First Timer's Guide to Busch Gardens Tampa

Busch Gardens Tampa Basics

Busch Gardens Tampa,  (Also known as Busch Gardens Africa) is a huge African-themed animal park and thrill ride adventure park. It  is just a bit over an hour from Orlando, home to Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and SeaWorld Orlando.

Address: 10165 N McKinley Dr Tampa, FL 33612

Opening Time: operating hours vary a bit , opens at 10:00am, closing hours range from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Tickets Prices for 2019

Single-Park Ticket staring at $84.99 (Save up to $25)
Two Park Ticket for $104.99 (Save $45)
Enjoy two parks for $52.50/park at any combination of these theme parks: SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island.
Three Park Ticket for $119.99 (Save $50)
Enjoy three parks for $40/park at any combination of our theme parks: SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island.
Four Parks: Unlimited Visits + Free Parking for $189.99 (Save $30)
Enjoy all four Florida parks for $47.50/park and get unlimited visits for 14 consecutive days and free parking at any combination of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island.

Season Passes for 2019

Bronze Annual Pass for $133.88
Valid for 12 Months with Blockout Dates, 50% off General Parking.
Silver Annual Pass for $181.88
FREE admission to 2019 event line-up, including Food & Wine Festival, Kids Weekends, Bier Fest, and Christmas Town. FREE General Parking.
Gold Annual Pass for $217.88
Unlimited Admission for 12 Months. FREE Preferred Parking
Platinum Annual Pass for $361.88
Unlimited admission to 11 parks for 12 months - includes Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Williamsburg, SeaWorld & Aquatica Orlando, San Antonio & San Diego, Adventure Island, Water County USA and Sesame Place. FREE Preferred Parking.

Book Busch Gardens Tampa Admission tickets from Groupon, Viator, TripAdvisor, Expedia where you can find the best tickets deals. Plus don't forget to earn up to 8% cashback from Extrabux!

Directions to Busch Gardens Tampa

From the North:
Travel SOUTH on I-75 to FOWLER AVENUE exit #265. This exit is also the exit for the University of South Florida. Bear right on the exit ramp, and it will lead you directly onto Fowler Avenue. Proceed west on Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive. (McKinley Drive is the first light past the main entrance to the University.) Turn left on McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to parking and the main entrance to the park.
From the South:
Travel NORTH on I-75, past the intersection of I-4, to the FOWLER AVENUE exit #265. This exit is also the exit for the University of South Florida. Bear left on the exit ramp, and it will lead you directly onto Fowler Avenue. Proceed west on Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive. (McKinley Drive is the first light past the main entrance to the University.) Turn left on McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to parking and the main entrance to the park.
From Orlando:
Travel WEST on I-4 to I-75. Go NORTH on I-75 to the FOWLER AVENUE exit #265. This exit is also the exit for the University of South Florida. Bear left on the exit ramp, and it will lead you directly onto Fowler Avenue. Proceed west on Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive. (McKinley Drive is the first light past the main entrance to the University.) Turn left on McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to parking and the main entrance to the park.
From St. Petersburg:
Trevel NORTH on I-275 to the FOWLER AVENUE exit. (Exit # 51, Exit # 34) Turn east (right) onto Fowler Avenue and proceed 2.5 miles to McKinley Drive. Turn south (right) onto McKinley and proceed to the main parking lot entrance.

Busch Gardens Tampa Car Rental

If you need to rent a car to Busch Gardens Tampa, you can book at Dollar Rent A Car, Europcar, Avis, Thrifty, Hertz, Sixt Rent A Car, CarRentals.com. Don't forget to earn up to 6% cashback from Extrabux!

Parking Prices for 2019

General Parking for $25
Valid for any one operating day. General parking is across the street from the park, so you can either walk to
the entrance or hop on a tram.
Preferred Parking starting from $28
Only valid for date selected.

Busch Gardens Tampa Map 2019

Busch Gardens Tampa Rides & Roller Coasters List

There are 15 wild rides in Busch Gardens Tampa including seven thilling coasters,  plus a few family favorites and a couple of water rides, too.

Tigris, opened on April 19th 2019, and was Florida's tallest launch coaster. It will catapult riders through an exhilarating array of looping twists with forward and backward motion, breath-taking drops, a 150-foot skyward surge, and an inverted heartline roll, all at more than 60 miles per hour.

Sheikra is the first dive machine to go upside down. This 200-foot tall vertical-fall caoster features a fall through a misty ancient tower and a splashdown in a lush pool that sends two tails of water streaming skyward.

Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin launch coaster that includes three launches, a heartline roll, and many more airtime features. The attraction also features an adjacent cheetah experience where park guests will be able to learn more about the cheetah, through interactive displays.

Montu is one of the best coasters in the world and consistently ranks high among enthusiasts. Experience the thrill of an inverse diving loop and a 104-foot tall vertical loop while you endure speeds of 60 miles per hour and a G-force of 3.85! In just three minutes Montu will carry you through seven inverting elements as you travel along 3,983-feet of twisted steel track.

Kumba is one of the first Bolliger & Mabillard coasters ever built, it's over 25 years old. Riders board 32-seat trains (8 rows, 4 across) that roar along almost 4,000 feet of track. The course features a 135-foot drop, a 114-foot tall loop, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, and interlocking corkscrews. Seven inversions in total with a top speed of 60 mph.

Cobra's Curse is a great ride for the whole family. This unique coaster will feature a vertical 70-foot elevator lift that sends guests spinning past a huge stone cobra.  Each train will have two cars, each designed to spin uncontrolled during the ride, so no two ride experiences should ever be alike.

Falcon's Fury is currently the tallest freestanding drop tower in North America. This drop tower stands at some 335-feet-tall, and plummets guests towards the ground at 60 miles per hour. It twists guests by 90 degrees so that they are facing directly downwards before they freefall down to the bottom.

Congo River Rapids is a fun ride for the whole familyPassing through caves, under waterfalls, and past geysers, this careening, splashing, spinning white water rafting ride has very little chance of leaving anyone dry.

Skyride is the perfect way to get across the park. You can see spectacular views of wildlife and attractions above the Serengeti Plains area.

Busch Gardens Tampa has one of the largest zoos in North America, with more than 12,000 animals from 300 different species.  From the exotic to the endangered, the ones you love to the ones you’ve never even heard of, there is a huge variety of animals to see — and get close to.

Bird Gardens is a  free flight aviary that shows over 500 tropical birds from around the globe including parrots, flamingos and others.

Walkabout Way allows guests to hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies, and see animals including kookaburras, magpies, black swans and tawny frogmouths.

Lory Landing, an open aviary habitat that invites guest to walk around and be visited by lorikeets. Purchasing nectar is an optional part of the habitat, providing an experience of hand-feeding the birds.

Edge of Africa is a walk-through attraction where guests can observe African animals. Among the exhibits are a Nile crocodile named Sobek, meerkats, two prides of lions, a pack of spotted hyenas, three hippos named Moyo, Kita and Devi, vultures, and a troop of lemurs.

The Serengeti Plainis home to the Grévy's zebra, Grant's zebra, sable antelope, reticulated giraffe, Ankole-Watusi, addax, white rhinoceros, eland, impala, ostrich and marabou stork. Some of the best ways to view the animals are by hopping on board the Serengeti Express Train or riding the Skyride for a bird’s eye view.

Hotel near Busch Gardens Tampa

The price of Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Busch Gardens Area near Busch Gardens Tampa low to $95.  Off a bustling thoroughfare, this laid-back hotel is a mile from Busch Gardens theme park, and 2 miles from both I-275 and the University of South Florida. It features an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and coffee/tea in a common area. Free buffet breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self-parking are also provided.

The price of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa -USF-Busch Gardens near Busch Gardens Tampa starting from $90. This modern hotel is 0.5 miles from Busch Gardens and 13.2 miles to Tampa International Airport. Contemporary lodging with a fitness center & outdoor pool, plus free breakfast, parking & WiFi.

If you are seeking for more hotels near Busch Gardens Tampa, visit Travelocity, Trip.com & TripAdvisor where you can find the best vacation hotel deals. Plus don't forget to earn up to 4% cashback from Extrabux!

Several Tips for Visiting Busch Gardens Tampa

1. Get your tickets in advance through the link listed above to save money.
2. Try to only bring what fits in a zippered pocket to avoid locker lines and fees., beause bags aren’t allowed on some rides
3. Try parking as close to the tram as possible. This tram can takes you straight to the ticket gate.
4. Make note of where you park. It will help you identify your spot.
5. Pick a park map that ensures you get to your destination with ease.
6. Use the Sky Ride and the Train if you need to get to other sections of the park.
 7. If you're planning an all-day trip to Busch Gardens Tampa, hop on the ticket package that includes all-day dining.

Extrabux is an international cashback shopping site, offering up to 30% cashback from 10,000+ Stores!

Booking.com, Ripley's Aquarium, Marriott, Pontins, Trip.com, Ripley's Myrtle Beach, The Brehon, ebookers, Away Resorts, Gleneagle Hotel, Agoda, Extended Stay America, Worldwide Insure, Malmaison, Scotts Hotel, Priceline, Zafiro Hotels UK, TurnKey Vacation Rentals, Discovery Cove, etc.

Join to get $20 welcome bonus now! (How does Welcome Bonus work?)