Drive-Thru at the Toronto Zoo Scenic Safari

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Some things have started to reopen as we try to get back to some sort of the normal lives we were living pre-pandemic (the before times) – but the Toronto Zoo isn’t one of them. At least not in the way we’re used to.

This week, the Toronto Zoo launched the Scenic Safari drive through tour, allowing members and non-members to purchase passes and take a new kind of trip to the zoo. As members, we were able to get into the virtual line and get our passes, schedule our visit, and make the trip in on Wednesday afternoon.

If you’ve ever taken the Zoomobile through the pathways at the Zoo, you’ll have some idea of what the experience is like. But instead of hard bench seats, you get to be comfy in your own car.

As members, our pass came in at $32 for Jess and I as adults and Ollie coming in as the free kid. Here’s the pricing structure from the website:

Car with 2 or less occupants
$44 Non-Member, $32 Member
Car with 3 or more occupants
$59 Non-Member, $47 Member

The tour is set to take about 45 minutes, but ours was closer to an hour or so because of the cars ahead of us and stop and go and things like that. And that’s not a complaint really – I imagine that some folks are going to get through in 35 to 40 minutes depending on traffic as well.

As we rolled through the park I sat in the backseat with Ollie and tried to snap some photos. Everything you just saw above this line was taken with my phone. And I regret not bringing my camera.

Note: This was also Ollie’s very first car ride with his seat turned and front-facing. He was very excited. Here we are being adorable to document the occasion.

If you are planning on going to the Toronto Zoo Scenic Safari, here are some tips I’d like to give you…

  • Bring food and drinks. This is approximately an hour in the car, travelling no more than 5 kilometres an hour. Yes, it’s cool – but it’s still an hour in a slow moving car.
  • Get boosted. The height limit on vehicles is 7 feet because there’s a tunnel to go through – but try to get as high in your seat as possible so you can look over the railings of the animal enclosures for your best looks.
  • Listen to the available audio for a guided tour experience. If you’re a Spotify user, Click Here and check it out in the Wild For Life podcast feed. The audio will take you from animal to animal with cool facts and information, and then tell you to pause when it’s done. There are signs throughout the tour that will tell to hit play again so no matter how the traffic is moving, you stay with your guide.

Visit torontozoo.com/scenicsafari for all of the information and to get your tickets starting May 22, 2020.

No, this isn’t the perfect, regular zoo experience that allows you to see all of the animals or go into the buildings – but iIf you’re missing the Zoo or you’re just looking for something to do to get you out of the house in these upside down times, I recommend it.

Have fun!