VIP Tours - San Diego Zoo

[msr709]

Has anyone used this Company? I was planning on taking a tour to San Diego Zoo with this company and was wondering if anyone had any feedback on them, good or bad?? My first time to California and I like to know what I'm getting into before I commit $122 for tickets with them. It says they offer the transportation and admission to the attraction. I think the price is OK, $62 pp, since the Zoo admission is $32. Anyone have any comments or suggestions on touring the Zoo? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[year2late]

My two cents worth.

Watch out for the pick up/arrival times.

If they are picking up at numerous hotels, you could spend hours on the bus, leaving only a small amount of time to visit the zoo. 4 -5 hours is not enough for all this zoo has too offer!

The soo is fantastic and huge, Right next door is Balboa Park (museum district) Watchout for shortchanging your time.

If they allow for substantial times to tour, it would be ok. Otherwise consider renting a car for the day. (I am a direction idiot, but the zoo is an easy spot to get to.

This would not save you any money, but you could buy a single membership ($68) which gives you 2 extra guest passes to use.

Also, the pass allows you in the Wild Animal Park as well.

 

[Grog]

I used VIP tours last month to go from PPH to USH. We were the last hotel picked up so we went straight to their main office on Harbor. After about a 15 minute wait we went straight to USH. They picked us up on time later that afternoon. This is the only experience I have had with them and it was OK. Based on last time, I would use them again. Checking into how long you would have at the zoo is a good idea.

 

[ilovemky]

i AGRREE--tour busses often do not give you enough time to see everything you want. a rental car is cheap and the drive to the zoo from DL is very easy--I would be glad to give you exact driving directions. also, if you buy the season pass to the zoo, it does allow entrance to wild animal park as well and it is TAX DEDUCTIBLE! I will be glad to help you with directions etc

just holler!

 

[year2late]

ilovemky - the season pass is a good deal, and they seem to add a few extra months so we usually can use the same one two years in a row.

Also of note, if you are holders of your local aquarium and zoo memberships, they might significantly help you out with the Balboa Park museums (natural history and space a short walk from the zoo). Last year our local memberships gave us free tickets, this year I think it is 1/2 off.

Also in the same park district there is a model train society that is way cool. Admission is cheap. Multiple model train clubs have space there and they have quite elaborate working layouts.

 

[TootyJane]

I was just at the Zoo last Friday night for the AIA Convention Chapter Party. As far as any suggestions for touring the Zoo, I'd say you could spend all day there!! Depending on how much time you will have to tour the Zoo, I would do take the bus tour. This will give you a great sneak peek at the Zoo and give you an idea of its layout and you could then pick out which exhibits you would like to go back to, etc. BTW, the price of $32 is considered the Best Value Admission which includes the Guided Bus Tour and the Skyfari Aerial Tram Ride. Here is a link to the San Diego Zoo website if you are interested: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

 

[msr709]

Thank you all for all your helpful responses! I had requested the Anaheim Convention Center Guide Book which I received in the mail yesterday and it gives a couple of other bus tours. We really don't want to have to drive while on vacation so the bus tour is our preferred way to go, now I have several more options and I will look into the time. One bus tour posted online that the tour would be 11 hours, but I understand that the ride to the Zoo from Anaheim is 2 hours, is this correct, because that would give us 7 hours in the Zoo, which I think is about all I can take in one day! I have a bad knee so walking for 7 hours is a stretch for me, at least at DL I can go back to the hotel and rest in between so I am pretty confident that this should be enough. I don't intend to see the whole Zoo, I'll just have to pick the most interesting and see that. I do intend to take the bus tour in the Zoo and use the Skyfari, that sounds like a full day for me. Thanks again for all your input.