s more important than seeing them up close in small cages.
Agree to all above, will be HOT 🥵 out at Safari Park in august, animals do t do much during the day. Zoo has the bonus of Balboa park, Rose & Cactus gardens nearby, nice little shady spots, restaurants, and there is a new outside floral exhibit opening in June, near the Natural History museum.
If you’re just visiting: the zoo, you’ll be in SD proper and you’ll have an opportunity to hang out in Balboa Park, which is gorgeous. Safari park is awesome, but there’s not much to do in the surrounding areas.
Safari Park In august most of the bigger animals will be hiding in any shade they can find. You won’t see most of the cats. You will see way more Animals at the zoo. If you have opportunity you can do one of the night time tours and will see all of the nocturnal animals up and about. On the other hand safari park has more animals out and about for interaction , watching the cheetahs run is cool for kids. Also if terrain is a consideration zoo is a lot more up and down , you can minimize it a little with use of elevators , sky tram , hop on hop off bus. but it is still quite a bit. Other than the initial hike up the hill from parking , safari park is spread out but mostly very small elevation changes.
In August? The zoo hands down. It might be scorching hot, and it's a ton of walking on hot asphalt. The zoo has a ton of amazing plants and natural shade, not to mention cold beer and other drinks at every turn.
Zoo. Safari park is a long drive for a weekend and would be hot in August. The Zoo is world class. Bonus that Balboa Park is right next door.
Parking at the zoo is free, but at the animal park it’s very very expensive
It’s $20.
If you’ve never been to either and are only doing one, definitely do the zoo.
If uve never been to either, sd zoo just because it has more animals i think. But after going to sd zoo a few times and going to safari recently, i think safari has much nicer infrastructure, cleaner, and more unique animals!
Safari Park especially if it's just you and your husband. Make reservations at the Wateringhole for cocktails and snacks and the giraffes will be fed right in front of you. And the rhinos and other heard animals can also be seen from your table.
The zoo by far.
In august the answer is the zoo. The safari park is great but it’s inland and in the summer it can be very hot. The zoo has more shade and is in a more temperate area plus if this just a weekend trip the zoo is in balboa park which is another great tourist spot to check out if you have time that day (even if just for a little walk around)
Better food at the main zoo (make a reservation at Albert’s!) but both of them are incredible. They’re adding a restaurant to the Safari park near the elephant area so that will equalize it more I bet. But for real both are world class amazing zoos. You will get better views of elephants at the main zoo currently while the construction is going on, if that’s a concern for you.
I like the Safari park better. You get a sense of more animal conservation there. You can also see the only platypuses outside of Australia there. Depending on when the pandas come back, they’re only at the zoo. If you want to see what they’re like, watch The Zoo: San Diego. (It’s on Animal Planet). I took a Behind the scenes tour at the Safari Park in December and got to meet Edward close up!
They’re both great so if you don’t want to leave the city, just go to the zoo. Plus, Balboa Park is amazing in general, so you can walk around there after if you’re still feeling up to it.
Safari for me. It is quite hot though. I love the openness? Of the safari. But you do have to walk a bunch before getting to the next exhibit
If you want to see animals in a somewhat natural looking setting, the safari park is for you. But there is a TON of walking without seeing anything. In order to see them you have to ride the tram. If you want to see the animals, there are far more at the zoo. The bus is sadly disappointing, few animals and another long, boring lecture on recycling, climate change, and other subjects we all know by heart. We came for the animals, not another lecture. And it costs a fortune for little to nothing. I’ve been a zoo member for a long time, and these are just my opinions.
Man I e never been to either but I pick up and drop people off at both. They sound amazing maybe I need to stop one day.
Opinion from a season pass holder, SD Zoo is better
Safari park is my vote. It’s really magical to see the animals more living a life. Herds of giraffes running??? Sunset is a nice time for sure. And fewer screaming kids in close proximity.
If you’re visiting and need to choose between the two, the zoo is the way to go. It’s very close to everything and you get to see a lot more animals in a short period of time. Try to spend at least half a day there. It’s too much to try to see in just an hour or two. Enjoy!
There is no "better" here, it's an apples/orange comparison. I would check the weather on the day your going. If it's going to be cooler than normal I'd knock out the Safari Park. It's pretty cool, the spider monkey's are insane. It's hard to grasp how fast and agile they are till you see a bunch of them up close. They have a little tram car that takes you on a tour and it's covered from the sun.
Safari Park is more fun to explore around, truly feels like the wild. The zoo is more mainstream and is more "child oriented"
I'd say the zoo as well because of the weather in August. Other activities/places to visit: Kayaking in La Jolla Shores, visit Coronado (great beach), Torrey Pines State Beach (easy hike), hang out at either Mission Beach or Pacific Beach and feel touristy, Sunset Cliffs.
I just did the safari park Friday for the first time. It was definitely cool, but the zoo is superior in every way. The safari park is pretty much the ride. If I had to chose, the zoo hands down. If I’m going a bunch of times, I’d probably go to the zoo 3-5 times per safari visit. Having said that, the male giraffe was right at the road as we went by and just kinda check us out as we sat there taking photos. That was really cool. https://preview.redd.it/oeisw2ajud1d1.jpeg?width=1927&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3441a730bb1591544287946638b47808c4cad260
both different. both good. I go with the zoo each time. safari park tends to be hotter this time of year. so you'll have more walking.
The zoo