Wild Animal Safari Park Review

Visit San Diego Safari Park for Family FUN in Southern California! It is a great place for kids and adults with a tram and many animals to see. Here is our review and pictures.

San Diego Safari Park is a fantastic place to bring your family! Formerly called the Wild Animal Park, this place is different from anything else. It features many of their animals in their natural habitat! Sponsored visit. (affiliate link present, originally published 6/14)

San Diego Safari Park Review

It’s totally different from the San Diego Zoo, very few animals are caged. They have acre upon acre of land that “houses” a variety of animals. Some of them are inclosed in areas similar to a zoo setting, but not many. The highlight is it’s tram / train. The San Diego Safari Park tram gives you a birds eye view of many wild animals such as;

What kind of animals does the San Diego Wild Animal Park have?

• rhinos (some species almost extinct)
• giraffes
• zebra
• lots of others living in large open areas

Some are together interacting with one another, while others come close to the tram as you move along around the acres of land in beautiful San Diego. You can see just how close this giraffe came to us as he walked along side us, it was pretty spectacular!

Is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tram Free?

Yes, there is not an additional fee for this as it is the main visual experience of this free range zoo in Southern California. You will see the most when on this train vs. walking around the park. Cost of admission includes this ride for you and your family.

Can you ride the tram at the Wild Animal Park more than once?

Yep, just hop in line and you could ride it over and over again. If you are not up for walking around it is the best way to see the animals anyway so if you are not super mobile or have little kids you may want to ride it twice when you are there!

It is unlike any other zoo environment you will ever go to because of the tram and because of the variety of enclosures they have. As you enter, there is an incredible bird enclosure where ducks and a variety of birds are free to fly about in a rather large area.

• It is great for kids as they are able to walk inside and really experience and see the natural flight of birds and interaction of the ducks.

Inside a bit more is a lorikeet enclosure as well where you can purchase a cup of nectar and the lorikeets will actually land on you and feed.

We caught a learning experience at the “animal ambassador stage” too where two trainers spoke about two different animals, a kangaroo and a hawk.

They brought the animals out where you could really see them up close, spoke about them in depth, and answered any questions we had.

There are several different times during the day where they feature a variety of animals on this stage, which was really cool.

Is there a petting zoo?

The petting zoo area was a highlight for my little ones because they Love getting close and brushing animals. That was free of charge too which was great. The goats were very friendly inside. A hand washing station is right outside the petting area as well which is a huge plus for us Mommies!

In addition to all the animal and plants featured at the San Diego Safari Park they do have;

Other Than Animals What is There do do at San Diego Wildlife Park?

• a few places to eat
• balloon rides
• carousel to ride (extra fee)
• extra adventures like zip lining
• caravan safari rides
• gift shops
• a playground area for kids to play

Before we left we got a front row spot to watch a cheetah run! Safari Park is the only facility allowed to do this. It was pretty amazing to see just how fast this animal is. I would recommend staying for this (every day at 3:30).

Many years we were members of the San Diego Safari Park which was great because when my kids were little they enjoyed it a lot but didn’t last long, ticket prices are reasonable for a full day of an experience like no other.