Busch Gardens Tampa Tickets in Tampa, FL

10165 McKinley DrTampa, FL 33612
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Busch Gardens SHUTTLE EXPRESS - Daily round-trip transportation from Orlando to Tampa is Free with any paid Busch Gardens Ticket. See FAQ's at the bottom of this page for more information.

Busch Gardens Tampa in Tampa, Florida

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Overview

Home to more than 12,000 animals, this world-class theme park is one of the largest zoos in North America. Busch Gardens® Tampa is one of Florida’s leaders in thrill rides and family entertainment, offering state-of-the-art shows, animal habitats, bird gardens, water rides, zookeeper-for-a-day experiences, behind-the-scenes tours, safari-themed dining and shopping, and more.

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Good To Know

  • Free transportation from Orlando to Tampa is available at select pick up and drop off locations. Reservations recommended.
  • Refillable cups are a great deal for a value price.
  • New rides are available throughout the park, including Iron Gwazi and Cobra's Curse.
  • Discover more than 12,000 animals and 250 species throughout the African-themed amusement park.
  • Celebrating your birthday? Stop by the Guest relations and get a complimentary birthday pin.

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Insights from Tripster's own team members
Megan Aguilar Tripster User Profile Image

Megan Aguilar

This park is about an hour and a half drive from Orlando. They have so many coasters and rides to choose from... and animals everywhere! Plan on spending a whole day in this park for all the animal interactions, shows, and rides. Be sure to check out the new ride Cobra's Curse that is now open!

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Description

Busch Gardens Tampa is a thrilling African safari and a sun-soaked Florida vacation all rolled into one. Experience up-close encounters with wild animal habitats, and explore fascinating attractions based on cultures and legends of faraway lands.

Take your family to a place where the fun comes naturally, with Busch Gardens Tampa Bay tickets. Everyone will enjoy the unparalleled mix of nearly 12,000 animals, captivating shows, restaurants, and world class thrill rides. Venture across the Serengeti and race like a Cheetah aboard Cheetah Hunt. Soar like an eagle, roar like a tiger and discover shared family fun.

NEW for 2023— Serengeti Flyer Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s newest ride, Serengeti Flyer, is now open. Busch Gardens' new ride is the world’s tallest and fastest of its kind, providing riders with breathtaking views of the park’s expansive 65-acre Serengeti Plain. Serengeti Flyer features twin dueling arms that soar progressively higher, reaching speeds of 68 mph, a maximum height of 135 feet at the ride’s peak and the pulse-pounding thrill of multiple negative-G moments. The park’s new thrill features the capability to adjust the ride’s intensity level, giving guests the opportunity for a milder or wilder experience. Serengeti Flyer allows 40 guests to experience the ride at once, seated back-to-back in rows of 10 across two gondolas.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay combines world-class thrill rides, Broadway-style live entertainment and one of North America’s largest zoos in an unforgettable adventure for the whole family. Imagine a coaster where no two rides are alike. Experience Cobra's Curse and come face-to-fang with Florida's first family spin coaster.

2023 Busch Gardens Tampa Events:
Sesame Street® Kids' Weekends: Fri - Sun, Jan 27 - Feb 12, April 28 - May 21
Join Elmo, Cookie Monster, and all of your favorite Sesame Street® friends for fun-filled weekends Busch Gardens is the place for kids and parents to join in on the fun. Now including Fridays, families have an additional option to meet and greet their favorite furry friends at the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area for Storytime, interactive dance parties, arts & crafts and much more. New limited-time festivities happen each weekend of the event, all included with park admission or Fun Cards.

Food & Wine Festival: Select Dates, March 10 - May 21
Each weekend from March 10 through May 21, the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival 2023 offers delectable dishes to pair with wines, craft brews and cocktails. While indulging in the event’s vibrant culinary delights, guests will also enjoy some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. The event and all concerts are included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Cinco de Mayo: Fri - Sun, May 5 - 7
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a party zone, festive dancing, food and beverages. Guests can enjoy tasty Mexican cuisine, authentic music and festive entertainment while celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Busch Gardens. Included with daily park admission or Fun Cards

Viva La Música: Select Dates, May 5 - 21
Dance to the hottest music, sample fiery flavors and more during our newest Latin celebration. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hosts a celebration of Hispanic music food and culture every Saturday and Sunday, plus Cinco de Mayo, guests can dance to live musical performances from award-winning Latin artists, authentic cuisine and more. Viva la Música is included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Summer Nights: May 26 - Aug 6
Celebrate summer throughout the day and night with electrifying entertainment. The thrills continue after dark at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay where summery fun mixes with Florida’s top thrilling attractions and a festive ambiance. The vibrancy of Summer Nights is powered by electrifying entertainment including new shows, an updated ice-skating show and more, available throughout the park from opening and extended way past sunset. Fireworks will be available on select nights. Summer Nights is included with daily park admission Fun Cards.

4th of July Celebration: Friday - Tuesday
Celebrate the Independence of the United States at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The event features a synchronized fireworks spectacular set to an emotive soundtrack, entertainment and more. Included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Bier Fest: Fri - Sun, July 21 - Sept 4
Bier Fest—Busch Gardens Beer Festival offers the ultimate jaw-dropping combo, a delectable blend of food and favorite craft beers from around the world as well as local favorites. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from July 28 through Sept. 4, and Labor Day. Bier Fest is included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Spooktacular: Fri - Sun, Sept 8 - Oct 31
At Busch Gardens Spooktacular, guests will step into a whimsical world of enchantment full of not-so-spooky Halloween fun. This family-friendly event features a costume parade, story time and trick-or-treating. Spooktacular is included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Howl-O-Scream: Sept 8 - Oct 31 **
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is transformed into a nightmare of inescapable fear for Howl-O-Scream 2023. Spine-chilling scares and haunted houses, devious creatures lurking in every dark corner and pulse-pounding rides in the absence of daylight returns on select nights. **Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event.**

Christmas Town: Nov 13 - Jan 7, 2024
Celebrate the holidays with millions of twinkling lights, festive shows, and holiday-inspired culinary delights. A celebration of Yuletide traditions, Christmas Town is the holiday winter wonderland for guests to enjoy millions of lights, heart-warming treats, festive entertainment and the perfect set for a family photo. Christmas Town is included with daily park admission or Fun Cards.

Parking Fees:
  • Cars, Motorcycles, Campers/Trailers - $30
  • Preferred Parking - $35


Busch Gardens Tampa Reviews

87 Reviews
Sandra Sienkiewicz Tripster User Profile Image
Sandra Sienkiewicz
Evansville , WY
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Busch Gardens"
April 2023
We contacted Tripster to get tickets for Busch Gardens. We went through Tripster because tickets were cheaper to get online then to get on site. I had made an error in ordering the tickets and Tripster fixed the error and refunded and then reordered the tickets for us. Their customer service was outstanding. This made our trip to Busch Gardens so much more enjoyable. Busch Gardens was enjoyable, seeing all the animals and the rides!
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Tip: When you order tickets online, you are sent the tickets to your phone which you show upon entering Busch Gardens

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Anna K. Tripster User Profile Image
Anna K.
GB
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Amazing place for the whole family"
March 2023
Great place, entertainment for the whole day, for the whole family. Safari is a great option for animal lovers. A large selection of roller coasters, many restaurants and shops. A beautiful object worth recommending. Me and my son spent the whole last day of our holiday there and we loved everything.
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Omar Illan Tripster User Profile Image
Omar Illan
Ponce, PR
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Trip"
February 2023
good price and easy to use
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Arreyona Johnson Tripster User Profile Image
Arreyona Johnson
Ridgeland, MS
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Busch Gardens"
January 2023
The process of purchasing the tickets was super easy highly recommend!
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Adam Mills Tripster User Profile Image
Adam Mills
Asheville, NC
3 Reviews
Verified Traveler
"Excellent park where I had an excellent time"
December 2022
I visited Busch Gardens Tampa on December 6, 2002, and I had an excellent time there. I was able to take a free morning shuttle from across the street from my hotel in Orlando directly to the front gates at Busch Gardens (arriving at the park right around opening). The ride on the shuttle took no more than an hour and fifteen minutes, and it was a very comfortable trip. I was highly impressed with Busch Gardens Tampa. Firstly, it is the most beautiful amusement/theme park that I've ever visited. It was incredibly clean, and the grounds and landscaping were beautiful. The African theming of the park was done extremely well -- so much architecture that resembled genuine architecture from various African nations. Additionally, the trees, plants and bodies of water in the park very much added to the feeling that I was spending my day on the African continent. The employees throughout the park were friendly, with some of them being exceptionally friendly. The park was well-decorated for Christmas, and Christmas music was being played throughout the park -- so, even though I was at an African-themed park in Florida, I still felt as though it was Christmastime. As far as the ride line-up at the park, it is top-notch -- having some excellent roller coasters (most notably, Iron Gwazi, Kumba and Montu). The dive coaster, Sheikra, was closed for seasonal maintenance -- but that wasn't too much of a disappointment, since there were other great coasters to enjoy all day. I was really impressed with how well so many of the rides were themed, with some of these rides being incredibly themed. I picked a great day to visit the park because the crowd-level was low. I never had to wait more than 15 minutes to board a ride throughout the day (from opening of the park until 6:45 pm). In fact, the majority of my day was spent either walking directly onto rides or waiting only about 5 minutes to board them. I literally spent almost my entire time at the park riding rides. The only times when I wasn't on rides was when I ate lunch and dinner. My admission ticket into the park included all-day dining -- so, every time I ate or just got something to drink, I just had to have my all-day dining wristband scanned. Both my lunch and dinner meals were very good, and there were enough food choices for me in the park (I eat a plant-based diet). The free shuttle that I took to the park in the morning provided free service back to Orlando at 7:15 pm (the shuttle dropped me off at the same spot I boarded it in the morning). The return trip on the shuttle took about the same amount of time that it took to get to the park in the morning. In closing, I had an all-around excellent day at Busch Gardens Tampa. I'm very glad that I made the trip there from North Carolina. I plan to make it back there again. Hopefully, in the near future.
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Tip: It's a large park, but it's easy to navigate -- and i had no trouble at all traveling all over the park throughout the day without breaking a sweat.

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Natalie Rivera Tripster User Profile Image
Natalie Rivera
Bayamon , PR
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Excellent"
November 2022
This is the best third party ever . I couldn’t buy the tickets from the bush gardens page nor the app, but tripster let me buy them in a second and I am so grateful because my time in bush gardens was so amazing, I had lots of fun .Thank you tripster !
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Dolder Finessi Tripster User Profile Image
Dolder Finessi
CW
2 Reviews
Verified Traveler
"Buschgardens all to ourselves"
September 2022
We went on a Monday and had the park basically all to ourselves. No wait lines, no stress. LOTS of awesome rides. We have a small child so he enjoyed the safari part of the park as he couldn't ride most rides. All in all it was a good time.
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 Tripster User Profile Image
Tripster Customer
Columbia, SC
1 Review
Verified Traveler
"Smooth, easy transition"
August 2022
I enjoyed my trip to Busch Gardens, Tampa. Everything from the purchase to the ease of use at the gate was perfect! I will definitely be using Tripster again!!
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Tip: Keep checking on tickets prior to your trip. You may be able to get a cheaper price.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Busch Gardens Tampa

How much is parking at Busch Gardens Tampa?

$30 - General parking for cars, motorcycles, trucks and recreation vehicles $35 - Starting at for Preferred parking - Preferred parking is subject to availability.

Is the Shuttle Express from Orlando to Busch Gardens Tampa Free?

Yes, the Shuttle Express is Free with any paid Busch Gardens Ticket. Daily round-trip transportation from Orlando to Busch Gardens Tampa (just a short 1-hour ride) is offered from select locations in Orlando. Reservations are recommended by visiting Buschgardens.mears.com for more information. Pick-up locations: 8:30 am Doubletree Orlando by Hilton at the entrance to Universal Orlando - 5780 Major Blvd. 8:45 am Icon Park - 8350 Universal Blvd. 9:00 am SeaWorld - 7007 SeaWorld Drive - Bus Parking 9:15 am Publix - 8145 Vineland Avenue 9:30 am Maingate Lakeside Resort - 7769 West Highway 192, Kissimmee in front parking lot. Departure: The bus departs Busch Gardens Tampa at the park close or 7pm during the peak seasons.

Do Busch Gardens tickets expire?

Yes, each ticket type is different. Please refer to your ticket voucher for an expiration date.

Can you bring food into Busch Gardens Tampa? Can you bring a cooler?

No outside food, beverages, or coolers are allowed into Busch Garden Tampa Bay, except you may bring a bottle of water or a refillable water bottle. Exceptions may be made for guests with special dietary needs, including food allergies and baby food/formula. Guests should contact Park Security when they arrive at the Park for approval to bring in special dietary foods.

What options are available if I want to bring my pet to the park?

On-site kennels are located at the front of the main parking lot across from the first tram stop. The air-conditioned facility is staffed from park open until one-half hour before park close, and the cost is $25.00 per day ($10.00 for Passport members, excluding Fun Card holders). Park guests are required to bring pet food and to walk their pets during the day. You may bring a blanket for the pet's comfort, and a current shot record and rabies tag is required.

Where can I rent a stroller or wheelchair at Busch Gardens Tampa?

Strollers, Wheelchairs & Electric Carts - Available for a nominal fee at the Stroller and Wheelchair Rental Shop in Morocco. You must be 18 years of age to rent electric carts and wheelchairs.

Are there lockers at Busch Gardens Tampa?

All day self-service lockers are available for rent in the Morocco section of the park, by lost and found, near the entrance. The multi-use, key pad operated lockers can be used as often as you like throughout your day. Self-service kiosks accept cash and credit cards. Lockers are charged per day and the price will vary depending on the size of the locker.

Is smoking allowed at Busch Gardens Tampa?

Busch Gardens is committed to a safe and friendly environment. Therefore we have provided designated smoking stations throughout the park. All indoor areas will remain smoke-free environments. Outdoor smoking stations are designated in guest areas by smoking urns, benches and "Designated Smoking Area" signs, which are situated near most restrooms. These signs are marked on the park maps.

I have a hard cast from a recent accident. Will this effect which rides I can board?

Guests with hard casts are not allowed on Kumba, Montu, or SheiKra.

What happens if it rains?

If rain ruins the fun at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, guests will be eligible to receive a complimentary visit to the park to use within 1 year of your visit. If your day is impacted by weather, visit guest relations before you exit the park to receive a ticket for a return visit. Policy enactment is at the discretion of Guest Services. Rainy day guarantee may ONLY be utilized by guests with a Single Day ticket or Multi-Day Ticket. Not valid with any other ticket offers.

Can my children go to Busch Gardens without me?

Except when participating in an event intended for young guests such as our Summer Camps, sleepovers, birthday parties and educational programs, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment® suggests that visitors 13 and younger be accompanied by an adult.

What should I wear?

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a family destination, and requires that guests wear appropriate clothing while in the park. Shirts, skirts or pants (including jeans or shorts) and shoes must be worn at all times. Costumes and masks are not permitted in the park.

What time does Busch Gardens Tampa open?

Opening and closing times vary by season. Please see the operating calendar in the ticket section above for the hours of operation during your selected date range.