Toronto Zoo

Huge zoo, wild variety of animals! The zoo has huge area, so you might consider visiting early in the morning to have plenty of time for yourself to explore all areas. There also are a couple of gift shops that have good souvenirs for your friends and family.

I recently visited the Toronto Zoo, and it was a fantastic experience! The zoo is massive and offers an incredible variety of animals from all around the world, which makes it a perfect destination for families, couples, or anyone who loves wildlife. The animal enclosures are well-maintained and designed to mimic natural habitats, providing a great learning opportunity while ensuring the animals are comfortable. My personal favorites were the pandas and the giraffes, but every section—from the African Savannah to the Indo-Malaya Pavilion—had something unique to offer. The zoo is very family-friendly, with plenty of amenities like clean washrooms, stroller rentals, and interactive zones for kids. The Keeper Talks were educational and engaging, adding a personal touch to the visit. There are several food options on-site, ranging from quick bites to sit-down meals, though the prices are a bit on the higher side (as expected at such venues). Bringing your own snacks and a water bottle is a good idea, especially since there are refill stations throughout the park. A word of advice: wear comfortable shoes because there’s a lot of walking involved! The zoo is massive, and you’ll want to explore as much as possible. Overall, the Toronto Zoo is a must-visit destination in the city. It’s a fun and educational experience for all ages, and the staff clearly care about the animals and conservation efforts. I’ll definitely be returning!

Worth every penny! We bought the tickets in advance, and it was cheaper than at the gate. Also, the day we choose was excellent: everybody was on vacation and we were alone at the zoo. People started to arrive at noon, so I suggest you arrive early to get better views of the animals. Bring your wagon or stroller if you have little kids, because the place is enormous and you need to walk a lot. Don’t forget to bring along some munchies and candies; they will help keep your little ones energized and in a good mood. This place is in prime condition, with many washrooms and drinking fountains available for free bottle refills, restaurants and ice cream carts. If you're considering a summer trip there, remember to pack your sunscreen and insect repellent. Last but not least, it's essential to put on your most comfortable footwear.

It's honestly been a long time since I've been and was very pleased with the place. They introduced a new walk way and are currently working on improving the place. Went during Christmas and found the zoo easy to walk and get around. A lot of exhibits were accessible and inside. Animals were active and staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend anyone to go with family or friends.

We went at Feb. Although it is winter time, we were happy to see lots of animals. It was not crowded and less noisy. We got chance to see zoo staff performed ultrasound on a pregnant white-face Saki. Zoo staff and voluteers are very dedicated and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our visit very much.

Loved our visit to Toronto Zoo! We didn't have much of a queue to wrestle with, considering we went on a holiday. Courtesy Canoo app, we had our ticket prices fully waived off too. We had to pay for vehicle parking which was around 15$. Food items for purchase were pricey inside the zoo. The Tim's just at the entrance seemed like a reasonable option. You can bring your own food / snacks, there's ample benches in the green area to sit and eat. The zoo itself is well maintained and clean. We saw a lots of animals and birds. Be prepared to walk quite a bit! The maps and the directions, however, are not that clear.

So my friends and I went to the zoo on thanksgiving. We didn’t have to wait in line and at the time we used the presto discount to get 15/20 percent (I can’t remember) off and it was wonderful! The place was fun. Unfortunately some of the animals were not present for viewing but it’s okay. It was a fun experience and one I don’t regret. My friends and I really had the opportunity to bond and have fun.

Seems really well-maintained, and there's a lot to see! Beautiful scenery, even asides from the animals. It was difficult getting out, though. There weren't any clear signs, and the map was confusing. Food prices are also a bit egregious, but you can always bring your own snacks!

I don't remember myself visiting this zoo ever. This was my first time and it was a great experience. Lots of different animals, lots to see! The zoo is pretty big. You can bring your own food and drinks inside which is great especially if you have kids.

It's been a while since I went to the Zoo but since we had time to burn one hot summer day since we were waiting to get our car serviced nearby we decided to hit up the zoo. If you're coming during the summer don't forget to bring a hat and wear a ton of sunscreen as there isn't much shade going between the different areas. FYI use your Presto card to get discount tickets at the door. Do note, they do check your card card / digital Presto card number carefully to mark your discount. Only one card per ticket discount so if you want to bring family everyone would need a separate Presto card to get the discount. My favourite is watching the hippo swim indoors and just chill. We also like the polar bears too where you see them circling and swimming in their tanks. It's great fun for the whole family and kids seem to really enjoy the animals around. You can easily spend a whole day here. We did loop around the exotic animal areas but skipped out the Canadian domain as we ran out of time and also because it's a bit of a walk I think if I remember correctly they said 15-20 mins walk to get to the end from the entrance.

This zoo is humongous. We were here for over four hours and we didn't even see one of the sections. I definitely recommend bringing a stroller if you have a little. My husband tracked it and we walked over 4 miles. There were quite a few animals that weren't visible, which was a little disappointing. They were doing construction though. The polar bears, gorillas, and baby rhino were the highlights for my husband and I. Our son loved the little splash park. Definitely bring a bathing suit or change of clothes for your little so they can take advantage of the splash park on a hot day.

Had a wonderful time at the zoo! This easily took 5 hours to explore the entire park - there is so much to see! Make sure to check online to see if there's any shows that are happening. The Canadian area of the zoo is far and on a steep hill - I recommend skipping this attraction if you're too tired for a short hike.

It seems like every zoo I go to is under construction and this one was no different. Because of various different areas being remodeled (and perhaps because of the time of year we visited- April) many exhibits were either closed or relocated. It it a big zoo and riding the Zoomobile (train) is helpful to get around, but it doesn't run the full time the zoo is open. Without it, there is a lot of walking. They provide maps to prevent getting lost, but still it is hard to always locate where specific animals are. We wanted to see Chinese Pandas, but they hadn't been here is several years. We wanted to see Red pandas, but they were either hiding or sleeping inside. I wanted to see elephants but this zoo doesn't have them. I wanted to see pengiuns and they do have them, but they just stood around inside doing nothing interesting. The lions and the tigers (oh my) just sat around not really doing anything either. They also have three polar bears which walked around and ate food, so that was nice as I like them. My son really liked riding the Train and that was probably the highlight of his trip. Perhaps for me too, as I could fully see a lot more of the zoo in a short amount of time and learn a lot about it from the tour guide. I don't know if we picked a bad time to come or not, but I was hoping to see a lot more animals here.

I went here on a Wednesday around 10:35am after my breakfast at Cafe Landwer and the zoo was very empty at that time! This zoo felt different from other zoos I've been to, so that was nice to experience. Basically, once I walked into the zoo, I saw a few big animals like goats near the Toronto Zoo sign. After, I also saw a bunch of kangaroos and thought it was cool how it's not really fenced off. They just have small signs on the ground for the kangaroo area saying "Please stay on path" which is cool too. Another cool thing about this zoo is how they have a waterfall area that you can walk through. I also liked the variety of food they have too and how there's a few outdoor food court areas, like the one I visited at the zoo called Caribou Cafe & Grill. Ok now enough about the good things about the zoo when I went, there were things I didn't enjoy about it too! One of the negatives was how most of the animals were asleep when I was there, so there wasn't really much to see when the animals were sleeping and that's kind of boring. Another thing I didn't like during my experience here is how there are areas for KIDS ONLY! The workers won't even let you check out the area if you're not a kid in those areas (NOT a fan of that!). I feel if I pay for the zoo tickets, then I should at least walk quickly into ALL public areas of the zoo. I would only recommend this zoo if you bring a little kid with you. You'll get the full zoo experience if you bring one, but you won't if you don't bring a kid. I mainly went to this zoo because it was part of the CityPass. This zoo was still a little fun for me and I spent about 6 hours there.

Super fun and the annual membership is a great deal (if you have a Presto card you get a discount on it too). Open all year, even in the winter. Great place to take kids.

It was a very big zoo, however I'm disappointed with how little animals there are and how most of the enclosures were empty or "unoccupied". Not to mention most if not all eating areas were closed. Some of the staff seemed inexperienced. Although the walk through the park was good but be warned that this is a long long long walk. My negatives would be how little up to date the zoo is, granted I know it was founded in the 70s but I feel it would be more appealing to be more up to date with conservation then vacant.

Open for business, but you don't get what you pay for. Places like the CNE, the ROM, or the AGO have it right; you go at night you pay less. Other businesses like Canada's Wonderland realize in the winter not all their rides are running, so tickets are less! Makes sense, right? Well if you visit the Toronto Zoo in the winter, they ignore this basic logic. Tickets are the same price in the summer (when everything is open) versus the winter, where half the exhibits are closed, and the majority of the foodstands and restauraunts are also closed! Ignoring not being able to see a good chunk of the animals, what was there seemed pretty good. The animals seemed well-fed and I get they have to keep the animals indoors when its that cold out, but the enclosure for the giraffe's was very short for their height, and also very small versus the running room they would have had outside, or even at smaller zoos like Elora.

The Toronto Zoo covers about 710 acres, making it the largest zoo in Canada. Daily admission is about CAD$28 plus $14 for parking, but if you get the CityPass, the admission to the zoo is included in the total package. We loved the clean environment, the tidy grounds and the overall setup of this zoo...really a pleasure to visit. The zoo is divided into seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain. Some animals are displayed indoors in pavilions and outdoors in what would be their natural environments. It also has areas such as the Kids Zoo, Waterside Theatre, and Splash Island. It has one of the most taxonomically diverse collection of animals on display of any zoo worldwide; it is currently home to over 5,000 animals (including invertebrates and fish) representing over 500 species. The zoo opened on August 15, 1974, as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo. The word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the individual municipalities that make up the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was amalgamated into the current city in 1998. The zoo is located near the Rouge River on the western border of Rouge Park in the city's east end district of Scarborough. So, it is about 45 min drive from downtown Toronto, luckily we had a car and heading over was not a problem...if we relied on public transportation that would had been a long trek.

Good day out with two families with kids. The kids loved the animals. Bring a hat. There's ice cream. And water stations.

The zoo is much bigger than I expected! We had so much looking at the wide diversity of animals. The employees at the zoo are also helpful.

I love visiting zoo where ever I go. Came to for it for spring break. It was cold this day, not much animal were out however this zoo is pretty big. Would definitely come back to visit when I'm in Toronto.

Not a fan. Found it over priced for what is offered, plus 15$ for parking. Half of it was under construction so you would hope to have some compensation. Maybe it would get better in the future, but I would not go back

So sad that this zoo has become so run down and quite frankly, dirty! Staff standing around while litter blows along the pathways. Tables at eating areas are sticky and not wiped. The glass in front of the animals is so filthy that you can barely see through to the animals. Extremely expensive, $8.23 for a tiny ice cream bar! Staff were inexperienced and lacking knowledge. This used to be a lovely place but now it is truly disappointing!

We recently visited the Toronto Zoo, and it was a huge disappointment. The tickets were expensive $29 CAD each plus $15 for parking. That would have been okay, but there were hardly any animals! Display after display informing us that many of the animals were unavailable for viewing. With respect to the animals that were available for viewing, the glass around many of the enclosures was filthy to the point that we could barely see the animals, and some of the enclosures were way too small for the animals they held (barely any room for the rhinoceros). I have never seen such a depressed-looking capybara. The poor orangutan was 57 years old. That said, there was no shortage of food vendors and gift shops at every turn and quite a few activities for small children (legos and face painting). But... we came to see the animals. We will not be visiting the zoo again :-(

Fantastic care, compassion and love is given to all the animals at this zoo. The staff is amazing and knowledgeable. They interact with the public to give you a more personable experience. My 10 yr old son and I love going here together on our Mom and son dates and look forward to seeing all our fav regulars. Definitely worth the $, yes it's expensive however it's a small cost compared to the cost to run this zoo the way they do.

A Great Place for A Winter Visit!! Okay, this normally would get 5 stars, but It's been months since our Pre-Covid visit. We went to the Zoo for the millionth time. Most kids in the Toronto area have been to the Metro Toronto Zoo either for a leisure visit or a school-educational visit. Most of my previous visits have been in the warmer months, but this visit was at the tail-end of the winter and just before they shut it down due to COVID 19 restrictions. The winter zoo experience differs from the warmer months in two ways. The animals that are typically outside, are now sequestered or indoors. A few animals that are from the more Northern climates can be found intermittently throughout the grounds. Secondly, there are much fewer people at the zoo. All of the indoor activities were still open, so there were plenty of opportunities to see many animals, in their as close to natural as possible environments. We were able to see animals from all over the world in many different environments. There was plenty of opportunity for animal education from the staff at the zoo. Hungry? Well, don't worry as the zoo has many options for eating. You will find typical fast food options like burgers, pizzas, fries, tenders etc. There are food trucks and other snacks like Poutine and Beaver tails as well as dessert options like Ice Cream. For the grown-ups, there are certain sit-down restaurants where you can get a beer, wine and cocktails. The zoo is a fun and educational stop, great for the whole family, in every season. Keep your eye out for Zoo offers on WagJag and other coupon sites and we got a really good price on discounted tickets for our visit.

It was amazing. A lot of wild animals. I had good experience with my kids, they were so excited

NOTE: This review is quite late as my visit to the Toronto Zoo was in September 2019. Pardon the tardiness, but I still did want to share my experience/review with my fellow Yelpers. I will try to keep it short and concise. its a ZOO out there. Little did I know that my friend of 20+ years is a fan of visiting zoos. She takes the opportunity to visit a zoo (if time permits) when traveling. And so, it seemed a visit to the Toronto Zoo was all but inevitable during our trip last September. NOTES: 1. We were able to obtain a 10% discount coupon from the concierge desk at our hotel (one coupon per person). Any kind of discounts helps for sure. 2. The Toronto Zoo is located 40-45 minutes outside Downtown Toronto. We took an uber to and from the zoo. 3. Parking is plentiful in the zoo parking lot. 4. Since it was off season, MANY of the food cafes/vendors within the zoo were closed during our visit. Just an FYI. I think the only food places that were open were near the entrance. 5. I would research the zoo hours on the day you're planning to visit. For complete details, please visit: http://www.torontozoo.com 6. Upon arriving at the zoo, I'd recommend obtaining a map as its very large and expansive. If you're not planning to stay the entire day, the map will help you navigate areas of interest you'd like to visit. 7. Use sunscreen, and I'd recommend a hat or sunglasses as well. *AREAS OF INTEREST*: 1. AFRICAN SAVANNA: This is the largest section/area in the zoo. Overall, this is a wonderful area and the animal enclaves/sections are large and expansive. Definitely designed with a desire to have the animals feel at "home" so to speak. Some of the animals were up and about, but some were being lazy or sleeping perhaps. We were slightly disappointed as some animals weren't visible in their habitats (the lion was napping). Favorites include the giraffes, rhinos, and the penguins. 2. TUNDRA TREK: The only thing worth mentioning is that it was very COOL to visit the polar bear habitat! The zoo has a nice sleuth of bears living and enjoying their home, complete with water feature and open spaces. 3. EURASIA WILDS: Another section of the zoo worth visiting. Although (yet again) it was disappointing that the tiger was also taking a nap and not walking around or engaged in some activity. We also walked thru: 4. INDO-MALAYSIA: The orangutans were cool. 5. AUSTRALASIA PAVILION: The komodo dragons were cool too, but we just did a quick look and left. Overall, we spent about four to five hours at the zoo and were able to walk around most of it. BOTTOM LINE: Although its a long trek to the zoo, I thought it was worth the trip when taking everything into account. I think my only disappointment was not being able to view some of the animals in their habitats.

Fun even during COVID We weren't sure if we should go there in November but we decided to go cos my kids never been. Although we did lots of walking, it didn't feel too cold not too tiring to walk outdoor. We were surprised that only 2 small exhibits was closed because of COVID. We were also impressed that most animals were very active. My kids love the carousel and that may be their highlight of the day I suggest you to bring your own lunch because most restaurants were closed when we were there.

Tips for young families review - water bottle refill is ONLY at the front entrance before you come inside - splash pad is now an hour limit! - 100 wrist bands so come 1/2 hour before, especially after lunch, the line ups gets huge and you might miss getting wristbands. - kids zoo area is cute, more interactive but not quite to Children's Museum standards. Lots of picnic tables and washroom. - zoo mobile: it's a gamble for a seat if you don't start from the gates. Today(a Sunday) full train, we passed all the stops and only one person got off each time. Lots of disappointment at each stop, especially Eurasia where a long line formed on a hot humid day. More to add in future visits, toddler naps keep interrupting the research process.

This review will be specific to the Wild Encounters. Being members with 3 young kids we have been at the zoo way too many times..but once they started wild encounters we jumped at this new experience. It is an up close experience with some of the animals that will blow your mind..part educational and part photo opp...if you love the zoo and have kids - pay extra and take them to the wild encounters. We have done the giraffe and hippo experiences. Our last one was the Canadian Domain with was the best. It is a tough walk but you get to see many animals with an up close experience with the grizzly bears. They are so cool up close and the guide and zoo staff let us get so close and explore their environment.

Overall, this is a nice zoo. It has a good variety of animals and some interesting exhibits. However, it's starting to show its age. Many of the exhibits were unkept. The Canadian Domain is not worth the hike to get there to see a raccoon (seriously) and some bison. It's about a mile walk down a steep hill to get to the exhibits. There is a ton of walking due to paths and wilderness areas throughout the park. It is easy to get turned around and miss large sections and there is no clear organization of the exhibits. Make sure you consult your map regularly! There is little information about the animals, exhibits and conservation efforts. If you enjoys zoos to learn about animals, this is not the zoo for you. Staff is not accessible and there are very few people at the exhibits to help or provide more information. Don't waste your money on the rides or the zip line attraction. We recommend bringing lunch, snacks and your own sealed water bottles. Food options are limited and very pricey! Highlights: white lion exhibit, polar bear exhibit, Tundra trek exhibit and gorilla exhibit There is a great bathroom outside of the gorilla habitat and the multi faith prayer room. Updated and very clean. Overall this is a great day trip for couples, families or to go with friends.

I'm not huge into zoos but we had a nice time walking around here. I've been to better designed zoos, but this was all right. You can get up close (to glass) and see baboons, tigers and otters. We had fun finding the animals and just kicking around. It's a long walk around - I think we were here for 3 hours. Just plan for a long day when you visit.

Terra Lumina was such a magical event. This review is just about that event. My photos don't to it justice and I couldn't get my videos to upload. BUT, WOW! YOU NEED TO GO! Such a magical experience. They have designed it so well and with the fresh snow from last week, it really added to how pretty everything looked. My favourite thing has to be the music. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I would buy the MP3 and use it for meditation or just relaxing if they were selling it. Living in the city, you don't get to hear animals so even the animal sounds they had over the music were refreshing to hear. They use a lot of fog throughout and the effect that has is very cool with all the lights and lasers throughout. They also have this neat prism part where spotlights are on the prisms casting rainbows everywhere. They have an interactive installation with drums and you work together to make them light up. There is a wild tunnel near the end with epic light patterns and the overall message is beautiful. Worth the drive, worth the money. I'm planning to go again in a month. Such a beautiful art installation

Came here on a hot summer day but enjoyed our experience at this large and spacious zoo. We did not get to see the whole zoo as we went with another couple with small children and we hid a decent rain storm around 4/430 PM that ended our day early, but enjoyed our time and the variety of things to see there. There was a variety of shady spots, covered areas, and buildings to get some relief on hot and sunny days. There were also a lot of large enclosures to view the animals in that were cool and gave some unique perspectives. I particularly enjoyed the gorilla enclosure, we got to see them get fed. It was nice because they had a lot of different areas in which to view them and see them from many different angles. I also liked the otter enclosure. Otters are typically my favorite and they had a good spot to view them and see them underwater. I've been to other zoos where the viewing isn't quite as good. They also had some good food options. We got poutine that I thought was a good amount and a good value. Overall it was a good zoo, decently large, but somewhat typical of most zoos. Not a ton that stuck out, but an enjoyable day.

I enjoyed the Toronto Zoo. It wasn't my favorite of all time, but it was pretty cool. Their exhibits are well maintained and pretty spacious. However, they don't have a huge selection. For example, they didn't have any elephants when we went. Luckily they had lions and tigers which are my two favorite kinds of animals. The animals were pretty active when we went which was exciting. Also, they have zookeeper talks at various times for many of the animals. We didn't go to one, but I like the idea. The zoo is huge. It takes a lot of time to go from one end of the zoo to the other. You will most likely spend a good chunk of time here. We were in a bit of a rush so we walked pretty fast. They have a kangaroo walk through which is pretty awesome. You aren't allowed to pet the kangaroos like we were able to in Nashville, but it was still neat to see them. Overall, the zoo was pretty good. We got in with a Citypass and I thought it was well worth the discounted price. If I were in Toronto again I would probably go to this zoo again and take more time looking at the displays rather than rushing through. Definitely plan on taking extra time.

Best place for kids in summer time I always have the membership for worth for the money you spend

Lived up to the hype from people I know that have visited before. Kids enjoyed a good chunk of it. A couple closed exhibits of "no shows" but there's so much to look at it didn't really matter. Brought our 2 and 4 year old kids and they did well through most of it. The place is massive which is a blessing and a curse with the little ones. We got through about 75/80% of the exhibits in about 4.5hrs. Got there at opening and were able to blitz some stuff before the hordes of schools and camps rolled in. It's mostly stroller friendly with some spots that will help you for your workout that day. Good time, would go again

It's definitely worth the price. There are so many exhibits. I couldn't even get to all of them after 4 hours of being there. I definitely need to go again. Overall, it was a great visit for me.

I really enjoy going to see the different zoos when I travel and this was a really enjoyable experience. I only saw a fraction of what the zoo had to offer due to a tight schedule but I was still very happy with the choice to visit. Hopefully on my next visit to Toronto I will be able to see a few more of the animals.

Came here with my girlfriend just to get away from the city... well sort of. I have to admit, the weather held up just long enough. Also, my girlfriend wanted to come here as she has never been before. The last time I was here was for a field trip from grade school (many moons ago). Anyhow, let's get to the review. As I drove into the lot, it was surprisingly busy with lots of cars in the lot. However I didn't see any school buses or groups of school children around. So in some ways, I can spend a quiet date with my girlfriend just to walk around. On the weekday, most of the food stalls were closed. As the signs all indicate, open during the weekends. There's the merry-go-round that was running along with the gift shop run by the zoo. Aside from that, it's quite bare. Onto the animal exhibits. Luckily the weather held up so the animals' smell didn't expand by two to three-folds. We saw all the different animals... So the overall experience is not bad.

This zoo was very fun to walk through. It was a good way of spending the day instead of being clumped inside an apartment. We were there for 6 1/2 hours. You can explore many regions of the world like Africa, Eurasia, Canada and many more. The only reason why I'm putting 4 stars is because of the lack of interaction you get with the animals. I understand that this is for the safety of the people but when I lived in Ukraine, I went to Kyiv Zoo and you could touch most of the animals. Very disappointed in this aspect of the zoo but I can't see why you wouldn't wanna go. Makes for great family memories.

Even when temporarily closed, the Toronto Zoo holds a special place in my heart. So, I wanted to write them a wee love letter on behalf of my family to prove it... Dear Toronto Zoo, We miss you and your sweet, sweet animals. The waddling penguins, the big bad cats, the fuzzy spring babies, heck, even the reptiles. We wish we could coo at you in person. We are **so excited** for your new Scenic Safari drive-thru and vow to RSVP on time to the next set of dates, so me and my family can visit you all during this strange time. We are especially eager to befriend your new baby giraffe! (Seriously, the world could not need baby giraffe more. Well played.) Stay safe and cuddly!!! xoxo

Zoo's are very rough to review. The farther the exhibits are away from each other, the more space each animal has (which is wonderful) but more for us visitors to walk. I'm giving this zoo 3 stars because of lack of direction in between exhibits. I feel like there was only one way out, and you have to follow the path all the way through before getting to the exit. We did get to see the baby rhino though so that was cool. Honestly I'm pretty disappointed that the Panda's aren't there anymore, and being honest I had no idea they weren't going to be there because they still have pictures of them on their website.

The Toronto Zoo is absolutely amazing! Coming from The Philadelphia Zoo, I have high expectations and the Toronto Zoo went above them! First, this zoo is usually very crowded. The parking lot is filled to the brim and the line to buy tickets was long. For example, it took nearly 10 minutes to actually buy the tickets. However, since the zoo is so large, at over 600 Acres, it doesn't really feel crowded. The zoo is split up into different sections for the animals, based upon where they live in the wild. Those sections include, but are not limited to The Tundra, Eurasia, Canada, Australia, Americas, Indo-Malaya, Africa and Canada! A walk around the entire zoo plus stopping to see the animals probably would take 5-6 hours, but you can purchase tickets to the zoo tram that takes you around very quickly. The Canada exhibit, which contains the Grizzly bears, bison and moose are located down a pretty large hill and are not accessible by the tram so you want to be in solid shape to do that! You can also visit the zoo's new Animal Healthcare Center with a zoo team ticket! They also have such a large variety of animals here! Multiple gorilla troops, orangutans, baboons, Pygmy hippos, grizzly bears, polar bears and even pandas! Best of all, since the zoo is so large, all the animals have very large enclosures. The enclosures all have signs with facts about the animals and information on their conservation status! The gorilla exhibit, which new looking had tons of information regarding gorillas! They also have an official field guide for sale that contains facts about the animals at the zoo. I decided to buy that and it was really useful! The panda bear exhibit is really amazing! The line can get a bit long so they have a large line area, but it has panda videos, pictures and more to fill the time. Once you are finally inside, you will see the pandas including two young cubs! However, you should come fast as they will be going to the Calgary Zoo in March of 2018! The Toronto Zoo also has plenty of food options around the zoo including Subway, Tim Horton's, Dairy Queen and a variety of cafes run by the zoo. While the food is not gourmet or amazing, it is solid! The zoo also has a few activities for the kids to do! They can go on a large ropes course, the Tundra Air Ride, a carousel and a mini-water park! I have also heard great things about the Kid's Zoo especially their hands on experiences with an alpaca and a donkey. My only concerns were that the signage could have been improved a bit. Also, I wish there was more staff around to answer your questions regarding animals or directions. Altogether, I had an amazing time at The Toronto Zoo that I will never forget! I hope to return when back in Canada!

Wow. I didn't have time to plan my trip to the zoo, but it turned out better that way. I found myself exploring all the different exhibits with a childlike perspective. The walk around the park is beautiful as you don't always feel like you're in a zoo. The facilities seem to be well maintained, and the animals here seem like their needs are being tended to. The panda exhibit is the star of the show, but there are plenty of other parts of the zoo that you should find interesting inside or out. Gorillas, fish, birds, reptiles, you name it! I was happy that Tim Horton's is here, but there are some other options throughout the zoo and outdoor benches if you choose to dine outside. You have a nice zoo Toronto. So glad that I got to visit.

Toronto zoo is nice.. but beware of their vending machines! Usually machines would finish purchasing once you get your drink... but NOOOOO this one you have to hit complete so it doesn't keep buying more drinks. I pretty much bought $50 worth of drinks for other people. Good thing I checked my bank account

I haven't been to a Zoo since I moved from Singapore to Canada 8 years ago. The excitement was real. I wanted to to go the zoo more than I wanted to see the CN Tower. We planned a whole day to visit the entire thing but suprisingly it only took about 5-6 hours including eating time. We got there as early as we could to opening time and honestly that makes a difference. There are less people in the morning so you can relax. We were Lucky and visited on a day that wasn't too sunny, not too warm, and it only rained at the end of our visit. I think they did a great job with the exhibits, the variety of animals, the number of activities, the clarity of their map/signs/trails, and overall structure. It's a gigantic zoo that offers so much! I loved my time here. They had so many amazing things to see and explore! I got to see sloths, pandas, sugar gliders, blue frogs, and so much more I can't even name them all! They have this awesome section dedicated to Canadian animals too which I really think is Worth the extra walking distance (It's the furthest exhibit on the map). I visited with my boyfriend on Canada Day and they were having even more activities than normal. (Face paint, extra information booths, stickers, bracelets). This is one of the best Zoo's I've ever been to. If you're planning a visit, here are my tips: -You're allowed to bring snacks -Bring a water bottle, although they don't have any refilling stations the staff of the restaurants will be more than happy to fill it up for you. -If you see something you like at a gift store that is specific to an exhibit, buy it now. it won't be at the final gift store. (Panda merchandise is sold at the Panda store and they have more merchandise at the actual Panda Store) -Wear good walking shoes and a breathable outfit (There isn't a lot of places with shade so on days where it's really sunny, the heat is killer) -Arrive at opening time or as close to opening time as you can -Visit the panda's first! Once the flood of people arrive the waiting times get insane! Visited on July 1st 2017

Let me tell ya , I wasn't expecting much but the beef patty's taste like soap actually soap has more flavour then these atrocities.

Had to make a visit before the pandas left! If you want to see the pandas in a reasonable amount of time, the key is to go early and make a beeline for it. The line can be well upwards of 2 hours. The weather is getting a bit cooler but the wait outside in the sun is pretty tough. There are exhibits and signage to keep you interested throughout the line. It starts outside and snakes around zodiac posts before it goes into a tent with air conditioning. Past that tent is another outdoor area before you reach the enclosure that has the pandas. As for the rest of the zoo, one of the highlights for me was the Australasia pavilion. There are many birds that are not enclosed within the pavilion and may walk right up to you! Just a general observation that some of the signage is a little faded or outdated. Still a fun visit, especially for the kids.

I took my family here last Summer for everyone's first visit to the Toronto Zoo. We loved it, the kids were wide-eyed at seeing so many animals close up. Make sure you bring a couple refillable water bottles because it's a longer walk then you might expect. The food is a little expensive. Overall a great experience and we'll be back this Summer.

What an amazing experience. Vast, diverse, and all around fun the Toronto Zoo offers so much to their customers that you need to dedicate a couple days to experience it all. We barely covered 40% of the major observation areas, and it's a trek from one area to the other; wear your most comfortable shoes! We primarily came to see the Giant Pandas being raised there. The wait time felt very minimal with all the decorations, attractions and information to soak in. We were fortunate enough to catch the pandas being active, and there was decent room to catch what you need to see from multiple angles. This convenience for viewing the animals also applies to all the other sections. Can't see the penguins now that they're jumping in the water? Head down the ramp into the long glass corridor and choose which of the many windows to stand by to snap your pic! I can't think of a situation where my party couldn't take the photos they needed before moving on, which is great! I didn't notice much for food, but I found myself at the Tim Horton's near the entrance and also at the Beavertails stops for a quick dessert. I also didn't observe much around for eating something healthy so I can keep walking the distance (and not pass out). Can I just get some trail mix or a fruit salad? Anyways, I'll have to look into their directory for more food options on my next visit. If you're on a day trip or extended vacation in Toronto, make it your goal to come here!

Beautiful zoo. The terra lumina is a great display well worth a visit at Christmas Make sure you have good boots on... it can get a bit muddy at one of the installations

This is the absolute best zoo we've been to anywhere in North America. We were in Toronto for our wee one's third birthday week. The zoo was our first day trip there. Her favorite animal encounter was the polar bear in the underwater viewing area. The bear would dive down and go near the glass to see her, then push off with her massive back paws. The baby would laugh and dance and didn't want to leave. There were plenty of volunteers who were very knowledgeable about the zoo and were happy to tell us where the animals we wanted to see were located. That made it so much easier on us to keep her happy and see all the animals we wanted to. We'll go again when in Toronto.

Give or take it was the dead season including all the flowers, plants, greenery but this Zoo is laid out totally awesome, rad zoo and my first International zoo experience. I think we only got lost once which is pretty epic when you can actually use the map! The carousel blew my mind because it's probably the first one I've seen that's not a classic horse type carousel. I mean they had a gator! You could be Steve Irwin and ride a gator! The one thing I dig about northern Zoo's is the fact they have more indoor exhibits and their conservatory's are usually large and on point. They know people like them in the winter because of the humidity and heat inside, also they are part of my favorite things about Zoo's because of the feel of being in the movie Bio-Dome! The Toronto one was beautiful. We only ate at Tim Horton's at the beginning of the Zoo which I had to just get some hash browns and bacon because of the gluten free thing, but a lot of the places were closed. They did however offer gluten free bread and options at the different cafes. I got some fries at one they were damn good. They did have a DQ which was closed but holy moly I thought DQ was a southern thing, blew my mind. Of course they had beaver-tails!

Amazing facility. Buy the annual pass, well worth it !! Pass includes the use of the zoomobile

Best place ever to chill with the family! We usually go about 4 times during the summer. Well Kept premises and their bathrooms were highly rated as well!