San Diego Zoo Safari Park

On our list of the best activities in San Diego.

Spread across 1,800 acres in Escondido, the Safari Park lets more than 3,000 animals roam in open-range habitats rather than pens, with herds of African and Asian species mixed together across the property's savanna. The Africa Tram covers 2.5 miles of that ground on an open-air vehicle modeled on old-style safari trains, and a tethered balloon lifts riders 400 feet above the plains for a wider view. The park opened in 1972 and has grown into the largest hoofed-mammal collection in the world, with an on-site veterinary hospital sized to match. Elephant Valley, a two-story addition with African-inspired dining, opened in March 2026 as the biggest single project in the Wildlife Alliance's history.