# San Diego Zoo - Travel Guide — user reviews > 115 indexed App Store user reviews of San Diego Zoo by San Diego Zoo, rated 4.89/5 from 13,578 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/san-diego-zoo-travel-guide/id1438051921/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/san-diego-zoo-travel-guide/id1438051921.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 11,645 · 4★ 811 · 3★ 180 · 2★ 38 · 1★ 45 ## What do users think of San Diego Zoo? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Helpful navigation - 📍 Interactive map - 🎟️ Convenient ticket storage - 🏆 Positive staff interactions - 🤩 Enjoyable zoo experience **Cons** - 🗺️ Confusing or inaccurate maps - 🚧 Unclear directions and signage - 🔔 Unwanted notifications/advertisements - 🤖 Buggy or unresponsive app - 💰 Overpriced food and services **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes when using certain features - Navigation gets users lost or misdirected - Inability to close or exit the app - Inconsistencies between app and physical maps **Most requested features** - Optimize route planning based on proximity - Provide detailed walking directions with landmarks - Add search functionality for amenities (restrooms, dining, etc.) - Integrate membership details and discounts - Improve synchronization with paper maps ## Newest reviews (17 of 115) ### 4/5 — Very good app *2026-06-01, version 3.3.8* Very good app but need to provide additional information like take the elevator when showing the path will be very helpful. Example we started from the entrance was planning to go to panda ridge. Small paper signs are there near the elevator but in app it shows like straight line when we were on the top of the bridge in San Diego zoo. It took some time for us to figure out the way. Same we encountered when we visited San Diego zoo safari in escondido. ### 5/5 — AMAZING! *2025-10-07, version 3.3.4* The app is amazing! The app shows you everything you need to know and even helps you get to your favorite wildlife! The digital routes are so helpful! We LOVE the San Diego Zoo & the app! ### 4/5 — Easy navigation just one flaw *2025-09-24, version 3.3.4* App is great but I wish that the guest coupons would be attached instead of having to have the physical copies. if they can be sent in an email, they can be put in the app. Sea world does it no problem in their app. Also, there’s a deals section that never has deals. ### 5/5 — THE ZOO IS AWESOME! *2025-07-31, version 3.3.1* THIS EXPERIENCE IS AWESOME ESPECIALLY THE CAPYBARAS YEPPIE ### 5/5 — TOTALLY AWESOME! 🤩 *2025-07-28, version 3.3.1* My dream is to go to the San Diego Zoo, and this app is perfect! It shows you all the animals you can expect and some info about the species! Plus, you can even plan your stay! You go through and enter all the animals, exhibits, facilities, and more you want to visit, and it plans your route for you. You cross each item off your checklist once you’ve seen it, and it makes it so much easier! Plus, you can view events happening soon, plus live cams if you’re at home! I absolutely love this app and check in on live cams every day. Now I feel super prepared to visit the San Diego zoo! ### 3/5 — Get a map *2025-07-11, version 3.3* The map does not function properly which is what I mostly used it for. It’d have you going in a direction that wasn’t Correct or it wouldn’t load with your current location. Better to just get a paper map. But other than that great app. ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-06-10, version 3.2.9* Love the app And the zoo!!! ### 5/5 — A Must Have *2025-05-15, version 3.2.9* Great app overall for anyone visiting the zoo ### 5/5 — Such a great tool for zoo visitors *2025-04-28, version 3.2.8* The San Diego Zoo app is excellent. You can create a plan for your visit by selecting your must-see animals, and then the app will create a map of just those highlights. It will also give you walking directions from your exact location to any particular place in the zoo that you select. We were blown away. Good job, San Diego Zoo! ### 5/5 — Beautiful zoo *2025-02-03, version 3.2.5* It is the most beautiful zoo I’ve been to. ### 5/5 — Best zoo ever! *2024-12-29, version 3.2.4* Lots of animals to discover once you make your way to the entrance! Staff is friendly and helpful whenever you need help. ### 5/5 — The annual membership pass is the best deal! *2024-12-28, version 3.2.4* If you’re going to go to the zoo two days or more within that year, it’s definitely a good idea to buy the annual membership. Definitely worth your money. ### 2/5 — Useless *2024-09-18* Most useless unintuitive app I have downloaded for a long time. Navigation through the zoo is impossible with this app. Luckily they still have maps available. Save yourself some space on your phone And use the park volunteers. ### 4/5 — Don’t enable notifications *2024-08-26, version 3.2* The Sam Diego Zoo is world class, of course, and the app was helpful for navigating the park. I enabled notifications on the app to receive “important updates” or something like that. However, the only notification I received during my visit was a pitch to sign up for some credit card. Annoying. ### 5/5 — Thank you *2024-08-07, version 3.2* Thank you ### 5/5 — First! *2024-07-11, version 3.1.23* Ever since I was old enough to know what a zoo is, I’ve dreamed of going to the San Diego Zoo. This was my first trip, and I am 60+ years old now. The Zoo exceeded every expectation I had, and I was able to share this experience with my grandchildren! Thank you for a great time. ### 5/5 — AMAZING! *2024-07-03, version 3.1.23* Couldn’t have been happier with my experience at the zoo with this app! Amazing! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Map sucks *2026-08-22, version 3.3.9* Map appears to be missing large chunks of the park. Also can’t set North ### 1/5 — Worst Map Ever *2025-06-08, version 3.2.9* Worst app I have used in a long time. The day plan doesn’t group anything near each other and the apps directions are horrible to be nice. Ruined the visit. Don’t think I’ll be going back for a long time if ever. ### 1/5 — Worst experience *2025-01-18, version 3.2.4* If I could give it 0 I would. This app made our visits to both the zoo and the safari park a total nightmare. From the very beginning it was a problem., at the entrance the attendant didn’t know what to do to let me in and my two guests, he kept asking for guest passes as if I should have a hard copy or they were expecting me to show what level of membership I have, since the digital card didn’t show that and they didn’t know what to do. It was the same for everything else. Food, tram, anything I wanted to purchase not a single person knew what level my membership was and they wouldn’t honor any discount, they all gave me the same excuse I don’t know what color your membership is so I can’t give you a discount. I went ti to main entrance to talk to someone hopping to get an answer and solution to not experience this again. They did nothing all they said was to use my plastic card and that the app is new. Maybe before they offer it to patrons train your staff on it and how it works. You lost $2500 a year from me. Staff is grossly untrained and rude. ### 1/5 — Help! Can’t add new membership! *2024-02-28, version 3.1.20* After purchasing a different annual membership this year for two members of my family, every time I try to load the new membership into the wallet of the app, it keeps coming up as the previously expired membership. I’ve tried it about 20 times and even deleted and reinstalled the app, but it still shows up in my wallet grayed out as expired. ### 1/5 — Utterly useless app *2023-10-24, version 3.1.17* I’m glad I took a map because the app is utterly useless. I hoped it could tell me about the animal I was closest to but instead just showed a dot on a outline of the park with no information, no walkways, no details, no hyperlinks ### 1/5 — Possibly the worst app I’ve ever used *2023-08-28, version 3.1.14* Doesn’t show you direction, doesn’t match paper map, if you want to find a restroom you have to change your view from animals to restrooms, no search feature for guide posts and difficult to find without zooming in very close on the virtual map. I have never in my life experienced an app that was so useless. It’s a shame as it is a world class zoo. obviously somebody’s idiot cousin or brother (or sister )was hired to write this app ### 1/5 — Bored to tears *2023-04-28, version 3.1.11* Children everywhere. Strollers with screaming kids and their families cooing over them. And it costs $71 to get in. Nothing special to see here for the adults. I left in an hour and went to the art museum. ### 1/5 — Crashed My Whole Phone *2022-07-13* I was trying to use the plan trip feature and went in to put the birthdays and it started lagging like crazy and I wasn’t able to select the birthday so I tried to close the app. I COULD NOT close it! I locked my phone then couldn’t open it or turn it off…it was terrible. I couldn’t get into my phone, restart it, swipe or use the keyboard. I was finally able to turn off my phone after about a half hour. Then it worked fine because the app finally closed. I instantly uninstalled the app. Can’t believe it crashed my whole phone. Absolutely disappointing. ### 1/5 — Expected it to sort *2022-07-01* I guess maybe it’s not explicitly stated that after one marked the animals one wanted to see that the app would spit back out a plan that would show you the itinerary based on walking distance. But this is what I expected. It doesn’t do that. AND it took me a few animals to figure out that they were all just listed alphabetically and if we followed this plan, we’d be crisscrossing all day. Without THAT feature, the app was entirely unhelpful—getting to the red panda without knowing that we had to go down an elevator was extremely frustrating (perhaps it could include written directions too?). Ditching the whole thing and using a paper map, in the end, made for a much more enjoyable experience. ### 1/5 — Hard to follow directions to get to other point. *2022-06-14, version 3.1.3* Maps were hard to follow with directions on. It took me to other side when I wanted to go the other way. Should be better in guiding through the directions so people don’t get lost. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Cuz it’s a Jungle out there… *2026-04-27, version 3.3.8* This place is a Flippin zoo! And I mean that with all due respect! I go there every day and walk a few laps and I see something new around every corner. (Whatever you do, don’t come early that’s when I go) ### 5/5 — Una visita de todo el dia *2026-04-24, version 3.3.8* Llegamos a las 10:00 y nos fuimos a 6 de la noche ### 5/5 — Ramos family trip *2026-04-21, version 3.3.8* We took our 2 year old granddaughter and had a blast! Staff so friendly. We will be back! ### 5/5 — Loved it *2026-03-30, version 3.3.8* Great time seeing the pandas and pigmy hippos! So cute ### 5/5 — Customer service *2026-03-02, version 3.3.7* My family and I are very happy with the staff — everyone was very kind. From the person at the entrance, to the shops and the restaurant, all the way through the end of our visit. They made our day truly enjoyable! 😊 ### 5/5 — Zoo walk *2026-02-03, version 3.3.7* Nice walk. Went to get some exercise and release som tension from a hard days work... It worked! Also was enamored with peccaries settling down for the evening. I've never witness them huddling in a group like that...so sweet! An afternoon walk at the zoo has always been so rewarding! Kurt ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-01-25, version 3.3.6* Amazing navigation tool and search function in app ### 5/5 — We have the best! *2025-12-13, version 3.3.6* It’s always such a nice place to come for a walk. ### 5/5 — Great visit *2025-11-27, version 3.3.5* Fantastic zoo! Hands down the best zoo we have visited. Can not wait for our next visit. ### 5/5 — Accurate and very useful *2025-10-14, version 3.3.4* We went a couple of weeks ago and this app very much helped us organize and enjoy our day so much more than if we were wondering aimlessly. I wish our zoo (Houston) had something similar. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-05.*