san diego zoo
2920 Zoo Drive off of Park Blvd at Zoo Place, +1 619 231-1515, (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/). 9AMâ4PM extended hours in the summer. $35 adults, $26 children, free for children under three includes Guided Bus Tour and Bus/Aerial Tram rides; multi-park passes including admission to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Sea World are also available.
An absolutely enormous and world-renowned zoological institution, the San Diego Zoo showcases more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals, including many exotic animals from all over the world, such as apes, hippos, polar bears, tigers, bears, lions, elephants, koalas, kangaroos, zebras, reptiles, hundreds of species of birds, and a whole lot of species of animals that are less well-known. The San Diego Zoo also has one of the largest populations of giant pandas outside of Asia.
The many expansive and well-designed exhibits throughout the park provide a natural setting for the zoo's animals, such as large bird aviaries, Polar Bear Plunge a large arctic area, Ituri Forest an African rain forest, Panda Research Station, Tiger River, Absolutely Apes, Wings of Australia, Reptile Mesa, a Children's Zoo with a lot of farm animals, and many more specialized areas. The terrain of the park, with plateaus, steep canyons, and wide flat areas, creates an expansive setting with many hidden corners and less-beaten paths.
The zoo is so large that you really need to devote several hours to seeing it all. Visiting in the winter will mean fewer crowds and cooler weather, but visiting in the summer has the benefit of extended hours. Buses provide a way to get around the zoo. A special guided bus tour using double-decker buses takes you around much of the zoo without stopping, while the Express Buses both double and single-decker allow you to get on and off in different parts of the zoo. In addition, the Skyfari aerial tram provides a quick shortcut to get from one side of the zoo clear out to the other, providing magnificent views of the zoo. If you decide to walk around, moving walkways make traversing some of the steeper sections easier.
