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    Elephant Valley

    4.4 (15 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Kandy F.

    We were so excited to come check out the new renovation of the Elephant Valley at the SD Zoo Safari Park! It was still closed in January when we came last. The elephants are fun to watch. The early morning was watching them eat. It's crazy to say I enjoy watching them eat. Sometimes you'll see them all together. Sometimes you'll see them all spread out in different areas. They are massive beautiful creatures. We came around a couple of hours later. It was getting hot out already. We watched them put dirt on themselves. That must have been their way of putting on sunscreen! ;) It's fun to watch the elephants interact with each other. A very relaxing time!

    Minna N.

    What a beautiful new exhibit at San Diego Safari Park Escondido California. We've been a countless number of times and love how you really feel like you're fully immersed into the elephant habitat and walking among the gentle Giants. Because of the new opening, attendance on the weekends is extremely high, so be patient when walking through. On the plus side, avoid and go to the other exhibits for a more quiet experience.

    Jenna S.

    All the elephants were happy and the valley was great and there were misters to cool you down .

    Beef kabobs and fries from Mkutano food place in Elephant valley
    Kira C.

    Opening day of Elephant Valley was crowded, but they had excellent crowd control and performances all around the park! The Elephant valley is vast with plenty of room for the elephants on both sides with an under pathway through where people could walk, the elephants are so close and they had toys all over! They looked incredible happy and comfortable! Their is also a restaurant right there overlooking the elephants right by their watering hole that serves amazing food! A restraint with a 45 day reservation period, plus special sky lounge access for $10 per person! Definitely will be going their in the near future!! It was a beautiful, well thought out Elephant habitat with plenty of native trees and foliage and great design!!

    I was very excited to "walk with the elephants," by the way it looked online, and the price I paid. But I was disappointed. It ended up being a group of use walking along the same path as others not part of the group, with the tour guide stopping at different intervals giving facts about the elephants. The guide was nice and the information was interesting, but it wasn't much more than others who were walking the same way as us (except for one angle). Others who didn't pay an extra $50 could also hear the guide, for the most part. It was a bit disorganized. Families had children running around while we walked. This was not worth another $100 (tickets for 2), on top of the park admission. I'm sorry but we expected something a little more personal and up close. I recommend lowering the price or stepping up the experience. There was a video on social media of people walking along a path next to the elephants, it was misleading. And I understand that we can't be right there with them, but again, nothing much more than if we had just walked ourselves. Maybe also add a takeaway gift.

    Marcus F.

    This was my first visit to Elephant Valley even though I've been to the Wild Animal Park for decades. Perhaps the reason that I keep missing it is because this attraction's location is off the beaten path and away from the highly trafficked trails that most tourists take. There are two main elephant viewing areas. One is from the Elephant patio and the other is along service road outside Tembo Stadium. Both offer unique perspectives and if you like elephants you need to look at both locations. Back in the day you would be able to see the Elephants from the park's old WGASA (who gives a shit anyway) electric monorail.

    An elephant posing for us.

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    Review Highlights - Elephant Valley

    Highly recommend visiting at the San Diego safari park.

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    San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    4.2
    (3k reviews)
    0.2 mi

    I hadn't been to the Wild Animal Park in a few decades even with all my membership years with the…read moreZoo...it is vastly different! As I've said to non-natives...it's too far away and the Zoo is right here. Hehehe When I was a kid the Wild Animal Park was vast and hot and had fewer animals to view. I am happy to say I was wonderfully surprised by the changes that were made for the better. The parking attendant was helpful and parking was easy. Getting into the park was also easy. The park is lovely, lush, and very well designed. I was impressed. Now...there were loads of maps and signs but it was not easy or clear as to how to traverse the park to get to the event pavilion we needed to get to. They had sandwich board signs up but information guides didn't know where we needed to go. There were a few that were helpful and searched for other more informed people and we found where we needed to be. The pavilion location was great. We were next to the Japanese cranes who were beautiful and lovely to watch. The event staff were so personable and friendly. The bartender was hilarious and made the best cocktails. The food was delicious. It was a hot day but the shade of the rooftop with ceiling fans made it completely comfortable. The birthday boy was pleasantly surprised and shocked. We had a great celebration. I will be visiting the park again in the very near future.

    Went to Safari Park for the first time ever! The African Safari tram was the highlight of the park…read more 25 minutes of seeing animals was cool! We didn't have enough time to see the kangaroos as we arrived at 2pm and the park closed at 4pm on a Sunday. It was 95 degrees and hot AF. I loved that they had the mist at some of the viewing points. Saw elephants, loin, giraffe, gorilla, bison, birds. It was plenty of walking; wear comfy shoes. Would come in the morning next time.

    Photos
    I love her
    I love her
    Nom nom. Adorable Giraffe getting his munch on. | IG @moniquedao
    Nom nom. Adorable Giraffe getting his munch on. | IG @moniquedao
    Salmon-crested Cockatoo, star of the park | IG @moniquedao

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    Salmon-crested Cockatoo, star of the park | IG @moniquedao
    Wild Wonders

    Wild Wonders

    4.8
    (121 reviews)
    18.6 mi

    A beautiful wildlife preservation site where you can enjoy animal encounters with exotic animals!…read more - PARKING - We parked on the hill past the entrance of the business, and walked down. Pretty steep but it's a short walk. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - Book your visit online! There are group rates and additional attendee rates, so just make sure you have the right count of people! Staff was very friendly from start to finish, and I loved seeing the enthusiasm shine through their work. It's not a huge site, so not a ton of walking involved, but there are some steps if you're worried about accessibility. Make sure to wear closed toed shoes! - EXPERIENCE - We booked a Wallaby encounter, and initially I thought it was only going to be a single animal experience but I was pleasantly surprised we were taken on a tour around the area! We did get to feed and pet the Wallaby, but we also walked to see all the different animals in captivity. They also brought out some animals for us to pet and see up close! - OVERALL - A wonderful wildlife preservation site, and amazing staff to take care of them all!

    We spent our anniversary here for their Sip & Paint event. Great different wines to sip and snacks…read moreto snack on. Great staff. And we had a blast! Great group of attending people too, had a lot of laughs together. The painting teacher walks you through the techniques so even though I'm not even good at stick figures, I didn't do that bad! My cheetah looks more like a racoon, but that's ok ha. Mine is on the right & my wife's on the left.

    Photos
    Sabi, the Serval cat.
    Sabi, the Serval cat.
    This one was a total ham.
    This one was a total ham.
    Cheetah

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    Cheetah
    EcoVivarium

    EcoVivarium

    4.7
    (152 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    What an incredible experience! It was so amazing to see so many reptiles and be able to actually…read morehold them and interact with them in their habitats. We wouldn't have had such an amazing time without our amazing tour guide. Rachel did such a great job teaching our kids the right ways to interact with the animals and you can tell that she really loves what she does. She was really patient with our kids and made this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend! *full warning, the outside of the building looks a little sketchy at first because it's an old building, but don't let that deter you*

    Would you like to learn about incredible reptiles up close and support a good cause? The…read moreEcoVivarium is the perfect place! For $25 you can get a behind the scenes tour that introduces you to a variety of turtles, snakes, and lizards that call the EcoVivarium home. They also have birthday party visits, host events, and as I learned from my friend Trish, can help teachers get set up with a reptile in the classroom. My first conversation with Susan at the EcoVivarium was heartfelt, as I was calling to see if they might be interested in the donation of our decommissioned aquarium. The setup was only four years old and housed our previous beloved 26 year old fish named Puff that had recently passed away. Susan was kind, expressed her condolences and shared that they would appreciate our donation. Chun P and I met Rachel and Donald on a Sunday and after we brought our items in from the car were treated to meeting some terrific reptiles. Many of the inhabitants at the EcoVivarium have sad stories, some had suffered abuse, some were abandoned, and others were victims of trafficking that were confiscated and brought in by the department of fish and game. Susan has created a safe space and her staff and volunteers give their all to make sure they live a better life. I'm looking forward to visiting again soon and supporting this worthy endeavor!

    Photos
    Bearded Dragon
    Bearded Dragon
    EcoVivarium
    Python wrangling!

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    Python wrangling!
    Butterfly Jungle

    Butterfly Jungle

    3.5
    (6 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Annual spring exhibit that's known for butterfly interactions and long-ass lines…read more Is it worth it? If you've seen it once you can probably skip it. The problem isn't butterfly jungle, it's the poor timing of butterfly season which is during spring break for SoCal schools. Even during midweek it was 20 minutes waiting. During a Saturday you're looking at an hour. There is one large viewing aviary loaded with butterflies. There are plenty of opportunities to have butterflies land on you if you're patient. I would say that adults were having more fun with this experience than the kids. - There are two mandatory butterfly checking stations before you can leave Butterfly Jungle. If you think TSA searches are embarrassing just wait for the security checks here.

    I come every year to this exhibit, and whether I pay for priority viewing or not, the wait time is…read moresoooo long for maybe ten minutes of wandering the enclosure. It's basically a 2-hour wait if you don't pay, and upwards of an hour if you do. Overall, I don't recommend this exhibit. It's too crowded as it is. Joking, not joking! Well, my best tip is to wear bright colors. Butterflies always land on me when I wear red or hot pink. P.S.- Fun fact: It sounds cruel, but the birds they keep there are to eat the butterflies when the exhibit ends. Enjoy~ Pros: - great photo ops Cons: - humid inside - long lines - priority viewing oversold

    Photos
    Apparently this guy wasn't supposed to be here...
    Apparently this guy wasn't supposed to be here...
    Butterfly Jungle
    Completely packed with people

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    Completely packed with people

    Elephant Valley - zoos - Updated August 2026

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