Things to Do in Ueno, Tokyo: A Family Guide

Is Ueno Worth Visiting?

Yes, and especially with children. Ueno packs Tokyo’s oldest zoo, its best science museum for kids, the national museum of Japanese art, temples, a lotus pond with swan boats and a street market into one walkable area next to a single station.

Most of it is free or close to free for children.

Ueno also feels older and more local than Shibuya or Shinjuku, with the market stalls of Ameyoko under the railway tracks and the quiet lanes of Yanaka a short walk away.

Each stop below has its own detailed guide, linked as we go. For the rest of Tokyo, see our guide to things to do in Tokyo with kids.

Things to Do in Ueno at a Glance

Prices are for October 2026.

Place	Best for	Child price	Closed
Ueno Zoo	Ages 0 to 10	Free up to the end of primary school, adults ¥600	Mondays
National Museum of Nature and Science	Ages 3 and up	Free up to high school, adults ¥630	Mondays
Tokyo National Museum	Ages 8 and up	Free under 18, adults ¥1,000	Mondays
National Museum of Western Art	Older children	Free under 18, adults ¥500	Mondays
Ueno Park and Shinobazu Pond	All ages	Free, boats from ¥800 per 30 min	Open every day
Ueno Toshogu Shrine	Ages 6 and up	Ages 6 to 12 ¥300, adults ¥700	Open every day
Ameyoko market	Ages 6 and up	Free to walk	Most shops open daily

When a Monday is a public holiday, the zoo and the museums open and close on the Tuesday instead.

Ueno Park, Temples, a Lotus Pond and Room to Run

Ueno Park is free and open every day, and the zoo and the museums are inside it. Between them are wide avenues, temples and shrines, with Shinobazu Pond at the southern end, and in spring it is one of Tokyo’s classic cherry blossom spots.

Our Ueno Park guide covers the park in full.

Shinobazu Pond and the Swan Boats

The pond is covered in lotus leaves in summer, with the small Bentendo temple hall on an island. Children usually want the boats. Rowing boats are ¥800 and swan pedal boats ¥1,000 per 30 minutes (a swan boat takes two adults and a child).

In October the boats run from 9:30 to 17:20, and from November to February until 16:50, closed on Wednesdays from December to February.

Ueno Toshogu Shrine

This gold-decorated shrine from the Edo period is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun. You can walk up the lantern-lined approach for free. The area inside the wall costs ¥700 for adults and ¥300 for ages 6 to 12, and under-6s are free.

It is open from 9:00 to 16:30 from October to February, and to 17:30 from March to September. Its peony garden opens in winter and spring.

Kaneiji Temple and the Saigo Takamori Statue

Kaneiji was once the family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns, and much of Ueno Park was its grounds. Today it is a quiet temple on the north side of the park, away from the crowds.

See our Kaneiji Temple guide. Near the southern entrance stands the bronze statue of Saigo Takamori walking his dog, a well-known meeting point.

Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo is Japan’s oldest zoo, and the easiest first stop with small children. It is open from 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00), closed on Mondays, and free for children up to the end of primary school.

Adults pay ¥600. Allow two to four hours.

There are no giant pandas at Ueno Zoo now. The twins returned to China in January 2026, so plan around the elephants, gorillas, polar bears, giraffes and the shoebills.

Strollers can be rented for ¥500 a day.

Our Ueno Zoo guide has the map, the route through the East and West Gardens, and the baby rooms.

Museums in Ueno Park

Ueno Park holds three national museums and a city art museum within a few minutes’ walk of each other. With children, pick one.

National Museum of Nature and Science

This is the best museum in Ueno for children, with dinosaur skeletons, Hachiko the dog, a life-size blue whale outside and a 360-degree theatre. It is open from 9:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays.

Children and students up to high school are free, and adults pay ¥630. In 2026 the hands-on physics floor is closed for renovation. Read our National Museum of Nature and Science guide before you go, including how to book ComPaSS, the play room for small children.

Tokyo National Museum

The museum holds Japan’s largest collection of Japanese art, including samurai armour, swords, Buddhist statues and kimono. It is open from 9:30 to 17:00 (to 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays), closed on Mondays.

Adults pay ¥1,000 for the collection, and under-18s are free. With children, go straight to the armour and swords and keep the visit to an hour. See our Tokyo National Museum guide.

National Museum of Western Art

The museum shows European painting and sculpture, and children can walk around Rodin’s statues in the front garden for free. The main building, by Le Corbusier, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

The collection costs ¥500 for adults and is free for under-18s. The adult price is due to double to ¥1,000 from 20 March 2027. It is closed on Mondays.

See our National Museum of Western Art guide.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

This public gallery holds changing exhibitions, from big international shows to local art societies. Prices depend on the show, so check what is on.

Ameyoko Market

Ameyoko (Ameya Yokocho) is the market street under and beside the JR tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi stations. Its 500 metres or so hold over 400 shops selling dried fish, sweets, fruit on sticks, trainers, cosmetics and cheap souvenirs.

School-age children usually like the noise and the crowds. With a stroller it is hard work at weekends, so a baby carrier is easier.

Shop hours vary from stall to stall, and the food stands are busiest at lunch. Our Ameyoko guide has the food to try.

A Day in Ueno with Kids, A Sample Plan

Ueno makes a full family day without any trains, in this order.

Time	Where	Why
9:30	Ueno Zoo	Animals are active and paths are quiet at opening
12:00	Lunch near the park or in Ameyoko	Food stalls and cafés by the station
13:30	National Museum of Nature and Science	Indoors for the afternoon, dinosaurs and Hachiko
15:30	Shinobazu Pond	Swan boats before the last boarding
16:30	Ameyoko or Yanaka	Snacks, or the old streets for older children

For a half day, choose the zoo for under-6s or the science museum for older children. On a rainy day, put the museum first and add the Tokyo National Museum.

If you would like a day in Ueno, or a whole trip, planned around your children by someone who checks the exits with lifts, the nursing rooms and the Monday closures, see our private Tokyo tour with kids.

Near Ueno, Yanaka, Kappabashi, Asakusa and Akihabara

Ueno sits between four other areas, so it is easy to add a second half.

• Yanaka and Nezu. These old Tokyo streets, temples and the Yanaka Ginza shopping street are near Nippori Station, two stops north on the Yamanote Line, or a walk from the north side of the park. See our Yanaka and Nezu guide.
• Kappabashi. The kitchenware street between Ueno and Asakusa has plastic food samples in every window. Some shops run food sample workshops, and the classic one takes children from the first year of primary school, not younger. See our Kappabashi guide.
• Asakusa. Senso-ji temple is a few minutes away on the Ginza Line. Our Senso-ji guide covers it.
• Akihabara. The anime, game and electronics district is two stops south on the Yamanote Line. See our Akihabara guide.

Getting to Ueno and Getting Around

Take the JR Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line to Ueno Station and leave by the Park Exit (Koen-guchi). It comes out at the top of the park, across the road from the museums and a short walk from the zoo’s main gate.

For Ameyoko, use the Shinobazu Exit or walk down from the south end of the park.

Ueno is also one of the main stations for the airports and the north. The Keisei Skyliner to Narita Airport leaves from Keisei Ueno Station, at the south edge of the park, and the Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen stop at JR Ueno.

That makes Ueno a convenient base, or a convenient last day before a flight from Narita.

Inside the park, almost everything is on one level, with wide paths that suit strollers. The slope down to Shinobazu Pond is the only real hill.

Best Time to Visit Ueno

Go on any day but Monday, when the zoo and the national museums close. Each season then has something different.

• Spring (late March to early April). Cherry blossoms line the main avenue, and the park is at its most crowded.
• Summer. Lotus flowers cover Shinobazu Pond, and the museums are good places to cool down on hot afternoons.
• Autumn. The ginkgo and maples change colour, and the weather suits walking.
• Winter. Fewer crowds, and the peony garden at Ueno Toshogu opens in January.

Go early in the day, because the zoo is calmest at opening, and the museums fill with school groups from late morning on weekdays.

For more ways to plan your days in the city, see all our tours in Tokyo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ueno worth visiting with kids?

Yes. Ueno Zoo is free for children up to the end of primary school, the science museum is free up to high school, and the park itself is free. Both sit inside Ueno Park, a short walk apart.

How much time do you need in Ueno?

Half a day covers one big stop, such as the zoo or the science museum, plus a walk in the park. A full day covers the zoo, a museum, Shinobazu Pond and Ameyoko without rushing.

Is Ueno Park free?

Yes. Ueno Park has no entry fee and is open every day. You pay only for the zoo, the museums, the boats on Shinobazu Pond and the inner area of Ueno Toshogu Shrine.

Are there still pandas at Ueno Zoo?

No. The twin giant pandas returned to China in January 2026, and no new pandas have been announced. The zoo still has elephants, gorillas, tigers, polar bears and shoebills.

Are Ueno’s museums open on Mondays?

Most of them do not. Ueno Zoo, the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art all close on Mondays. When Monday is a public holiday, they close on Tuesday instead.

What is Ueno famous for?

Ueno is known for Ueno Park and its cherry blossoms, Japan’s oldest zoo, the national museums, and Ameyoko, the market street beside the railway tracks.

Sources

https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/ueno/
https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/ueno/facility/
https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/ueno/visitor-info/tickets/index.html
https://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/riyou/nyukan-annai/index.html
https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=113&lang=en
https://www.nmwa.go.jp/jp/visit/index.html
https://www.uenotoshogu.com/en/
https://www.ameyoko.net/