Don't get too carried away in your efforts to pay as little as possible for your San Diego Zoo tickets. The Zoological Society is not government funded, and part of the money they get to help rescue vanishing species comes from you.
Besides the ticket tips below, try the visitor guide which will help you make the most of your trip.
Getting Your San Diego Zoo Tickets Directly
Anyone aged 3 and over must have a ticket. Child tickets are available for kids 3 to 9.- San Diego Zoo: Start here to find out what full-price San Diego Zoo tickets cost. The Best Value includes unlimited use of the Guided Bus Tour, Express Bus, and Skyfari Aerial Tram. You can buy your San Diego Zoo tickets on their website and print them out at home. If you're on a budget, buy an admission-only ticket, walk instead and save about one-third. You may save more if you buy one of the combo tickets below, but this is the lowest price you'll get on San Diego Zoo tickets by themselves.
- Two-Park Ticket: Combined San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park tickets, saves about 10% over buying them individually.
Discounted San Diego Zoo Tickets
The options below will give you a discount of 10% or more on San Diego Zoo tickets, but if you've failed to take advantage of any of them, check with your hotel to see if they offer discounted San Diego Zoo tickets, look for discount coupons in "This Week" or "Quickguide" magazines and don't ignore those omnipresent racks of brochures, where you may find a few dollars' discount.- Zoo Membership: We think a one-year San Diego Zoo Membership is one of the the best ways to get San Diego Zoo tickets. It costs less than full-price tickets to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, it's tax deductible, and you can enjoy the zoo's magazine for a year as a bonus. You also get discounts on the additional paid activities at both parks such as the Skyfari sky ride and special tours. Join online before you go, allowing enough time for your membership card to arrive before you leave, or go to the Membership window at either park and sign up when you arrive.
- AAA Members: Get 10% off on San Diego Zoo tickets and other purchases
- Senior: If you're over 60, you can get 10% off, but the discount is not available online.
- Military Personnel: Go in uniform and get free regular admission ticket. Go in civvies and bring your military ID to get 10% off a Best Value San Diego Zoo Ticket.
Combo Tickets
If you're visiting several area attractions during your vacation, one of these combination passes may save you money, but you should get out your calculator or sharpen your pencil to be sure you'll really save money on the things you plan to use it for.- San Diego 3-for-1 Pass: Includes unlimited admission to the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, and SeaWorld for up to five days.
- Southern California CityPass: If you're going to Disneyland, too, this is a great money-saver. Besides a 3-day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket, you get a choice of San Diego Zoo tickets or admission to the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park and one-day admission to SeaWorld.
- Viator.com offers a ticket that includes transportation.
- Go San Diego Card: This card offers a lot of attractions at a very reasonable price. You can only do so many of them before your card expires, so be sure you can do enough of them to make it a good deal for you.
