Ueno Zoo

Japan's oldest zoo, inside Ueno Park. The surrounding paths are free; the zoo charges admission and posts which houses are open.

Why visit

It is a relaxed, family-friendly stop inside the park, with a ticketed gate and its own closure calendar.

How to get there

Ueno Zoo sits inside Ueno Park, with gates on the park paths rather than on a main road. From Ueno Station, the park exit is the direction. The zoo's English page is the map for which gate is open. The Tokyo National Museum is a different gate farther north; the zoo signage is the one to follow once you are in the park.

The zoo is a paid, fenced institution. You cannot wander in from a park path without passing a ticket gate.

Hours & tickets

The zoo publishes hours, ticket prices, and a closure calendar on its English site. A usual pattern is Monday closure, moving to the next day when Monday is a holiday, but the calendar includes extra closures. Checked Oct 2026: tokyo-zoo.net is the page that has the date you care about. This guide does not repeat a yen price that the zoo can change.

Animal houses can close for care without the whole zoo closing. If one species is the reason for the trip, read that day's notice on the zoo site before you buy.

• Ueno Zoo English site

Best time to visit

Arrive near opening if you have a specific animal in mind. Lines and animal activity both favor the start of the day. Weekday mornings outside school holidays are the calm visit. Weekend afternoons in the park's cherry-blossom season combine two crowds.

Do not plan the zoo around an animal the site no longer lists. The official species and house status is the fact; older articles go stale.

How long to spend

Two hours is a real loop of the main houses without rushing children. Less than an hour means you paid and saw the entrance plaza. The park outside is free if you only wanted a walk.

Tips

• •Closed Mondays (or the following day after a holiday).
• •If one animal house is the reason for the visit, read that day's notice on the zoo site before you buy a ticket.
• •Buy or check tickets before you walk across the park. A Monday closure is a long way to discover at the gate.
• •Strollers and bags are fine on park paths and may be restricted in some houses. The zoo's visitor notes are the rule for the gate you are entering.

Nearby

Ueno Park surrounds the zoo. The Tokyo National Museum is the culture alternative in the same park, and Shinobazu Pond is the free loop at the south end. Choose the zoo or the museum as the paid stop, not both, unless you have the whole day.