For many visiting Southern California during their vacation, the San Diego Zoo is one of the most popular places to spend a day, praised as one of the best zoos in all of the United States. The San Diego Zoo has two parks, the San Diego Zoo in Balboa and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, and both are great places to visit during your vacation if you're an animal lover. The two parks have a variety of animal exhibits and special experiences, and they share a collective mission to work towards saving species around the world through conservation efforts. Many visitors wonder if Costco sells discount San Diego tickets as a way to save money on a visit to this incredible zoo.
While Costco unfortunately doesn't sell San Diego Zoo tickets on a consistent basis, you may find them occasionally pop up, but there are better alternatives that are more reliable for getting discount San Diego Zoo tickets. While Costco members could be disappointed by this, there is an alternative where you can save up to 10% off some tickets. We recommend Get Away Today! They offer our readers additional discounts on tickets.
Buy Discount San Diego Zoo Tickets NOW >
Get Away Today is an expert on Southern California travel with long relationships with the San Diego Zoo and other local attractions. They are often the best way to get discounts on the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Keep reading for more details on Costco discount San Diego Zoo tickets and how these compare to other discount options!
Planning a Disneyland Vacation?
Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!
Costco Discount San Diego Zoo Tickets
Costco might have had discount ticket offers during specific times of year, but these are not offered on a consistent basis. In the past, ticket offers for the San Diego Zoo have appeared in-store and through Costco Travel. However, several of the Costco warehouses in the San Diego area have not carried San Diego Zoo tickets in a while, so there is no promise these will be available. Make sure that you call your local Costco to make sure to see if they carry Costco tickets before making the trek all the way to the warehouse. Unfortunately, buying San Diego Zoo tickets through Costco might not be your most reliable option.
Is Buying Tickets Through Costco Worth It?
While Costco discount San Diego Zoo tickets can be a great option when they do appear in store, it might not always be convenient to get these tickets, as the conditions of the Costco offer might not be exactly what you're envisioning, they might not be available in the first place, or you might prefer to buy tickets conveniently online. If Costco San Diego Zoo tickets are not being currently offered or you don't have the ability to buy them in Costco warehouses, the authorized ticket reseller Get Away Today is a fantastic alternative for discount San Diego Zoo tickets. We will discuss their discount San Diego Zoo ticket offerings and prices below!
Best Alternative To Costco San Diego Zoo Tickets
Get Away Today offers discount 1 Day San Diego Zoo tickets, 1 Day San Diego Zoo Safari Park tickets, and a San Diego Zoo/Safari Park 2 Visit Pass that you can either use for 2 days at one of the two parks or 1-Day visits to San Diego Zoo and Safari Park each. These are all really great options, especially the 2-Visit Pass if you're looking to explore both parks.
Get Away Today offers fantastic discounts of up to 10% off gate prices! In addition, they offer amazing customer service and will provide you with support and expertise as you plan your Southern California vacation.
Buy Discount San Diego Zoo Tickets NOW >
Every year, Get Away Today's staff goes on familiarization (“FAM”) trips where they go from San Diego to Los Angeles and visit the major parks like SeaWorld San Diego, LEGOLAND, Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and more so that they have the most updated knowledge and best tips to share with guests, so you can be assured that you're in good hands when buying discount tickets through Get Away Today! Below, we will break down what each Get Away Today ticket type includes and their prices.
Get Away Today San Diego Zoo Tickets
At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park, adult tickets are for guests 12+ years old and child tickets for guests ages 3-11. Infants ages 2 years and under receive free park admission. Get Away Today provides the following ticket offers for San Diego Zoo tickets:
1 Day San Diego Zoo Tickets:
- 1 Day San Diego Zoo Tickets include one-day admission to the park, unlimited use of the Guided Bus Tour, Kangaroo Bus, Skyfari Aerial Tram, exhibits, and shows
- $63 per ticket for adults (ages 12+) and $53 per ticket for children (ages 3-11), with the exception of October, when children ages 3-11 receive free park admission when accompanied by an adult
- Your ticket voucher will be sent to your email, and to redeem your tickets, bring your voucher and photo ID to any ticket booth.
San Diego Zoo/Safari Park – 2-Visit Pass:
- The San Diego Zoo/Safari Park – 2-Visit Pass includes either a 1-Day pass to the San Diego Zoo and 1-Day pass to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park OR two 1-Day passes to the Zoo or Two 1-Day passes to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
- $119 per ticket for adults (ages 12+) and $109 per ticket for children (ages 3-11)
- Bring your ticket voucher and photo ID to redeem your 2-Visit Pass tickets. Your ticket will be delivered electronically to your email, and you can redeem it at Guest Relations or at the ticket turnstile.
1-Day San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tickets:
- 1 Day San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tickets include one-day admission to the park, unlimited rides on the Africa Tram, the Cheetah Run, and all exhibits and shows
- $63 per ticket for adults (ages 12+) and $53 per ticket for children (ages 3-11)
- Bring your ticket voucher and photo ID to redeem your San Diego Zoo Safari Park tickets. Your ticket will be delivered electronically to your email, and you can redeem it at Guest Relations or at the ticket turnstile.
The 2-Visit Pass is a particularly great offer to explore, as the San Diego Zoo can easily be experienced in a day, but it's really fun to spend a second day exploring the offerings of the Safari Park as well.
San Diego Zoo Gate Pricing
The San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa Park, San Diego, is home to thousands of rare and endangered animals, from African Penguins to polar bears and lions. The animals are represented from a variety of regions around the world. The San Diego Zoo features a 4D Theater, botanical tours, a guided bus tour, play areas for kids, wildlife presentations, and more, with plenty of activities to engage with during your visit.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the San Diego Zoo's sister park located in Escondido, California, is 1,800 acres with bigger exhibits, and its focus is more on larger African and Asian animals, from the Greater One-Horned Rhino to the Przewalski's Horse. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has a tram that takes you on a 25-minute tour of the larger field exhibits for an up-close look at the animals who live there, shows, a Petting Kraal where you can brush and pet goats, and more.
See our full guide to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park for more details on the two parks!
Pricing if you're buying directly from the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park is $71 for adults (ages 12+) and $61 for children (ages 3-9), with infants age 2 and under free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Costco have discount tickets for San Diego Zoo?
Costco has offered discount tickets in the past for San Diego Zoo during select times of year, but they are not guaranteed to be available. We recommend buying through Get Away Today as an alternative for great discount San Diego Zoo tickets.
How much does it cost to go to the San Diego Zoo for one day?
If you are buying directly from the San Diego Zoo, it costs $71 for adults (ages 12+) and $61 for children (ages 3-9). However, you can access discounted tickets for one-day San Diego Zoo tickets through Costco (if offers are available) or through the authorized ticket reseller Get Away Today.
Who gets into the San Diego Zoo free?
Infants ages 2 years and younger get into the San Diego Zoo free, and during the month of October, children ages 3-11 who are accompanied by an adult also get into the San Diego Zoo free. At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park, adult tickets are for guests 12+ years old, and child tickets for guests ages 3-11.
How much is parking at San Diego Zoo?
Parking at the San Diego Zoo is free, and additional parking is available throughout Balboa Park as well. If the city-owned parking lot in front of the Zoo is full (usually during peak times and holidays), you can park at the overflow parking at Inspiration Point and walk to or take the complimentary tram services at Balboa Park to get to the San Diego Zoo.
Plan Your Disneyland Vacation Today!
To get started planning your Southern California vacation, make sure you subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter. Here, you will receive helpful information to plan your trip, including exclusive Disney deals, breaking Disney news, reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, and Disney experiences, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. Make sure to check out our other planning guides here:
- SeaWorld San Diego- Full Guide to Attractions, Animal Encounters, and Activities
- Disneyland Crowd Calendar – Best Times to Visit Disneyland in 2024
- Best Hotels Near Disneyland 2023: Disneyland Hotel Reviews to Help Plan Your Stay
- LEGOLAND San Diego : Everything You Need to Know About Attractions, Dining, and Entertainment
- LEGOLAND California Hotel Review – Is It Worth It?
Planning a Disney Vacation? Get Exclusive Discounts + Free Bonuses
In addition to exclusive discounts for Mickey Visit subscribers, get our free planning printable and guide to make your life SO much easier.