Summer Safari at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has a lot going on this Summer. Your family will love the all new Summer Safari going on right now at the Safari Park. This festive celebration runs from June 30-August 19. Let's start off with the extended hours! The Safari Park will stay open until 7pm instead of the usually 5pm which is great news for us late starters. You can get so much more done in those 2 extra hours. The Safari Park comes to life with the sounds of African drums, live entertainment, amazing food and so much for the kids to do. It's a non-stop adventure. You can find a list of the new shows here. We took our kids to embark on their Summer African journey last weekend and it was a day we won't soon forget.
We handed the Safari Park Map to our kids and let them lead the way. Our kids really love being the junior navigators on our adventures. It's the little things that mean the most to them. Their first stop was the African Drums! They were naturals, of course, it's in their blood!


Next stop, the Fisher-Price Samburu Jungle Gym to play and get sweaty then the Savanna Cool Zone to splash and cool off!

After a quick outfit change, we decided to take a break in the African Outpost. We sat outside and enjoyed our lunch from the Okavango Outpost with a breathtaking view. I had a delicious California Club Wrap served in a yummy tomato basil tortilla with mixed greens on the side.

We couldn't wait to watch the Cheetah Run located in the Lion Camp. The Cheetah Run is now included in general park admission and it is a Must See! With one run daily at 5PM, I recommend grabbing a spot on the rails at least 30 minutes before the run or spring for the Reserved Cheetah Viewing tickets and get up close with Shiley the cheetah.

Here's my video of Shiley, his best friend, Yeti and the awesome run:

Everywhere we went we were entertained by the sights and sounds of Africa. My kids were dancing all day. They were able to see a side of their culture that they so rarely have a chance to experience.

We watched a great African Acrobats show in the Safari Base Camp:

We also enjoyed African drums and dancing in Lion Camp:

Our last stop on our Summer Safari adventure was the African Tram. It was the best way to wind down and end our day. We sat down and relaxed while the tram took us on a narrated tour of the savannah. We saw so many amazing animals and learned some fun facts thanks to our awesome tour guide, Dariel.

The Summer Safari at the Safari Park is a must for families with children of all ages.  We will be talking about this visit for a long time. So many memories! We hope to make our way back there before it ends in August.

Which Safari will you choose?

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was offered media passes in order to facilitate my review. These are just my two cents.