Ueno Zoo

It’s a decent of the zoo. It’s perfect for one day trip. We spot a few hours at the zoo. My favorite part of the zoo was seeing red pandas. They were super cute. Not only that, other animals were nice and unique, like a gigantic turtle. I was impressed that I could see penguins so closely without the cage. They were so cute swimming in the water. All of the animals looked very healthy. Moreover, the atmosphere was really nice. There was still some color of the maple trees. Location is so easy to get to. It’s located inside the Ueno Park right by the train station.

As a family of 3, we loved the zoo visit. We were one of the first people shown up to see panda and it was worth it. our baby enjoyed seeing the animals. there are a good variety of them. definitely recommend if you have kids, or love animals.

We had a great time visiting this zoo and seeing so many animals. There are some really impressive animals like the golden pheasant, aardvarks, armadillos, porcupine, giraffes, and so much more! The animals seemed well carried for, and the zoo was clean. We were not able to get a timed entry ticket to see the pandas, but there are so many other animals to see that we did not feel the least bit disappointed. The price was very reasonable.

My December 2024 experience. :) Fun activity. Super busy day for me as this was student excursion day. Regardless of the crowd, it is sweet to know Japanese students are provided a memory experience to learn, observe and connect with classmates. So cool to observe animals up close, especially the ones I have only ever seen online. The zoo handled crowd control very well. Toilets are accessible and clean. Best to do prior research on time and schedules for specific animals routines if you really want to see some, due to the nature of the animals sleep, eating and playing patterns. 4pm-5pm is when many of the animals will withdraw from public access. I found the souvenir shop to be a mixture of unique items alongside temu-like items, so take your time to see what you like. :) Lots of cute toys. I didn't buy because I wasn't interested but I can appreciate the theme. Many of the sales will go back to the zoo, so it is quite wholesome. Pretty cool to see a Japanese black bear and a Shoebill in person.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ueno Zoo – A beautiful mix of history, nature & family fun Ueno Zoo is such a lovely day out in Tokyo. Set inside the gorgeous Ueno Park, it’s easy to wander, explore and take your time. The zoo has a surprisingly peaceful feel, with different zones to explore and plenty of shaded walkways — perfect for families, travellers, and anyone wanting a slower-paced day in the city. The highlights for me were the incredible variety of animals, the iconic panda area, and the way the zoo blends history with modern exhibits. Everything is well-signed, clean, and easy to navigate. Lots of little food spots and rest areas too, which makes it really accessible. As a health executive, mum, pet mum and someone who loves to travel, I appreciated how family-friendly and spacious it felt. Great for all ages, and a lovely way to enjoy a calmer side of Tokyo. Highly recommend spending a few hours here, especially if you’re already exploring Ueno Park or the museums nearby.

Ueno Zoo is one of the most famous and historic zoos in Japan, located inside the beautiful Ueno Park in Tokyo. The zoo has a wide variety of animals and is well maintained, making it an enjoyable place for families and animal lovers. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the pandas during my visit because the area was extremely crowded and access was temporarily closed. If you are visiting Ueno Zoo specifically to see the pandas, I strongly recommend arriving early in the day, as heavy crowds can lead to early closures and long waiting times. Despite missing the pandas, the overall experience was still pleasant. The zoo is spacious, easy to walk around, and surrounded by greenery, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere. Ueno Zoo is worth visiting, especially if planned well and visited early to avoid peak crowds

Great day at the Ueno Zoo! Plenty of exhibitions, gift shops, food courts, and creative backdrops for photo ops. The zoo was clean and the bathrooms were even cleaner. Fortunately, today the animals were visible and in plain sight, not hiding and/or sleeping. The forecast was sunny with temps in the low 60s, making the stroll thru the park a pleasant one. The wait for the pandas was 90 mins, so we passed. (Argh!!) We did, however, see many other animals such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, flamingos, a Galapagos tortoise, a crocodile, a polar bear, a black bear, a tiger, a bison, and a rhino. Overall, a great day. Highly recommend, especially if you have young children.

Quite a few spots closed for construction. Compared to Western standards, I felt the zoo to be a bit "cold" and sad regarding animal welfare. Wasn't awful though and there were nice places for sure, had a good time. Staff were all very friendly and the ticket price is great. Beautiful pagoda.

We originally wanted to walk around Ueno Park, but saw the zoo and popped in here instead. There were some areas under construction, so we weren't able to see everything, but there were a good amount of animals/places to see. We especially liked seeing the two pandas and the water lily pond. There were some cute souvenirs and I ended up getting some cookies, which were delicious. Unfortunately, it did start to rain a bit harder than expected, so we had to cut the adventure a little short. But, overall - totally worth the trip.

By far the best zoo I have ever been to! Visited on a weekday shortly after they opened to see the two pandas. Did not have to wait in line for the male panda, but I ended up waiting about 15 minutes for the female panda, which was well worth it! The lines were so organized, and the employees guided us calmly. Very easy to get around and use the signs throughout the different sections of the zoo. The gift shop was great too! I bought some panda chopsticks,

We went to Ueno Zoo during our recent trip to Japan. I went to this zoo about ten years ago and I didn't really remember it but it was great this time. It seems like a lot of things have changed as far as the location of the pandas. Before the pandas were close to the entrance of the zoo, but now they have a really big enclosure for the pandas. They have many pandas and a set of twin pandas too. There's a line to view them but it goes by quick and it was so fun to watch. The twins were so fun to watch because they were running around and playing with each other. The zoo is pretty vast but everything is spaced out well and it's very clean there. My daughter loved using her own camera to take pictures of all the animals. It was nice to see some animals that I never get to see in Hawaii like the polar bear. My daughter loved seeing the flamingos and of course she loved the gift stores there. Daughter=lover of all stuffed animals. So we got her some panda stuffed animals and she treasures it. Another great thing about Ueno Zoo is that they offer wheelchairs. Since Ueno Zoo is so big, we definitely needed this for my mom and sister. It was so helpful because they were able to see so much more with those wheelchairs. And the wheelchairs were free which was the best part. There were also ramps and elevators which made it easily accessible for the wheelchairs. I hope to come back to Ueno Zoo soon to see more of the animals again.

Ueno Zoo is a really lovely zoo in Japan. It's actually a lot bigger than we initially thought. We thought it would only be a half-day, but we actually spent the whole day there. There's a nice open park right before you hit the zoo. I was surprised at the diversity of animals that they had. We were excited to see the giant pandas, which of course are very popular and also the red pandas.

The Ueno Zoo was fun to explore! It's located inside of the Ueno Park. The zoo includes many unusual animals, such as Hokkaido brown beans, Japanese macaques, and wild cormorants. We got there on July 21 Sunday and it was our first stop (Ueno Park & the zoo) on our Japan trip because it was so close to our hotel. We arrived there an hour early so we walked around the park first. Then we saw many people waiting in line on a hot day around 9 a.m. (The zoo opened at 9:30 a.m.)! Many local Japanese people took their children to the zoo and we also saw some Japanese couples. We couldn't believe that they lined up before they opened. Once the zoo opened, the line moved so quickly and they all had tickets or passes in hand to scan. The admission fees for adults are only 600 yen. 200 yen for ages 13-15; and 300 yen for senior citizens; and children under 12 can enter for free. It was the cheapest zoo that we've ever been to. They closed on Mondays though. We then knew why they lined up so early because they wanted to see the Giant Panda Xiao Xiao. Our wait time was about 20 minutes and when we came out the wait time was changed to 40 minutes. The Giant Panda Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were so adorable and they both looked so energetic and not sleepy at all. She was eating the bamboo. We were divided into different groups so we could see the Giant Panda closely and took some nice photos. The viewing time is limited to about 2 minutes before moving on. We also saw penguins, kangaroos, African animals such as black rhinos, hippos, giraffes), interesting birds, lizards, small and large creatures such as bats, rodents, and nocturnal animals. The variety of unique animals was huge. We enjoyed spending time here.

On my second day in Japan, I came to Ueno Zoo because I wanted to check out their panda exhibits. This place is quite nice and the area for the pets was pretty large. You could spend a whole day or even half a day here depending on what you want to see. There is an English map right after you pay for the tickets and enter the park. The first thing we wanted to go to was the pandas and they have a wait time listed right in front of the entrance, stating that it will take 90 minutes to get to see them. We walked to the area and waited to see the adorable pandas and I am so glad we did. Two of our friends have never seen pandas in their lifetime so this was amazing for them. Overall we had a fun time seeing the other exhibits as well! We saw plenty of different animals from gorillas, turtles, lizards, birds, owls, and much more. Fun times just don't forget to put on sunscreen and wear a hat.

We only came for the panda and almost didn't make it because the viewing was so incredibly far away and the last viewing is 1 hr before closing! Please note that if u take transit, there are at least 3 stops that say UNEO! We made the mistake of getting off the first one. So we got there late. When we arrived, they only give you about 3 mins to view the panda even if the panda isn't completely visible. So we were disappointed we barely saw the panda's head. Can't give the review based on anything else. It was nice to have free entry for handicap.

This zoo was an experience. Not only was it huge with two different campuses (east and west) but the grounds were clean, the exhibits were easy to visit, the views were fantastic, and the food in the restaurants are affordable AND good. What isn't there to like? The price for admission for an adult is 600 yen which is right now about $4.20. You can't even get a hot dog in a zoo in America for that much, much less the admission price to visit one. They have even bigger discounts for students and groups. Located in Ueno Park area, right off the Ueno Train Station, this has premium location written all over because in this area you have multiple cafes, multiple museums, and a big park you can walk around and enjoy your day. If you go early and decide you want to do more in the area you can head on over to the Tokyo National Museum. Or maybe you're interested in tackling multiple places. You can go and look at Rodin's sculptures out front of the National Museum of Western Art, get a small lunch and coffee at Starbucks, look at some Matisse at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, and enjoy the animals in the late afternoon at Ueno Zoo. It's the perfect spot for couples, families, or someone lost in translation. The zoo itself has some highlights. The large lake with the lotus on the West Campus was gorgeous and you can get some great photos in this area. If you want to do a photo shoot here you would find some amazing spots. The zoo also has two pandas on loan from China and you can see them throughout the day, although there is a wait time since they are so popular. Vending machines are everywhere giving you easy access to cool drinks when the heat swelters. A large range of animals divided from different continents and areas of the world also make it easy to navigate. You can easily spend a few hours here. I love animals and I love zoos. Ueno Zoo is hands down one of the most enjoyable ones I've attended. If you can enjoy the outdoors and want to visit a zoo with great animals and exhibits without putting even a dent in your wallet I highly recommend coming to Ueno Zoo.

Was here on a weekday. Very Fun to be around the zoo. It was very big and has alot of animals. The Main attraction was the panda which can be a very long wait about 40 mins. https://rumble.com/v6pzab2-ueno-zoological-gardens.html

Ueno Zoo was our first stop in our trip to Japan. We arrived at the doors 30 minutes before opening and can you believe there was already a line? The Japanese are serious about lining up. But once the zoo opened, the line moved quickly. We were in line to get our tickets from the vending machine. Admission is 600 yen for ages 16 and older; 200 yen for ages 13-15; 300 yen for senior citizens; and children 12 and under are free. Be sure to check their calendar when it comes to closures. They are closed some Mondays. Our priority was to visit the Giant Panda exhibit which of course was crowded, but it was still very fun to see. The zoo isn't huge, but the exhibits are nicely organized and it was easy to navigate. The West Garden can be reached by monorail or on foot. We enjoyed the cafe there. If you have small kids, they would have a great time here.

For 600 Yen for an admission ticket to a zoo, I think it was an alright experience. We arrived at the zoo an hour before closing so their prized exhibit which is the one mama panda with her cub were already "sold" out and closed for the day. Nonetheless, you can walk around and see some of the other animals. Overall, perhaps it's because I've been to much bigger zoos, I thought this one was just alright. The cages for the animals were quite small especially for larger animals like the elephant so had mixed feelings seeing them in such enclosed spaces. And although I was there in April, temperatures were in the high twenties so it was definitely hot when you're viewing the exhibits. Think it was good to see what a zoo that's in the middle of the city has to offer but the Ueno parks itself are equally as gorgeous so if you don't want to spend your money on a small zoo with hardly any pandas, you can just spend it leisurely outside in the parks.

This zoo is located inside Ueno Park. Admissions for 12 years old and up is $6. It's so cheap I thought the zoo would be tiny but it wasn't too bad of a size. My friend and I took our time to walk around and we finished in 1 hour and 30 minutes. There was a lot of different animals and birds to see.

This is a beautiful zoo with a lot of great exhibits, especially compared to what we're used to in Hawaii. Obviously the highlight was seeing the pandas which made our trip. Would definitely go back on any future trip.

First off, this zoo is probably the cheapest zoo I've ever been to! 600 yen admission per adult?! Good deal! The zoo itself is cute with some kawaii animals cutouts/statues throughout the parks where you can take pictures with. I loved seeing the pandas the most! Soo cute! We were super sad to see the polar bears separate & all they want to do is be with each other. They kept pacing back & forth looking really depressed. :( They also did the same with other animals too. Sad... We explored half of the zoo only since bf was tired from walking & wanted to continue to explore the park to find the food stands. There were a few food trucks & a cafe inside so that's good if you're looking for refreshments while visiting the zoo. There's a nice view of the big temple/pagoda (?) & plenty of cherry blossoms around. Pretty scenery :) Overall, it's a nice park to visit & it's really cheap! But some sights of some animals can be pretty saddening. 3.5 stars.

At 600 JPY, we felt this was (easily) the "best value for your money" expense of the trip. The zoo is filled with so many animals! To give you some perspective, we only saw about half the zoo in the 4 hours we were there. We found this zoo had more unique animals than any zoo or aquarium we have ever visited. Perhaps being westerners in an Asian zoo had something to do with it (considering the animals can be very different from one country to the next) but because of this, we found ourselves lingering at each exhibition space a little longer. The zoo was not busy on the day we went. Several school groups were on their way out, so we didn't run into any issues with mass amounts of young children running around. As far as "regular guests" the zoo seemed quiet and we had lots of space to enjoy the exhibitions and animals. If you want a complete travel guide and video of this location, please visit our website at www.joshthetravelguy.ca and www.youtube.com/joshthetravelguy respectively.

This is located close to Ueno park. We only intended to visit Ueno park for some Cherry Blossom appreciation, but we saw this awesome deal of free admission to their local zoo. We definitely had a blast checking out different species available and imported in Japan. It was also great to learn about the history and all about the beautiful residents of the zoo.

We got there early and thank god we did because the crowd is insane. And if you plan on seeing the panda you'll want to power walk the minute you get in the gate or else you're looking at a very long wait. People were actually running from the gate to the exhibit I kid you not. It was like panda Black Friday. The zoo itself is nice and small with plenty of room. They have a lot of exhibits with both Japan animals as well as animals around the world. Easy to get around and fun exhibits. And of course they have PANDAS!

I love this zoo! That could be my entire review, but I will go into detail of course. Now it's not the biggest zoo I've been too, but that only makes it easier to see all the exhibits. They have an awesome mix of animals here. I'm some of my pix their exhibits may look small, but that was because it got cold and they had to bring some of the animals inside. I also love how they put the panda exhibit right near the front so that you can knock that out right away. Huge warning: get there super early if you want to see the baby and momma panda. They have a limited number of tickets they do each day. We came at one and they were done for the day and it wasn't even that busy there. The male panda is available all day though. The ticket prices are so dang cheap too! Only 600 yen! This isn't the kind of US zoo that says: " We have pandas so we can charge 16 bucks a person". They also allow -3 and under for free. They have lots of yummy food throughout the zoo and even a couple of food trucks. You can eat your food right by a gorgeous cherry blossom tree too! If you come during the right season, it's quite a sight. I would skip the monorail though. It took 20 minutes to get through the line and it's about a 1.5 ride. Not really much of a view either. You can walk the same path it goes, which is what we did the way back. Pandas, hippos, lions, and so many more. This is such a great zoo and you shouldn't miss it!

For 600 yen, you really can't get a better deal for a zoo- most zoos in the US go for 20$ and I don't think are as well organized or nicely filled as this zoo. It's a massive zoo that has two parts separated by an overhead bridge over the main street. In the daytime, you would never guess there is a zoo right behind the trees and fences as it is embedded nicely within residential areas (can even see people's houses as you walk around the zoo) and hidden in the Ueno park itself. I went 2 days after New Years and was honestly expecting a crazier line b/c their new baby panda cub Xiang Xiang was just born and people are on holiday for the new years, but honestly this zoo was not as crowded as I thought. Animals looked happy here and the habitats were quite large which all, I was satisfied with, being a huge animal suppporter. The first half of the zoo which is the BEnten entrance is high volume but smaller animals. The reptile house is awesome- the camouflage that is displayed and educated about is quite incredible here. My favorites were the massive Galapogos turtle (probs 4 foot long dude) and their probs 12 foot long crocodile. They have great lemurs and small monkeys here. The bird collection is probably the best I've seen around the world. The Japanese really prize their storks, cranes, quails, ducks, etc. You'll not find lovelier birds anywhere else for a while. They had two polar bears which were nice and plump for winter blubber. It was a little sad to see the male and female separated and pacing back and forth but I imagine this is for mating/breeding purposes, as if you read the 2017 year in review, this zoo has had a prolific breeding year (pandas, reptiles, gorilla, etc). Second half of the animal with the entrance actually opening in to the park itself has the larger animals such as the tiger (leaner guy), lots of hippos (4 pygmy hippos and 1 regular hippo), warthog, giraffe, zebra, etc. The panda exhibit, as of now, requires you to win some lottery tickets to see the baby panda, but you can see the regular parents in a long line. The stuffed animals for the panda are really pricy though Within exhibits include a childrens zoo, reptile habitat, noctural animals, aviary, aye aye museum, etc. There are food trucks and standNothing is too filling but then again, bring some snacks with you into the zoo or hold off and go down to the Euno shopping area. There is a monorail for 150 yen a person- we didn't ride it but looked pretty sweet as it hung from the track rather than travel on the track itself.

This zoo is definitely a must see if in the Tokyo area. The entrance fee is only 600 yen, which translated to just under $6.00 US dollars for adults. At first I was nonchalant about visiting it, especially for the entrance fee. However, I could not be more wrong. This was the best zoo for the money. Definitely recommend wearing comfortable shoes because this parks is pretty large. When you first walk into the park, the giant panda exhibit is immediately to your right. There is usually a long line for it about 40 minutes so unless you want to wait, I don't recommend waiting as there is much more to see. Next up was the elephant exhibit. Nothing amazing here, just elephants. The next was the monkeys. Monkeys are always fun to watch and this particular area had about 3 different large monkey exhibits with at least 10 of them in was here. Great entertainment here. I then ventured to the other parts of the zoo. They had a lions tigers bears, and all the other typical animals. What really got me excited was there was an area called the dark room. This housed different types of nocturnal animals including the famous slow loris. By far my favorite part of the zoo. Very unique. The zoo itself is very expansive and I recommend taking a map with you since it's easy to get lost. There is an area for kids and an interactive area within but there are time slots so you might have to sign up in advance. Definitely recommend for the value

Such a cute zoo and it's freaking huge! Do yourself a favor and go early and stand in the panda line if that's important to you because the line gets ridiculous. There are two main areas of the zoo and it's quite a walk if you see every exhibit. I saw animals I've only seen in movies so that was great. The animals looked really sad sometimes. We have a video of a monkey grabbing a piece of metal and I swear they were arranging an escape together. After watching the entertaining animals, we visited the cute shops with many different souvenirs and wished we ate at the snack stands but decided to wait for cold soba afterwards. Definitely a great stop to make if you're in Tokyo. Our Honolulu zoo is so basic compared to this so I'm glad we made the stop here. Check the hours and days of operation as they aren't open every day. Hydrate too! It's a lot lot of walking.

Nice little zoo in the city. Not the largest or fanciest zoo, but it was clean and well maintained. The size made it easy to navigate. And you can't beat the price (¥600adults. Kids free. Very reasonable.) Our girls enjoyed: + Various large animal exhibits: giant pandas, elephants, lions, tigers, gorillas, etc. + Bird exhibits (especially the toucan). + Concession stand (especially the ice cream). The adults enjoyed: + Lots of tables to rest, picnic and people watch. + Clean bathrooms. + Lots of restaurants, eateries and shops nearby. It was a bit of a walk from the train station, but I think this was because we got turned around. I'm sure if you knew where you were going, there'd be a more expedient route. If you have kids, this is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon in Tokyo.

An absolutely beautiful zoo. Lovely enclosures, and a wide variety of animals. Delicious restaurant too, so go early and make a whole day of it. There's enough to see.

It has a great variety of birds. We had to wait a bit to see the panda but it was absolutely worth it. There were many places to eat and things to see. Definitely a place to recommend when visiting Tokyo!

Cute zoo located near the Ueno Park and hard to miss if you're visiting that park as well. Tickets are super affordable --- 600円 for adults, 300円 for seniors, 200円 for students and children 0-12 are free. Also, sizeable discounts or free admission to disabled persons, students, and groups. The zoo has a wide arrange of exhibits from pandas to polar bears. Overall, it's a nice place to make a day adventure.

This is such a nice zoo. Located in Ueno park, closest station Ueno station, this is the oldest zoo in Tokyo. They have all kinds of cool animal exhibits including Steller's sea eagles, okapi, giraffe, pygmy hippos, owls, Dholes, maned wolves, shoebills, hammerkop, rhino, giant salamander (seriously, like five feet long!), lions, tigers, gorillas, monkeys, cranes, and more. The pillar bear exhibit had windows that look underwater to see the bear as it swims. When we were there we got to watch it easy food out of a giant food puzzle toy. I was really happy to see them helping to increase mental stimulation in some of the animals like that. Some of the exhibits were not very attractive but I felt like all of them focused on comfort for the animal in terms of temperature and humidity. For example they had snow in a few small exhibits for winter ptarmigans and they had the African animals in heated barns because it's friggin cold in Tokyo in February. The bird house was very hot inside for the tropical aviaries and the reptile house was downright uncomfortable to me because it was so humid and warm. I love how many exhibits had glass instead of wire. It made being good photos of the river, polar bear, and gorillas a lot easier than in mammy other zoos. All this and the admission prove for adults was only 600¥!!! (About $6 US) What a deal! It's so cheap that even though I didn't get the photo I wanted of the tiger I just figure I cam come back another day! Last notes, the food stands in the zoo are reasonably priced and the monorail is about 150¥ per person. If, like me, you want to see Steller's sea eagles, make sure to grab a zoo map and see the TWO exhibits. One is in a wire aviary but the other is cage free on an island as you had towards one of the exits. The two eagles on the island are great for photos because there is no wire in your way!

It was pretty cool that I got too see Japan's oldest zoo however I did feel bad for some of the animals. The elephants kept bobbing their heads left and right as a sign of stress. Polar bear kept pacing back and fourth. I guess this is the hardships of a zoo, keeping an animal fully satisfied. But on a positive note, some of the animals did look well taken care off such as the prairie dogs, japanese macaques and some birds seemed okay. The pabda seemed more than happy i have to say. Other than that, it's still a good zoo. Just needs a little improvement.

The cleanest zoo I've ever been. No smell of manure to be found. How is that possible? My favorite at the zoo was the shoebill stork. It was quite a walk to get there, but mostly downhill. The panda exhibit was the fan favorite. Compared to the pandas I've seen in San Diego and DC, this one seemed to be the most comfortable with people watching.

Best zoo I've been to. It's huge and has so many things to see and do. Plus it had plenty of seating and shade with food stands unlike other zoos I've been to. The food prices weren't as bad as I thought it would be for the zoo. A big snow cone was 250 yen which would of cost double in America. They had pandas, penguins, reptiles, small furry animals, monkeys, polar bear, brown bears, elephants, giraffes, sheeps, goats, hippos and birds to name a few. All this for 600 yen which is about $6 US dollars. Kids under 12 are free. Overall worth it and great experience.

Go see the pandas! Cool zoo to check out with lots of different types of animals. Come early because the line gets to be long for the pandas. Everything is easy to get to and the animals did not disappoint. Was a fun experience and something I would recommend

This was a decent size zoo, wished it would have been sunny when I went since most of the stuff were outdoors and it got kind of cold walking around after a certain period of time, but that's not the zoo's fault. My favorite exhibit anywhere is always the reptile exhibit because I'm a weirdo so I like to judge a zoo by it's fine selection of reptiles. It was kind of small here, but at least I got to see snakes. I like how all the hippos have American names meanwhile in America, we like to give them foreign names. Haha. There was a flamingo that reminded me of myself because we were both injured in the same knee, but it was still twerking. This zoo is located in Ueno Park, there were light rails that you can take to shorten your walk by a bit. Admission was reasonable, it was 600 yen per adult which equals less than 6 American dollars, super cheap actually! There's a shrine to take great go pro selfie photos with if you're lazy to hunt down a major tourist destination in Tokyo for the whole shrine experience. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)

So fun. You can tell that the people who work here have a passion for these animals. When I was walking by one of the keepers got my attention to show me one of the bears who just came out of his den. For 600 yen you can't really beat it.

I decided to visit Ueno Zoo because we were already in the Park and the admission was pretty cheap - only about 800yen if I recall correctly. I like that you can buy your tickets via vending machine because it makes the lines a lot faster. You're given maps the moment you enter - they have English maps available for tourists, which is a plus. Our first order of business was to check out the Panda Exhibit since I had never seen pandas before. They were both sleeping so we decided to loop back once we were finished with the entire zoo. The otters were super cute as well as the monkeys. They have huge areas for the monkeys to play in - but not so much for the other animals. The tiger looked agitated and the sea lions looked like they needed way more space to swim around in. A lot of the animals didn't look happy or energetic. After having been to larger zoos in other parts of the world, I'd say Ueno is skipable. It's not a terrible zoo, but it's not the best one either.

I was and wasn't impressed with this zoo. It's a pretty big zoo and it had lots of different animals. However, the animals looked very depressed. The polar bear had this small enclosure, the zebra had some open sores on it's legs, and the animals like bears, goats looked really depressed, they literally just laid there from the extreme Tokyo heat. My heart goes out to these animals. I hope Tokyo zoo gives then bigger space then what they have.

Finally got to see panda. Though I've waited more than 1 hour in line. If you plan to visit this zoo located in Ueno, make sure to plan ahead. It can get really crowded and line is crazy for some exhibits. There are so many things to see here and do including nearby parks.

I am here visiting japan all around the Tokyo area, and having been stationed here a few times in my Air Force career, I wanted to return to the zoo because I love seeing the animals. I went with my son who is here with me and we made it a bit late because of the rain and we stopped at every cute like store throughout the market so it took time. My son is fascinated with everything but that is normal when visiting another country especially for the first time. The zoo was clean and the staff were all pleasant and courteous as most establishments but when looking at all the caged animals I began to feel sad for them because they are caged and we are there staring pointing and taking photos. I know they would be happier running free in their habitat. But maybe they were injured or abandoned initially and had to be raised in captivity. I just hate seeing them all with such little space compared to what they might have in the wild. Other than that, the Zoo was nice and it was cool seeing the pandas again (what an absolute lazy life!). The tiger was beautiful but it was the only one so I don't know if there were more or at least one more but we just saw the one. Some different birds and one really crazy looking stork - it looked absolutely prehistoric and i can't get it out of my head. It's real - I saw it with my own eyes but it looked fake. So crazy I was mesmerized by it. Check it out if you're here - can't miss the shoe bill stork!! The flamingoes are beautiful but I felt sad for the Penguins because they are in a cemented area that looks like snow blocks but are clearly cement. I'm sure they aren't fooled. I can't give a 5 because the animals are caged and that's sad in itself but hoping they are treated humanely and with real care. The zoo is also within a really nice park so you can walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Disclaimer: I am against the concept of animals in captivity, but will leave those thoughts aside and rate the facility itself. Here's what you need to know: The zoo has a terrific selection of rare animals - like the Panda and Polar bears - and well built and maintained facilities. However, the enclosures are small, and don't allow enough room for the animals - especially the elephants. Luckily, at the time we went - afternoon on a weekday in mid Jan - there were no lines for viewing the 2 Panda bears (who are just adorable, can't say enough about how fun and relaxed they are :) ) the viewing setup is outstanding - one of the best of any zoo I've seen - and animals are almost always visible, whether sleeping or active. In addition to the multitude of bears on display, we checked out the giraffe, tiger, lion, elephants, and Japanese monkeys. The food options are terrible, but surprisingly not overpriced: that's always a culture shock for the uber capitalist American system that we are used to. There is a nominal entrance fee but no additional charges for exhibits within the Zoo.

This zoo is located in Ueno Park, and quite close to the station. I visited during peak cherry blossom season so the whole area was absolutely beautiful. My first impressions of this zoo were that: 1.) the admission is really cheap (only a couple hundred yen which was less than $10 USD I think) 2.) the zoo is a little old looking but well maintained (it opened in 1882) 3.) the zoo itself is quite large 4.) but the individual enclosures were a bit small I felt bad for the animals because it seemed like the larger ones such as the pandas, bears, and elephants didn't have much space to roam around. I enjoyed viewing them, but at the same time I was sad to see how little they could do inside their enclosure. But besides that, I did actually have a great time seeing all the different species of animals. My favorite in particular was the Japanese macaques. These little monkeys are quite playful and mischievous creatures. I think I watched them for over an hour just swinging and jumping around. I recommend coming earlier in the morning when they first open. Some exhibits such as the pandas are really popular and get crowded by midday. You'll get a better look at them and can take better pictures if you come in the morning.

TL;DR - Nice way to spend the day and very reasonably priced. We weren't sure whether to bother with the Zoo in Tokyo but were glad we did. The admission price is very reasonable, and there's a lot to see here. Our initial impressions were a bit low - some of the animal enclosures seem a bit small (particularly the elephants) and it was a bit sad to see, but other parts of the zoo made up for it. Particular highlights for us were the vivarium which was amazing, and the dark house full of nocturnal animals. We also thought that the red pandas were possibly the cutest animals we've ever seen! At the moment though, the stars of the show are the giant pandas. Absolutely amazing to see these animals for real. There can be long queues to see them - make sure you don't miss out!

The zoo is located within Ueno park. Really inexpensive. If you walk the entire zoo it takes about 2-3 hours. The have a very well Kept zoo. It's really clean! The kids love it. Many school children are then when I went. Highly suggested visit.

We really had a good time here. The panda was why we went, but we didn't get there in time for mom and cub tickets. The day was hot so the make panda was just sleeping. Not a reason not to go because it's an animal ......they do what they want. Now....... the rest of the zoo was really good. They have a wide variety and was easy to navigate. Wasn't too crowded and the animals seem quite healthy. Beautiful tiger and lion but sad they are alone. Most other animals are with others so it seems less lonely to me. Silly but true. Take a few hours and check it out. Fun

Nice and clean. Right next to the park. For some reason the park entrance is very quite compare to the main entrance. Try to enter from the opposite side from the panda. The price is cheap to walk around $6usd and kids under 12 or free. Got to see many animals, we also eat at one of the restaurants. The chicken box was cute. The fried chickens is very tasty as well.

AMAZING ZOO! Ive gone to the Los Angeles Zoo and one cannot experience a variety of animals. at the Ueno Zoo, you get to experience a wide range of animals: small, big, aquatic, nocternal, etc. The park itself is HUGE and includes a beautiful lily pond. Highly recommended. It was only 600 Yen for adult admission! Highly affordable. And compared to Los Angeles Zoo, the animals seemed more free and upclose rather than caged and sad.

A great place to kill time. Price is 600¥ per person. The line to see the pandas is always 1-2 hours long and then they rush you through. So your only getting a couple seconds to get a picture.

I think the Ueno zoo is one of the best zoos that I ever been too, and I've been to some pretty good zoos. First of all, you can't beat the price. Under 17 is free and adults are only ¥600 which is about $6. This zoo is about the same size as the San Diego zoo for a fraction of the price. There are so much animals and so much things to do, and you can even drink beers too. I say this zoo is a must if you are in Tokyo.

Pretty depressing zoo. The enclosures are super small and the animals look sad, bored and have no where to move around. I felt really bad for them. I gave it a 2 star because they have giant pandas there that were neat to see. If you go, eat beforehand. They have some food choices but not good ones. I'd recommend eating first or pick up a bento or something and eat at the picnic tables there.

This is a nice zoo. It is actually quite big. I came here to see the panda. They were so cute. This zoo definitely offer plenty of viewing areas for the same animals. So you don't need to crowd in one area to see the animals.

This is a great zoo, there's a ton to see and the exhibits are beautiful, lots of space given to the animals. I would allow for 3-4 hours to walk around, because it's really easy to miss a few things, we were there close to three and a half hours and we missed quite a few things. There's lots of tourists here, but for good reason, it's definitely worth a stop!

Such a clean zoo! It's always nice for young kids to be exposed to the animals they see in books and on Television, the excitement of my twins when they saw the animals was priceless, there were lots of animals to see. Some of the animals we saw the tigers, lions, gorillas,sea lions, some bears like the polar bears and brown bears, elephants, monkeys, rhinos, hippos,giraffes, zebras. In the small Mammall House (rodents, bats, armadillos, hedgehogs, porcupines, nocturnal animals), Vivarium (galapagos tortoise, saltwater crocodile, green iguana, geckos, corn snakes then in the petting zoo we saw donkeys, cows, llamas, goats, sheep, chickens. The main showcase of the ZOO is the PANDAs. they are so cute. When you get hungry they have a cafeteria style eatery, food is average. The entrance fee is cheap. It's a great place to take the young kids, maybe not so much the older kids.