During our stay in California we made a visit to the world famous San Diego Zoo. We're lifelong New Yorkers and we always thought the Bronx Zoo was amazing. The San Diego Zoo was, in a word, spectacular.
Did you know the San Diego Zoo is one of just a select few places where you can see real live pandas? San Diego is home to four giant pandas on loan from China, including the panda Xiao Liwu who was born at the zoo in 2012. The line to see these incredible animals seemed to stretch all the way back to China but it was absolutely worth the wait. It helped that there were plenty of opportunities to learn more about these fascinating bears while you stood in line, making the wait much more manageable. But if you were going to the zoo just to see the pandas it would totally be worth it.
The zoo, of course, is much more than pandas. The zoo is neatly divided into several habitats from steamy Asian jungles to scorched African savannahs to Australia's wild outback, and is a beautiful home for the zoo's collection of exotic animals.
The zoo offers a variety of themed activities throughout the year, especially nice if you're able to visit more than once a year. We were able to experience Koalafornia Boardwalk which included live entertainment and Down Under-themed costumed characters. It was a fun diversion from looking at animals all day, and made the day all the more enjoyable.
Our admission included a guided bus tour, express bus, and a ride on the Skyfari Aerial Tram. The zoo itself is a wonderful place to walk with plenty of shade and places to rest and get out of the Southern California sun. But there are some hills and those tickets for buses and the Skyfari came in handy when all you want to do was just sit for a moment and enjoy the ride.
The San Diego Zoo is open year round, including holidays. It typically opens at 9 a.m. but the closing schedule varies depending on the season, so be sure to check before heading out.