backstage adventures & Tours
EXPLORE THE ZOO LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Make your trip to the Phoenix Zoo special with an experience catered to you! Select one of our amazing Backstage Adventures to get up-close and personal with some of our biggest animals. See where they sleep and learn directly from their keepers and in some cases, you might have the chance to feed them.
Do you want to explore the Zoo with expert tour guides that can cater the experience directly to your interests? Then the Discovery Tours are a great option for you. Want a Discovery Tour and a Backstage Adventure? You can take it a step up with a Premium Adventure!
BACKSTAGE ADVENTURES
See the Phoenix Zoo like never before! Get a unique behind-the-scenes look of the animals and their habitats by participating in one of our Backstage Adventures. Experiences are offered daily and can last from 30 minutes to an hour. Book a visit with your favorite animal today!
Must be booked two weeks in advance.
scroll through to Explore your options below!
EQUINE EXPERIENCE
Spend some time with the horses at the Thunderbirds Charities Equine Facility. See the barn and meet the horses up close and personal.
GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO
Meet Chutti the greater one-horned rhinoceros and his caregivers. Enter his barn to meet the big guy and help with his daily care routine.
GIANT ANTEATER
Visit one of the most unusual animals at the Zoo. Learn about all the fascinating adaptations and what it takes to care for this special animal.
Temporarily unavailable until Fall 2025.
AMBASSADOR ANIMAL RESOURCES
Travel behind the scenes to our Ambassador Animal Resources department to see what it takes to care for the many unique species of animals that serve as ambassadors in our animal presentations, on outreach trips and in the media.
GREATER FLAMINGO
Mingle with our flamingos in this adventure as you join the keepers inside the flamingo habitat! Enjoy this exclusive opportunity to go inside the habitat and feed these magnificent birds. Hope you like the smell of shrimp!
STINGRAY BAY
Go backstage and learn what it takes to care for the Zoo’s cownose stingrays. Your adventure includes a tour of the behind the scenes area and an experience in the pool with the rays!
REPTILE
Visit the Galápagos or Aldabra tortoise enclosures where you’ll have a chance to meet and touch some of these friendly giants! You’ll also meet a reptile keeper and get up close with other reptiles in our collection.
Galápagos TORTOISE
On this adventure you’ll enter the Galápagos habitat, meet, touch and feed some of these amazing giant reptiles! You’ll have the opportunity to learn all about them alongside one of our keepers.
ARTHUR L. AND ELAINE V. JOHNSON NATIVE SPECIES CONSERVATION CENTER
Join us on this exclusive tour to see how the Phoenix Zoo cares for species of conservation concern in Arizona and around the world. Discover the challenges that animal and plant species face and what the Zoo is doing to help.
Tours
$49 PER PERSON (ZOO ADMISSION NOT INCLUDED)
Discover the Zoo on this guided tour through the Zoo on one of our eco-shuttles. You will be able to hop on and off the cart for closer viewing and for photo opportunities throughout the tour. Discovery Tours only visit the guest viewing areas of exhibits and do not offer viewing of behind the scenes areas.
Scroll through to see dates and times.
All tours occur in any weather condition.
Duration: 60 – 90 minutes
Group Size: 1 – 12
How to Book: Call 602.914.4333 or visit Guest Services at the Phoenix Zoo
Duration: 90 minutes
Group Size: 1 – 10
How to Book: Call 602.914.4333 or visit Guest Services at the Phoenix Zoo
$340 PER PERSON (ZOO ADMISSION NOT INCLUDED)
Looking for the ultimate Zoo experience? A Premium Adventure is a fully custom experience for you and your party. Your adventure includes a 90-minute personalized tour of the Zoo and one Backstage Adventure. Each guest will also take home a souvenir photo and water bottle. Premium Adventures can be booked on your schedule (some restrictions may apply) and can be booked for groups of 1 – 10.
All tours occur in any weather condition.
$2 PER PERSON (ZOO ADMISSION NOT INCLUDED)
Guided tours are predetermined guide-led walking tours through one of our Zoo trails. You have the flexibility to choose from several different topics, each covering a wide span of animal and conservation sciences. Each guided tour is 45 minutes in length. Guided Tours are popular programs for school groups, so teachers and schools are encouraged to make reservations early. When making your reservation, please inform us of any cultural or religious aversions to any animal species or type of animal. We can adjust the tour to fit your needs. Please be sure to arrive early for your program, as extended time cannot be guaranteed past 10 minutes.
Duration: 45 minutes
Group Size: 10+ (groups larger than 25 may be split into multiple groups)
How to Book: Call 602.914.4333 (three weeks advance notice require scheduling)
All tours occur in any weather condition.
All tours occur in any weather condition.
$5 PER PERSON (ZOO ADMISSION NOT INCLUDED)
Custom Guided Tours are designed based on your specific interests and needs. Our trained Zoo staff works with you to create a completely customizable 60-minute educational walking tour of one of our Zoo trails – covering the exhibits and topics you are interested in. Guided Tours are popular programs for school groups, so teachers and schools are encouraged to make reservations early. When making your reservation, please inform us of any cultural or religious aversions to any animal species or type of animal. We can adjust the tour to fit your needs. Please be sure to arrive early for your program, as extended time cannot be guaranteed past 10 minutes.
Subject to availability. Does not include behind-the-scenes viewing areas.
Duration: 60 minutes
Group Size: 10+ (groups larger than 25 may be split into multiple groups)
How to Book: Call 602.914.4333 (three weeks advance notice require scheduling)
GUIDED TOUR TOPICS
(CLICK TO EXPAND)
WHAT IS AN ANIMAL?
What makes an animal an animal? Through the What is an Animal tour, students discover several characteristics of what makes something an animal, what makes something a plant, and what makes something non-living. A Phoenix Zoo instructor leads students on a tour of the Zoo’s Children’s Trail, highlighting the characteristics of living and non-living, and the characteristics of animals and plants. The instructor challenges students, through inquiry, to improve their observation and critical thinking skills.
CRAZY CLASSIFICATION:
ARIZONA ANIMALS
Through the Arizona Animals Guided Tour, students discover the five major traits that scientists use to categorize animals. A Phoenix Zoo instructor leads participants on a tour of the Zoo’s Arizona Trail, classifying desert vertebrate species. The instructor challenges participants with interactives and inquiry to improve their observation and critical thinking skills.
CRAZY CLASSIFICATION:
RAINFOREST ANIMALS
Through the Rainforest Animals Guided Tour, participants discover the five major traits that scientists use to categorize animals. A Phoenix Zoo instructor leads the tour of the Zoo’s Tropics Trail, classifying rainforest vertebrate species. The instructor challenges participants with interactives and inquiry to improve their observation and critical thinking skills.
CRAZY CLASSIFICATION:
CHILDREN'S TRAIL ANIMALS
Through the Children’s Trail Animals Guided Tour, participants discover the five major traits that scientists use to categorize animals. A Phoenix Zoo instructor leads the tour of the Zoo’s Children’s Trail, classifying rainforest vertebrate species. The instructor challenges participants with interactives and inquiry to improve their observation and critical thinking skills.
DESERT DISCOVERIES:
EXPLORING ARIZONA
Food, water and shelter are hard to find in the Sonoran Desert. Avoiding predators and scorching temperatures are just some of the challenges living organisms must face. Through the Exploring Arizona Guided Tour, participants explore and learn about several desert animals along the Phoenix Zoo’s Arizona Trail by comparing and contrasting their habitats and adaptations. Utilizing manipulatives, a Zoo instructor will guide small discussion groups to uncover how various Arizona animals survive in the harsh extremes of our local ecosystem.
DESERT LIVES:
EXPLORING ARIZONA NATIVE PLANTS & ANIMALS
Food, water and shelter are hard to find in the desert. Avoiding predators and scorching temperatures are also the challenges desert plants and animals must face. In Arizona, there are four deserts, each one unique and presenting different trials. Through the Exploring Arizona Guided Tour, participants explore and learn about several desert animals along the Phoenix Zoo’s Arizona Trail by comparing and contrasting their habitats and adaptations. A Zoo instructor will guide discussion groups to uncover how various Arizona animals survive in the harsh extremes of our state deserts.
DYNAMIC DESERTS:
EXPLORING DESERT CONSERVATION
Conservation in the desert requires a unique understanding and perspective of one of nature’s harshest, and often misunderstood, biomes. With scarce resources and fierce competition, life in the desert has adapted creative techniques for survival. During this tour, a Zoo instructor will lead participants on the Arizona Trail while exploring different adaptations from our resident plants and animals, and the impact humans play on this surprisingly rich and diverse ecosystem.
MORE THAN A ZOOKEEPER
How many people does it take to run a zoo? There’s a lot of work going on every day at the Phoenix Zoo that many never even notice. Throughout the More Than a Zookeeper Guided Tour, participants will view the zoo from a different perspective. A zoo instructor will lead the group in discussions and an activity, while exploring some of the jobs necessary to run a successful zoo and conservation program. Participants will discover the importance of the Phoenix Zoo’s role in conservation while uncovering STEM career opportunities along the way.
ENRICHING EXPERIENCES:
EXPLORING BEHAVIORAL ENRICHMENT
Movies, music and video games provide us with hours of entertainment, but what does a zoo do to keep a monkey from getting bored or a zebra from being stressed? Behavioral Enrichment! By providing mental and physical stimulation through naturalistic settings and environmental enhancements, managed setting animals’ lives are greatly improved. The benefits include increased natural behaviors and healthy, stress-free individuals. The Enriching Experiences Guided Tour provides participants with the opportunity to explore and learn about different types of behavioral enrichment used by the Phoenix Zoo through comparing a variety of exhibits and species. Utilizing manipulatives, a Zoo instructor will facilitate observations and discussions to discover some of the intricacies involved in the behavioral management of managed setting animals — making life more stimulating for the Zoo’s animals and guests alike!
Participants 15 years of age and younger must be accompanied by a paid person 16 years of age or older.
Certain age restrictions apply.
Zoo admission is NOT included in tour price.
All tours occur in any weather condition.
Visitas con guía turístico disponible en español de forma limitada. Llame a nuestro centro de llamadas al 602.914.4333 para consultar.
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
