MENU

Education

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

HomeEducationBehind-the-Scenes Tours

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Looking for a unique gift? Gift Certificates for future dates are available!
See below for the Gift Certificate form.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to hand-feed an okapi? Or get up close with a zebra? Now is your chance! The Behind-the-Scenes Tour program takes guests one step closer to the animals at the Sacramento Zoo. Get up close to the animals, visit behind-the-scenes areas not accessible to the general public, receive a guided walking tour from one of our educators and see what goes into the incredible care the animals receive every day.

Current Tours Available (see below for details): Okapi Connection, Hooves & Horns, Cheetah Chat, and Reptile House

All tours are guided walking tours. Please read the safety information specific to each program on the ticketing purchase page. Prices of tours include admission into the zoo. For members, tours will be discounted $21 only for the number of individuals that would be covered by your membership level. Members must be signed in to receive member discount. Discounts are reflected after you click “Add to Cart”. We recommend arriving at the zoo early to explore before your tour as we will not be visiting all areas of the zoo.

Interested in booking a tour further out than the available dates? Need a different day than what is offered? Contact the Education department at 916-808-8441 or by email.

Available tours

Okapi

Okapi Connection

Get up close and personal with one of the most elusive species in Africa – the okapi! The okapi lives in thick forests and are nearly impossible to see in the wild, but not here at the Sacramento Zoo.  On this tour, you will venture into the keeper-only area around the exhibit to meet an okapi. You will learn about what it takes to care for these mysterious animals and what life is like for their wild counterparts. There will be opportunities to interact with the okapi, such as hand feeding him a morning snack. This is definitely a rare experience with a rare animal!

  • Select days at 9:30 am
  • For ages 5 and older*, 1:2 parent child ratio
  • 30 to 45 minutes
  • $150 per person member*
  • $171 per person non-member (includes zoo admission)

Register for the okapi Connection tour

*For members, tours will be discounted $21 only for the number of individuals that would be covered by their membership level.

 

Grevy's Zebra, Masai Giraffe, and tortoise

hooves and Horns

Join the herd as this tour takes you behind-the-Scenes of our hoofstock area. This tour will give you insight into the care of these animals and how the zoo is helping to conserve them. We will make some stops along the way where you will have the opportunity to hand feed some of our favorite hooved and horned animals. You will be dazzled by how close you get to our Grevy’s Zebra. See what it is like to be face to face with the zoo’s tallest animals! This is a tour you will not soon forget!

  • Select days at 10:45 am
  • 45 to 60 minutes 
  • For ages 3 and older*, 1:2 parent child ratio
  • $65 per person member*
  • $86 per person non-member (includes zoo admission)

Register for the Hooves and Horns Tour

*For members, tours will be discounted $21 only for the number of individuals that would be covered by their membership level.

two cheetahs lying in grass

Cheetah Chat

You will want to run fast to catch this new tour! You will go behind-the-scenes to see how we take care of Rowdy and Zig Zag, our cheetah brothers. Find out what they eat and help prepare their mid-day snack (meat balls). Then watch a training session and learn what makes this cat so unique from other cat species. Don’t let this tour get away!

  • Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:45 pm
  • 30 – 45 minutes
  • $50 per person members*
  • $71 per person non-members (includes zoo admission)
  • Ages 8 and up, 1:1 parent child ratioRegister for the Cheetah Chat Tour

*For members, tours will be discounted $21 only for the number of individuals that would be covered by their membership level.

Yellow-banded poison dart frog, California newt, western pond turtle, and rhinoceros iguana

Reptile House

Calling all lovers of lizards, snakes and frogs! This tour will take you inside our Reptile House to learn about the special care needed for amphibians and reptiles and the precautions we take around venomous animals. Practice your skills moving a Replica snake with an important tool of the trade. You will end your tour with a meet-and-greet with one of the reptile keepers and get a close encounter with one of the cool reptile house residents.

  • Select days at 2:45 pm
  • 45 – 60 minutes
  • $75 per person members*
  • $96 per person non-members (includes zoo admission)
  • Ages 5 and up, 1:2 parent child ratio

Register for the Reptile House Tour

*For members, tours will be discounted $21 only for the number of individuals that would be covered by their membership level.


 

Box turtle in a gift package

Tour Gift Certificates

Looking for an amazing gift? We now have gift certificates for Behind-the-Scenes Tours! You can purchase a gift certificate for a specific tour to send your lucky recipient on an exclusive zoo adventure. Can’t decide on the perfect tour? Purchase a gift certificate for any amount instead to let your recipient choose which tour they’d like to do.

When you fill out and send the attached form, you will be contacted by a tour specialist to pay over the phone and customize your gift certificate. Your recipient will need to call to redeem their gift and schedule their tour. Please make sure that your recipient meets all of the requirements for the tour you intend to gift! Requirements for each tour can be found in the tour description. Tour gift certificate requests may take up to four days to process.

TOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE FORM

Important tour information

Animal welfare is our first priority and all Behind-the-Scenes Tours are dependent on animal participation. If any tour needs to be cancelled based on animal needs, you will be issued a full refund or offered another tour option if available.

  • Any program involving our resident animals is subject to change or cancellation based on the animal’s needs. However, every effort will be made to offer alternate areas or reschedule experiences.
  • Closed-toe shoes are highly recommended for all tours but required on African spur-thigh tortoise tour. Some surfaces in behind-the-scenes animal and keeper areas may be wet or uneven, and you may be walking through a variety of substrate such as dirt, pebbles or bark chips. For animal health and safety, you may be asked to dip the soles of your shoes into a cleansing solution before entering behind-the-scenes area.
  • All tours require guests and staff to wear PPE (personal protective equipment). This is to protect the animals, staff and guests during the tour. Some diseases can be spread between humans and certain animal species. Face masks are required to be worn for the entire duration of the tour. Gloves will be required for any feeding or touching of animals (will be provided by your guide).
  • If you have had a cold, flu, fever, fatigue, dry cough or difficult breathing in the past two weeks, please let staff know. Some tours will need to be rescheduled due to potential interference in animal safety.
  • Tours have a maximum number of guests: four or six people depending on the tour. If you would like to have more guests then the maximum allowed, please contact the Education department.
  • *Age requirements are set for safety during the tour. However, any child under the age of 1 year is welcome to join for free as long as they are secured in a wrap or carrier on an adult. Please note that any loud noises may startle the animals making them less likely to participate.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours are a guided walking experience. Some tours require guests to walk long distances, over uneven terrain, up elevations or through tight spaces. Certain encounters are accessible for guests using wheelchairs; these include Hooves & Horns and Okapi. Please advise staff of any disabilities, special needs, medical conditions or any other concerns you may have that could prevent you from fully participating in the experience.

Please note:

  • Service animals are not permitted on any Behind-the-Scenes Tours.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours will occur rain or shine. These tours are primarily outdoors; please dress for the weather and for walking during your tour. Tours will take place outdoors and on unpaved paths which may include walking through mud and puddles. If the Sacramento Zoo has to cancel tours due to extreme weather or animal needs, a full refund will be issued.

FAQs

BTS Tour Quick Links

Release of Liability Form
Cancellation Form
Tour Date Transfer Form