Education: Field Trips

Guided Tours for School Groups

Pre-ordered lunches are available at the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. Each lunch includes: animal cookies, chips, a drink, and your choice of a hot dog or chicken strips. Lunches can be ordered at the time of your field trip reservation or at least one week prior to your visit date.

San Diego Zoo

Teachers can choose a guided tour for their school group as part of a field trip to the San Diego 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.
See tour descriptions

Wild Animal Park

Guided tours provide your students with a Park educator to lead them through the Wild Animal Park's exhibits and behind-the-scenes areas, offer up-close animal presentations, and engage them in age-appropriate hands-on activities. See 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! More info...

Wild Animal Park

Ready, Set, Train! Boy and Girl Scouts, 4H Club members, and Future Farmers can discover how trainers and keepers at the Wild Animal Park use operant conditioning to enrich the lives of the Park's animals. Each participating youth will receive a training clicker and a patch! More info...

Self-Guided Visits

Your'e the tour guide when you class visits the Zoo or the Wild Animal 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 throught the Zoo or Park.

Fee: Admission is FREE 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 adults 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.
Advance reservations are required for self-guided visits. To visit the San Diego Zoo, call (619) 557-3962 for availability, or download the Zoo Self-Guided Visit Registration Form. To visit the Wild Animal Park, call (760) 738-5057 for availability, or download the Wild Animal Park Self-Guided Visit Registration Form.

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

Self-Guided visit materials

Bringing a class of students to the Park or Zoo has never been easier! To make a reservation to visit the Zoo, call (619) 557-3962; to visit the Park, call (760) 738-5057. Your free self-guided materials packet will be sent to you, and you can let the learning and fun begin!

Our exciting self-guided tour packets are also available for download in PDF format. Each packet includes a teacher checklist, chaperone checklist, Zoo or Wild Animal Park map, classroom activities, and field trip activities.
Click here for the download page.

Animal Encounters

Enhance your self-guided visit to the Wild Animal Park with an animal presentation. Talk with an educator and meet three animals up close. Life Science For grades 3–6.
Length: 45 minutes Maximum: 40 (students and adults) Fee: $100 per program. Program fee must be received no later than two weeks after the reservation has been made. Request an Animal Encounter when you make your Park reservation.

Amazing Adaptations!

This program is the perfect support for the California state Science standards for third-grade students. With adaptations as the theme, students will learn how animals are built for survival and meet three animals up close in a 30-minute presentation at the Park's Discovery Station Theater. Life Science/Adaptations
Fee: Complimentary for third-grade classes in San Diego County September–February.

Shutterbugs on Safari

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

School group admission fees

Admission is complimentary for a limited number of school groups in San Diego County on traditional school days when advance reservations have been made. Discounted admissions are available for all school groups. Click here for school group admission fees.

College Study Passes

Use your neighboring San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal 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 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 Wild Animal Park in your curriculum, please send a class roster to the appropriate Guest Relations Office. For the Zoo, fax rosters to (619) 557-3996 [phone: (619) 231-1515, ext. 4320]. For the 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. If you are from an out-of-county school and/or prefer to have passes mailed before your visit date, please fax or mail a College Study Pass Registration Form to the appropriate Education Office. Payment on all passes is due prior to issue.

Other Wild Animal Park activities

A number of other activities are available to make your self-guided visit more enjoyable and educational at the Wild Animal Park.
More info...

Night Owls sleepover at the Wild Animal Park!

Students in grades 3 to 6 can camp out at the park with their class during a Night Owls program! More info...

Virtual field trip

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

Receive a copy of Wildlife Learning Adventures

Wildlife Learning Adventures is our annual teacher resource guide that describes all of the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park programs for teachers and school groups. To request a copy, call (619) 557-3962 or (760) 738-5057, or contact us.