On a San Diego vacation, a trip to the famous San Diego Zoo is a must! As I was planning our zoo day, I found information on a variety of special experiences. I was most intrigued by the San Diego Zoo Inside Look Tour options.
The San Diego Zoo Inside Look Tours all sounded amazing. But, these tours are an additional fee which is on top of Zoo admission. Is it worth the extra cost?
There were several choices of San Diego Zoo Inside Look tours. Each tour highlights a different animal with a special experience. These small group guided tours traverse the zoo in a golf cart-style shuttle.
We had limited time at the zoo and thought we’d see more if we took the tour. But which one should we choose? Since we didn’t have a strong preference, we thought it would be fun to be surprised. So, we selected the San Diego Zoo Inside Look: Surprise tour.
San Diego Zoo Inside Look Tour: Our Special Experience
Throughout the tour, we visited various animal exhibits and heard interesting facts. However, highlights of the tour were the special experiences and behind the scenes stops.
After we boarded the shuttle, we headed straight for our surprise interactive experience, the Okapi exhibit. That Okapi was excited to have visitors or perhaps, was just hungry. The Okapi, which looks like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe, came right over. We had so much fun feeding this unique mammal.
We also had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the Elephant Odyssey area and learn about the elephants’ care. (Check out this Fun Fact about the elephants’ snacks!) I enjoyed seeing the kitchen and learning about food prep as well as their care routine. Luckily, our timing was perfect. We were able to touch freshly trimmed ivory and hear about the special process for destroying it.
The final special experience on the tour was a stop at the babirusa exhibit. These are interesting creatures that look somewhat like pigs…. but grumpier! We were each given pellets to toss into the exhibit. These guys are not good sharers!
We had a great time on the San Diego Zoo Inside Look Tour. We experienced so much more than we could have on our own. And, as a big bonus, we saved a lot of steps by riding in the cart!
This experience was absolutely worth the extra cost! In fact, I hope to go on another San Diego Zoo Inside Look tour on my next visit!
Note that if you buy Inside Look Tour tickets, you’ll still need to purchase zoo admission separately. So, check out these ticket options. If you are visiting the zoo AND other attractions, you can buy combo tickets that will save you money!
For more information on things to do in sunny San Diego, check out the following:
- La Jolla Sea Kayaking: Caves, Sea Lions, and Sharks
- Tip & Tee: San Diego Bay
- 7 Tips for a Sensational Day at the San Diego Zoo
- 5 Must-See Sights in Sunny San Diego
This post contains an affiliate link.
2 thoughts on “San Diego Zoo Inside Look Tour”