Balboa Park · San Diego · 100-acre zoo
San Diego Zoo
Ride the Skyfari over the canyons and habitats of a 100-acre zoo in Balboa Park, then let the guided bus tour show you around, both included with a 1-day pass. Open every day of the year.
Opens the zoo’s ticket page. Value Days tickets bought online in advance cost $5 less.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Zoo in Balboa Park
Open every day of the year, rain or shine
Admission
$63–$78
Adults $78; $73 on online Value Days
Hours
Opens 9 am daily
Closing time varies; 9 pm on October weekends
Time needed
4–6 hours
The zoo’s minimum suggestion
Parking
$16 cars, $44 oversized
Zoo lot has no marked RV spaces
Park size
100 acres
Founded in 1916 in Balboa Park
What you’ll see
Canyons, habitats and a ride over the treetops
The zoo spreads across mesas and canyons in Balboa Park, so how you get around matters almost as much as what you see.
Photo: Fastily on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
The Skyfari Aerial Tram
Included with every 1-day pass, the Skyfari carries you over the treetops from one side of the zoo to the other, with views across the canopy toward Balboa Park. It’s also a handy way to skip some of the walking on the zoo’s steep grades.
RV tip: the zoo suggests at least 4 to 6 hours. Get your hand stamped at the exit for same-day re-entry, which makes a midday break back at your vehicle easy.
More to see
- Guided Bus TourIncluded with admission, and the most-mentioned feature in Yelp’s review highlights (599 reviews).
- Kids Free OctoberThrough October 31, kids 11 and under get in free with a paying adult, up to six per adult.
- Wildlife presentationsKeepers introduce wildlife ambassadors and talk about the zoo’s conservation work around the world.
- Bring your own lunchSingle-person food in small containers is welcome; coolers larger than 12 by 12 inches, glass and alcohol aren’t.
Why go
A world-famous zoo, 15 minutes from camp
The San Diego Zoo traces back to 1916, when Dr. Harry Wegeforth and four colleagues founded the Zoological Society of San Diego around animals left from the Panama-California Exposition. Today the zoo is run by the nonprofit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on about 100 acres in Balboa Park, and it’s open every day of the year, holidays included.
For RVers it’s an easy day out: the zoo is about 14 to 16 minutes from the Chula Vista and Mission Bay RV parks in usual traffic. The catch is parking. The lot in front of the zoo has no marked RV or bus spaces, so bring the tow vehicle, or use the RV spaces at Inspiration Point.
If you can, come in October. Kids 11 and under get in free all month with a paying adult, and on Friday through Sunday evenings the zoo stays open until 9 pm for HalGLOWeen, included with admission.
Photo: Fastily on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why it made our list
- #3 of 946 things to do in San Diego on Tripadvisor
- Guided bus tour and Skyfari included
- Open every day of the year, rain or shine
- Kids 11 and under free in October
- About 14 minutes from Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay
For RVers
Visiting the zoo with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Use Inspiration Point for the rig
The lot in front of the zoo has no designated RV or bus spaces. The zoo recommends RVs use the Inspiration Point lot at Park Boulevard and Presidents Way, about a mile south, which has striped full-size RV and bus spaces. The City of San Diego manages that lot and sets its rates.
Expect to pay for parking
Since January 5, 2026, the zoo lot charges $16 per vehicle per day, or $44 for oversized vehicles, first-come, first-served and managed by ACE Parking. On select days a free shuttle runs from Inspiration Point to the main entrance, from 11 am until an hour after closing.
Pets can’t come in
Pets, comfort animals and emotional support animals aren’t allowed; only trained service animals are. The zoo is treated as a quarantined facility and has no kennel, so leave pets at camp rather than in a parked vehicle.
Day visits only
Overnight parking isn’t permitted in the zoo’s lots, and smoking isn’t allowed anywhere on the grounds or in the parking areas. Parts of the zoo have steep grades; manual wheelchairs and scooters rent first-come, first-served.
What visitors say about San Diego Zoo
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
Open every day of the year, rain or shine.
San Diego Zoo, on its hours · sandiegozoo.org
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Yelp’s review highlights
Guided bus tourSkyfari viewsAnnual pass value
Yelp’s review highlights point to the guided bus tour (599 reviews), the views from the Skyfari aerial tram (291) and the value of an annual pass for repeat visits (134). Checked October 24, 2026.
What a zoo day costs
Ticket prices from zoo.sandiegozoo.org; Value Days prices are online only, on select dates. Parking is the zoo lot rate for a car. Checked October 24, 2026.
Good to know
Adults (12+)$78 Any Day · $73 Value Days online
Kids (3–11)$68 Any Day · $63 Value Days online
Parking$16 per car per day · $44 oversized
Free admissionKids 2 & underActive-duty militaryKids 11 & under in Oct.
Prices from zoo.sandiegozoo.org, checked October 24, 2026. Seniors 65+, students 18+ and AAA members get 10% off a 1-Day Pass at the ticket windows.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
San Diego Zoo
- Address2920 Zoo Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
- HoursOpens 9 am daily
Closing time varies; 9 pm on October weekends - Phone(619) 231-1515
- TicketsBuy online or at the ticket windows
- Getting thereFrom I-5 southbound, take the Pershing Drive exit and follow the signs. From SR-163, take the Park Blvd./I-5 South exit and head north on Park Boulevard; the parking entrance is at Zoo Place.
- ParkingZoo lot $16 per car, $44 oversized, with no marked RV spaces. RVs: Inspiration Point lot at Park Blvd. and Presidents Way.
Closing times change through the year and for events like HalGLOWeen and Jungle Bells. Check the zoo’s hours calendar before you go.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near San Diego Zoo
These are the San Diego parks we’ve written up that sit closest to the zoo. Each is about 14 to 16 minutes away in usual traffic.
Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay
Newer resort-style park on the Chula Vista bayfront with level concrete sites, a heated pool and a café.
Mission Bay RV Resort
Full-hookup resort on De Anza Cove in Mission Bay, with bayfront sites, a heated pool and lower winter rates.
Campland on the Bay
Big waterfront resort on Mission Bay with its own beach, a marina, pools and family activities.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Opens 9 am daily · Open every day of the year
Ready for a day at the zoo?
Buy tickets online, bring the tow vehicle or use Inspiration Point for the rig, and start with the Skyfari or the bus tour to get your bearings.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Fastily (Skyfari views; CC BY-SA 4.0), Bernard Gagnon (rhinoceros; CC BY-SA 3.0), pelican from Tokyo (koala; CC BY-SA 2.0), Envy fstop (flamingos; CC BY-SA 4.0) and Bnuuy (owl presentation; CC0); the images were resized. Video: SoCal Dad San Diego on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with San Diego Zoo unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the zoo’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the zoo and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with San Diego Zoo at sandiegozoo.org or (619) 231-1515. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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