Ticket prices and who goes free
The zoo's hours and admission page gives these prices in yen (checked 29 October 2026):
| Visitor | Individual | Group of 20+ | Annual pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (16–64) | ¥600 | ¥480 | ¥2,400 |
| Age 65+ | ¥300 | ¥240 | ¥1,200 |
| Junior high (13–15) | ¥200 | ¥160 | not sold |
These visitors enter free:
- children up to the end of primary school (about age 12);
- junior-high students who live or study in Tokyo, with proof;
- holders of a Japanese physical, intellectual or mental disability certificate, usually with one companion (the Mirairo ID app is accepted).
Over-65s and junior-high students need proof of age to get their reduced price. The page does not say whether foreign disability documents are accepted; ask at the gate if that applies to you.
A family of two adults with children aged 4 and 9 therefore pays ¥1,200 in total. A grandparent over 65 adds ¥300.
Free days and special discounts
Everyone enters free on three fixed days: 20 March (the zoo's anniversary), 4 May (Greenery Day) and 1 October (Tokyo Citizens' Day). All junior-high students are free on 5 May, and over-60s plus one companion are free during Respect for the Aged Week, 15–21 September.
The annual pass costs four times a single adult entry, so it pays off from the fifth visit within a year. It needs a 2.5 × 2 cm photo and is sold only at the zoo's gates until 16:00.
Buying tickets: gate or online
There is no timed-entry system, so you can simply pay at the gate. The admission page lists these cashless options at the staffed ticket windows:
- Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club; contactless tap only at staffed windows.
- Transit IC cards: Suica and compatible cards, at staffed windows only. You cannot top up a card at the zoo.
- QR payments: PayPay, d払い, au PAY, Rakuten Pay, Alipay and WeChat Pay, at staffed windows only.
The online ticket page sends you to asoview.com. According to the admission page, you buy a ticket for a specific date, pay by Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Paidy, and show a QR code at the gate. The zoo's access page warns of long waits at the Main and Benten gates on weekends and holidays, and of ticket queues at the Ikenohata Gate, so a dated online ticket can be worth it then. Neither page lists the online price; check it on asoview before paying.
Opening hours and closed days
- Hours: 9:30–17:00.
- Last entry: 16:00, when ticket and annual-pass sales also stop.
- Regular closure: every Monday; if Monday is a national holiday or substitute holiday, the zoo closes on the Tuesday instead.
- Year-end: closed 29 December to 1 January.
The zoo opens on some Mondays, and its March 2026 notice on extra opening days said it would add extra opening days in October–November and in the March 2027 spring holidays. The exact dates are marked only by colour in the zoo's monthly calendar PDF, linked from the admission page, and could not be read as text when this guide was checked. Check that calendar before planning a Monday visit.
Using the Cabinet Office holiday list and the zoo's closure rule, these are the dates to watch over the next few months:
| Date | What the rule means |
|---|---|
| Mon 23 November 2026 (Labour Thanksgiving Day) | Open; closed Tue 24 November instead |
| Mon 28 December 2026 | Regular Monday closure, then the year-end closure runs to Fri 1 January |
| Sat 2 January 2027 | First day open in 2027 |
| Mon 11 January 2027 (Coming of Age Day) | Open; closed Tue 12 January instead |
| Mon 22 March 2027 (substitute holiday) | Open; closed Tue 23 March instead |
So if you are in Tokyo over the New Year, the zoo is likely shut for five days in a row, from 28 December to 1 January, unless the calendar lists 28 December as a special opening.
Giant pandas: the current situation
There are no giant pandas at Ueno Zoo. The zoo's Panda Day 2026 page, updated 20 October 2026, says the Panda Forest in the West Garden no longer keeps giant pandas and now shows red pandas and pheasants from the same Chinese highlands. The same page says the joint breeding research programme with China ended on 20 February 2026. The zoo's news list posted the departure of the twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei on 27 January 2026 and their arrival in China on 31 January. No new pandas were announced on the zoo pages checked on 29 October 2026.
Other current changes, according to the zoo's notices:
- The Japanese macaques on Monkey Mountain have been off display since 19 November 2024.
- Hooded and red-crowned cranes from the crane house were moved off display, and three ibis species were moved to the crane house, for bird-flu netting work running from 31 August 2026 to about mid-January 2027 (works notice).
- Part of the West Garden paths is closed from 26 October to 16 November 2026.
Gates, stations and getting around
The zoo has two halves, the East Garden and the West Garden, and three gates. The access page gives these walking times:
| Gate | Nearest station | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Main Gate (East Garden) | JR Ueno, Park Exit (Koen-guchi) | 5 min |
| Benten Gate (West Garden) | JR Ueno, Shinobazu Exit | 5 min |
| Benten Gate | Keisei Ueno | 4 min |
| Benten Gate | Tokyo Metro Ueno (Ginza and Hibiya lines) | 8 min |
| Benten Gate | Ueno-okachimachi (Oedo Line) | 10 min |
| Ikenohata Gate (West Garden) | Nezu (Chiyoda Line) | 5 min |
Arriving on the Skyliner from Narita, use Keisei Ueno and the Benten Gate. Our Narita and Haneda transfer guide compares the Skyliner with other airport links, and the Tokyo train payment guide covers which card to tap.
Paid coin lockers are near the Main Gate and the Benten Gate. Strollers can be rented for a fee; at the Ikenohata Gate the rental runs only on weekends and holidays.
How long to allow and combining with Ueno Park
The zoo's FAQ suggests two to three hours for an unhurried visit. With the 16:00 last entry and early animal-house closures, that means arriving by about 13:00 for a full visit.
The zoo sits inside Ueno Park, next to several national museums. The Tokyo National Museum guide covers its prices and Monday closures, which overlap with the zoo's. On a Monday, when both are usually shut, cross to Senso-ji in Asakusa, which has no closing day. For other year-end shutdowns across the city, see Tokyo's year-end and New Year closures.
