San Francisco Zoo: Exhibit by Exhibit
This tour walks a loop of about two and a half hours through San Francisco Zoo and Gardens, 100 acres between Lake Merced and Ocean Beach. Sixteen stops cover the African Savanna, gorillas, lemurs, the Children's Zoo, koalas, grizzlies, penguins and the Depression-era buildings where the zoo began in 1929. The main paths are paved and step-free.
The pages are built to open by themselves. When your phone asks, allow location access, turn on Headphone mode, tap the screen once, and keep the screen on. Then wander: each stop opens, and in Headphone mode plays, as you come within about 30 meters of the exhibit.
The zoo charges admission; check sfzoo.org for current prices and hours (it is usually open 10 am to 5 pm). The Muni L Taraval ends a short walk from the gate, and the 18 and 23 buses stop nearby. Dress in layers: fog and wind roll in off the ocean even on summer afternoons. Animals can choose indoor or outdoor areas, so you may not see every one. Start just inside the main entrance on Sloat Boulevard at the Great Highway.
16 stops on this tour:
Main Entrance - Where the Map Begins
African Savanna - Giraffes on the Fog Line
Gorilla Preserve - A Troop on the Hill
Lemur Forest - Madagascar by the Sea
Dentzel Carousel - Older Than the Zoo
Insect Zoo - Small Wonders Up Close
Family Farm - From Storyland to Goats
Mother's Building - Murals Behind the Arches
Koala Crossing - A Gift from Sydney
Australian WalkAbout - Kangaroos by the Sea
Tropical Rainforest - A WPA Birdhouse Reborn
Grizzly Gulch - California's Missing Bear
Little Puffer - A Steam Train from 1904
Lion House - Big Cats in a WPA Classic
Penguin Island - A Colony Built in 1984
Great Ape Passage - Orangutans Move In
Plan your visit
- Route: 16 stops · about 1.3 miles · walking loop
- Time: about 2.5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Main Entrance (directions)
- Cost: free tour; the site itself charges an entrance fee
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
Stops on this tour
- Main Entrance - Where the Map Begins
- African Savanna - Giraffes on the Fog Line
- Gorilla Preserve - A Troop on the Hill
- Lemur Forest - Madagascar by the Sea
- Dentzel Carousel - Older Than the Zoo
- Insect Zoo - Small Wonders Up Close
- Family Farm - From Storyland to Goats
- Mother's Building - Murals Behind the Arches
- Koala Crossing - A Gift from Sydney
- Australian WalkAbout - Kangaroos by the Sea
- Tropical Rainforest - A WPA Birdhouse Reborn
- Grizzly Gulch - California's Missing Bear
- Little Puffer - A Steam Train from 1904
- Lion House - Big Cats in a WPA Classic
- Penguin Island - A Colony Built in 1984
- Great Ape Passage - Orangutans Move In
More tours nearby
- Fort Funston Historic & Scenic Tour (1 mi) - Coastal Defense History Meets Natural Beauty
- Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (4 mi) - 1,017 acres of wonder - museums, gardens, bison, and windmills in the heart of SF!
- San Francisco Waterfront Tour (5 mi) - From the Golden Gate to the Ferry Building
- Muir Woods (12 mi) - Walk a two-mile loop through old-growth coast redwoods, from Founders Grove and Cathedral Grove to Fern Creek and back along Redwood Creek.