Field Trips

• The minimum size of a school/youth group is 15 people. Each school/group can bring a maximum of 200 people per day. Each individual over the 200-person limit is charged full price.
• Groups from accredited home schools are welcome! You must meet the minimum group size of 15 and all requirements listed on the fee/rate calendar to qualify for the discounted education rate.
• Your group must have a minimum of 1 adult for every 10 students.  Adult chaperones are required to stay with their students at all times.

San Diego County students are admitted free of charge during most traditional school days. Dates of traditional school days, holidays, and summer vacations are based on several school districts within San Diego County. The in-county fee/rate calendar is for in-county schools and accredited home school groups only. Please click here to request your field trip.

Schools located in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Imperial, and Riverside counties pay a discounted rate of $15 for each student on traditional school days. The out-of-county fee/rate calendar is for schools and accredited home school groups located in these counties. Please click here to request your field trip.

Youth groups in San Diego County (such as scout troops, Boys & Girls Club, etc.) pay a discounted rate of $26 for each guest ages 17 and younger and $31 for each guest ages 18 and older, including chaperones. The fee/rate calendar linked above is for San Diego County youth groups only. Please click here to request your field trip.

School and youth groups from all other areas need to arrange their self-guided visit by emailing YouthGroups@sdzwa.org. The fee/rate calendar is for out-of-county youth groups.

• The bus tour is $5 per person for students and adults when booked with a self-guided field trip. Groups larger than 12 may need to split into different buses.
• Simex 4D Theater admission is $3 per person for students when booked with a self-guided field trip.
• Skyfari is included with school group admission; children 7 and younger must be accompanied by a chaperone. 
• Meal vouchers are $16.50 each, and can be redeemed at select food stands throughout the Zoo for an adult meal with soft drink.

Join a Zoo educator for a 90-minute educational experience that includes your very own private bus tour of the Zoo and a special surprise experience! Will you check out an exclusive off-view area? Meet an animal up close? Something else? It's always a fun surprise on this tour, which is adaptable for students in kindergarten through college. Topics may include healthy habitats and food webs, conservation, and best practices in wildlife care. If there are any specific areas of focus you would like our educators to incorporate, please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate all requests!

Please Note: This program is not available during summer. We will begin accepting reservations for the 2022–2023 school year in mid-August.

Book your Zoo Education Experience through Zoo Education, at EducationZoo@sdzwa.org.

The maximum ratio of free adults is 1 adult per 4 students. If you have any special needs students, we allow one adult for every special needs student in the group.

Adults within the maximum ratio are the same price as the students. Adults above the maximum ratio, up to and not exceeding the total number of students, are $15 each. If the number of adults exceeds the number of students, each adult over and above the number of students will be charged the full admission price. Teachers are counted in the total number of adults.