Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour Review
When giant pandas returned to the San Diego Zoo in 2024, they quickly became one of the zoo's most popular attractions. While every guest can view the pandas during regular operating hours, the Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour offers a unique opportunity to visit before the zoo opens to the public.
In my quest to give you unsponsored, first-hand reviews, I decided to take the upgraded tour myself to see how different it actually is from viewing the pandas as part of general zoo admission, and if it’s worth the extra cost. Below I share everything that is included, tips to make the most of your visit, and if I recommend it.
early morning with pandas review: is it worth it at the san diego zoo?
The Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour is an upgraded experience offered at the San Diego Zoo. It’s an additional cost to your general admission, yet it allows you to enter the zoo before the park opens and visit the panda habitat before the crowds arrive.
The experience includes:
Early admission to the San Diego Zoo
A guided walking tour with individual headsets so everyone can hear without distracting/ harming the animals
Priority viewing of the two giant pandas and red panda
Education about pandas, how they came to the zoo, and conservation efforts
The tour takes 60 minutes, beginning at 8:30AM. While the zoo opens at 9AM, the panda exhibit is not available to the public until 9:30AM. They reserve the full hour of your tour for you to view the pandas; there’s no overlap with regular guests.
Because the tour begins before the zoo officially opens, it offers a quieter and more intimate experience than a standard visit. On some of the other upgraded tours, you’re still co-mingling with regular zoo patrons at times; this tour is truly private and separate.
It is best for those who specifically want to see the pandas and hang out in the exhibit observing them for a while. If you are fine to just walk through the exhibit in a few minutes, you may find it to be too much.
my experience on the tour
The biggest highlight of the experience was, unsurprisingly, seeing the pandas before the crowds arrived.
Instead of waiting in long lines later in the day, our group was able to walk directly to the panda habitat and spend time observing the giant pandas while learning about their personalities, behaviors, and conservation story.
The guide shared lots of information about the animals, including details about their care, diet, and the international conservation partnership that brought them to San Diego. This is one of two zoos in the United States that has giant pandas (the other is in D.C.) so it is very special to be able to have them here in San Diego.
While the giant pandas are typically the main attraction, there is also a red panda on exhibit that you get to see, too! Red pandas spend 17-22 hours resting or sleeping a day, so it is rare that you see them active and running around, but because our tour was in the morning, we saw the red panda playing and climbing. One of our guides commented on how rare it is; I think it partly had to do with the weather (more on that below), but it definitely felt like a treat!
The tour ends around 9:30AM, which is just a half-hour after the zoo opens. Most people are still making their way into the park, but you’re in the center of it, so you have easy access to the other exhibits. I was able to head towards Northern Frontier and see the polar bears; it’s rare to see them so engaged, so that felt like an added bonus of the panda tour’s early start time.
If you've ever visited the San Diego Zoo during a busy weekend, holiday or during summer break, you'll immediately appreciate the quieter atmosphere that the Early Morning with Pandas tour provides.
how close do you get to the pandas?
The main question I’ve been asked since taking the tour is if you go behind-the-scenes or get closer access to the pandas than if you just walked through the exhibit during regular hours.
No, you do not get any closer to the pandas. You walk the same path that you do without the special tour, but what elevates the experience is that you’re in a smaller group (30 people) and get to spend extra time in the exhibit.
is the tour worth the cost?
Truthfully, whether the Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour is worth it depends mostly on how important the pandas are to your visit.
I think it's worth the extra cost if you:
Are visiting primarily to see the giant pandas
Want to avoid long wait times
Enjoy guided educational experiences
Prefer smaller group tours
Want a more relaxed, quiet start to your zoo day
You may want to skip it if you:
Have already seen the pandas multiple times
Prefer exploring the zoo independently
Are visiting on a tighter budget
Don't mind waiting in the regular panda viewing line
Don’t mind if you aren’t able to see the pandas
I’ve been to the zoo and seen the pandas before, so the tour didn’t “wow” me beyond being able to see them in a more active state. If you are a first-time visitor or visiting from out of state where you may not see pandas at your local zoo, it’s worth it. Many of the out-of-state (and country) tourists in my group were blown away! The pandas are such a popular exhibit at the zoo that if you really want to see them, it’s worth booking the early morning tour.
The zoo does a fantastic job of adding value to your experience. They communicate with you as you’re led into the exhibit and while you observe; I learned a few fun facts and they showed us a model of just how tiny a baby panda is, so there’s a solid mix of education and engagement.
Another benefit of the tour is that you finish the tour in the heart of the park with the whole day ahead of you; there’s plenty of time to see other animals while they’re still active. Making your way to the tigers, mountain lions, or polar bears at 9:30AM versus 12PM means you are more likely to see them roaming around instead of sleeping.
While it isn't a behind-the-scenes experience, the Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour creates a much more personal encounter than standard panda viewing. If seeing the giant pandas is at the top of your San Diego Zoo bucket list, this tour is definitely worth considering.
tips for the best experience
If you're planning to book the tour, here are a few tips:
book your tour early
The tour allows for 60 people total, and then you’re divided into two groups of 30 (A and B). There are two sides to the panda exhibit; one showcases a giant panda plus the red panda, and the other has the second giant panda.
I was a part of group A and we started with the half that included both the giant and red panda. We got to see the red panda while they were very active! Our guide even commented how rare it is. While there is no guarantee they will be active on your tour, I recommend booking early to hopefully get in that A group where you have the chance to see both for the first half of your tour. We spent more time in this section than the other, and I felt like we got more out of our tour this way. Both the giant and red panda were active, whereas on the second half, the other giant panda was already sleeping.
arrive early
Give yourself plenty of time to park, walk to the entrance, and check in before the tour begins. As you check in, you are giving a headset to wear, so you want to take a few minutes to make sure it works and is comfortable.
They have headsets for adults and children; everyone said the fit was great.
wear comfortable shoes
The experience is entirely walking-based. While you have the option of taking the stairs or elevator down to the exhibit, you will likely continue exploring the zoo afterwards. The zoo is very hilly, so comfy shoes are key!
bring your camera
Morning lighting can be excellent for animal photography, and the smaller crowds make it easier to capture unobstructed shots.
stay for the rest of the day
Even if you’ve been to the zoo before, the early morning tour sets you up in a way that you’re already in the center of the park before most of the guests arrive. Make the most of it and explore! I recommend heading straight to the Northern Frontier to see the polar bears; they’re especially active in the morning, and more likely to be sleeping off-exhibit later in the day. Check out my San Diego Zoo One-Day Itinerary for more tips on how to navigate around the different exhibits without retracing your steps.
early morning with pandas walking tour FAQ
how long is the early morning with pandas walking tour?
The tour is about an hour long, starting 30 minutes before the zoo opens to the public.
does the tour include behind-the-scenes panda access?
No. Guests view the pandas from public viewing areas, but before the zoo opens to general admission.
how much walking do you do?
Not a lot! You walk to the exhibit, and then walk through it. I believe it’s called a walking tour because the guide shares information from start to finish, starting when you walk to the exhibit.
The walk to the panda exhibit is mild and mostly downhill.
A little tip: you will either walk down a few flights of stairs or take the elevator. I recommend taking the elevator! The San Diego Zoo is very hilly and it’s best to save your legs for later in the day. Even though walking downstairs isn’t that strenuous, it’s still more steps than you may think.
is zoo admission included?
No; you need to buy a separate ticket for admission. They scan this right at the start of tour, so make sure you have bought yours ahead of time!
can children attend?
The tour is for ages 5 and up. The Early Mornings with Pandas Walking Tour is more about observation than engagement, though, so younger children should be comfortable with walking and listening during a guided tour.
If you want something more engaging, look into the daily free presentation, or Animals in Action.
do you get guaranteed panda viewing?
The tour is designed around visiting the panda habitat, though animal visibility is never be guaranteed. Part of what makes the San Diego Zoo ethical is that they do not force the animals to do anything they want to do.
