The Ueno Zoo is open from 9:30 am until 5pm. With certain exhibits closing at 4:30. (Like most zoo’s) Tickets are 600 yen for adults but free for students living in Tokyo or attending schools in Tokyo and people with a disability and one person accompanying them. And free to everyone on March 20th, May 4th and October 1st.
One of the big draws to the Ueno Zoo are the giant panda bears, which they’ve located at the front of the zoo. The zoo is pretty decently sized with a monorail that connects the west and east gardens. The monorail does cost money, and they make you regret not paying for it by making the Aesop Bridge very steep.
The West garden has two gates, an exit at the Benten Gate and the Ikenohata Gate. There is a nice sized body of water, the Shinobazu pond and several animal houses that are fun to check out. There are places to eat on both sides of the zoo and plenty of animals to see and places to take pictures. I wish I had made it to the zoo earlier and spent more time there because it was my favorite part of Ueno.
