Education: Field Trips

Admission is FREE to both the Zoo and the Safari Park for all students in San Diego County during the traditional school year. Non-San Diego County schools receive a reduced admission fee of $6 per student. All schools pay $7 per person on weekends, holidays, and during the summer. Group reservations are required for these rates. School groups without reservations pay regular admission rates.

Guided tours and classes are offered for all groups with advance reservations (see listings below). We can also come to your school with one of our traveling programs to bring wildlife into the classroom (see Assembly and Classroom Programs)! Everything we do is aligned to California State Science Standards. We support your classroom studies in all curriculum areas: science, language arts, fine arts, social studies, and math.

Pre-ordered lunches are available at the Zoo and the Park. Each lunch includes: animal cookies, chips, a drink, and your choice of a hot dog, chicken strips, or cheese sandwich. Lunches can be ordered up to two weeks prior to your visit date. For Park lunch reservations, please call 760-738-5055. For Zoo lunch reservations, please call 619-557-3962.

Guided Tours for School Groups

San Diego Zoo

Teachers can choose a guided tour for their school group as part of a field trip to the Zoo. Guided tours are offered year-round and include a bus tour, behind-the-scenes visits, and up-close animal encounters. A special free tour is available for second grade classes in San Diego County.
Tour descriptions...

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Add a touch of the WILD to your class and experience one of the amazing Park education programs! Make a connection with wildlife during one of our on-site tours. All programs support several discipline areas for both State and National standards.
Tour descriptions...

Youth Groups

San Diego Zoo

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other youth groups of any kind can have a great time learning at the Zoo. Choose from A Science Lab with Dr. Zoolittle or Explore the Zoo: An Insider's Tour. Both programs include animal encounters and an opportunity to earn a great patch! Call 619-557-3963 for more info.

AP Biology Labs

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

High school biology teachers, allow your AP biology students or honors biology students to extend their classroom learning with our new AP biology labs. These programs will help prepare your students to pass their advanced placement test. Space is limited and tours are available free of charge. To make a reservation or learn more, please call 760-747-8702, ext. 5756. More...

Self-Guided Visits

Bringing a class of students to the Park or Zoo has never been easier! You're the tour guide when you come to the Zoo or the Park on a self-guided visit (without a Zoo or Park educator). FREE grade-specific educational materials supporting the California Science Standards will be sent prior to your visit so that you and your chaperones can easily direct your students through the Zoo or Park.

Fee: Admission is FREE for students and chaperones within a radius for San Diego County schools during the traditional school year. Schools located outside of San Diego County pay a discounted rate of $6 for students and chaperones* on traditional school days. All schools pay $7 per person on weekends, holidays, and during the summer. School groups without reservations pay regular admission rates. Reservations must be made at least 2 weeks (10 business days) prior to your visit date.

* Applies to the adults within the assigned ratio. Adults exceeding ratio incur higher fees.

Advance reservations are required for self-guided visits. To visit the Zoo, call 619-557-3962 for availability, or download the Zoo Self-Guided Visit Registration Form. To visit the Park, download the Park Self-Guided Visit Registration Form; for any questions and to check Park availability, call 760-738-5057. Reservations made less than two weeks in advance will be charged a $20 late fee.

Please note: The Africa Tram Safari at the Park is not included in the self-guided visit. School tickets for the tour may be purchased for $5 per student.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park self-guided programs

Turn your students into wildlife detectives during a self-guided visit to the Park. Each program supports several discipline areas for both State and National standards. These are complimentary programs; an admission fee may apply. See program descriptions...

Self-Guided visit materials

Our exciting self-guided tour packets are also available for download in PDF format. Each packet includes a teacher checklist, chaperone checklist, Zoo or Park map, classroom activities, and field trip activities.
Click here for the San Diego Zoo's download page...
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park will send you a grade-appropriate tour packet upon receipt of your reservation.

Shutterbugs on Safari

Download these fun activities to do with your students while visiting the Zoo or Park, or any zoo or wildlife area! Activities are arranged by grade level. More...

College Study Passes

Use your neighboring San Diego Zoo and Safari Park as educational resources. College Study Passes are offered to make these popular sites available to students. If you are a college instructor, you may order these passes to include either the Zoo or Safari Park in your curriculum.

College study passes are for general admission only and do not include paid attractions. They are $15 per student and are valid for four months. Passes entitle the bearer to unlimited visits at one location. If you wish to include the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park in your curriculum, please fax class rosters with typed names to the appropriate Guest Relations Office. For the Zoo, fax rosters to 619-557-3996 (phone: 619-231-1515, ext. 4320). For the Safari Park, fax rosters to 760-738-5023 (phone: 760-738-5022). You may then direct your students to the Guest Relations office to purchase their passes. A current school-issued student I.D. is required. Payment on all passes is due at the time of issue.

Overnight Experiences

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Bring your class to one of our incredible Roar & Snore: School Nights programs, where your group will experience the wonders of the Park before settling into your sleeping bags to the sounds of lions roaring and elephants trumpeting! More...

ZooTV, videoconference connection in your classroom

Take a trip to the Zoo without leaving your school site! If you have videoconferencing technology (distance learning), you can join us from anywhere in the world. More...

Receive a copy of Wildlife Learning Adventures

Wildlife Learning Adventures 2010/2011 is our annual teacher resource guide that describes all of the San Diego Zoo programs for teachers and school groups. Download pdf...