AprilInuyama Matsuri
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
Usually the first Saturday and Sunday of April (Saturday is the Shigaku-sai, Sunday the Honraku-sai)
Zoo · Chubu & Hokuriku
Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
NagoyaMostly outdoors
Overview
Overview
A zoo and botanical garden run by Nagoya City, home to about 450 animal species and about 7,000 plant species on roughly 60 ha. It's a 3-minute walk from Higashiyama-koen Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line, easy to reach from the city center, and you can spend a full day enjoying the zoo, the botanical garden, and Higashiyama Sky Tower. Admission fees were revised on October 1, 2026.
- Address
- 3-70 Higashiyama-motomachi, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-0804
- Closed
- Mondays (the following weekday if a holiday or substitute holiday) and the New Year holidays (December 29 – January 1)
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours each for the zoo and the botanical garden
- Official website
- https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/
Area weather
NagoyaWeather & what to wear in Nagoya →Tickets & tours for this attractionPR
Highlights
Highlights
At the zoo you can see many animals, including koalas, elephants, and gorillas. The botanical garden has a greenhouse designated a national Important Cultural Property, and in spring a cherry blossom promenade with about 100 varieties is another highlight. Higashiyama Sky Tower, inside the grounds, offers panoramic views of Nagoya (combo ticket available).
Hours
Opening hours
Opening hours9:00–16:50
Entry and ticket sales until 16:30
Autumn night opening (autumn leaves illumination)Until 20:30
Check the official event calendar for dates
Hours vary by day and season. Check the official website before you go.
Tickets
Prices & tickets
Adults (high school and older)¥800
Revised October 1, 2026 (previously ¥500)
Nagoya residents age 65+¥200
Revised October 1, 2026 (previously ¥100)
Junior high students and youngerFree
Higashiyama Sky Tower combo ticketAdults ¥880, Nagoya residents age 65+ ¥240
Revised October 1, 2026
Annual passAdults ¥3,200, Nagoya residents age 65+ ¥1,000
Revised October 1, 2026
Prices include tax and may change. Check the official website before buying.
🎫 How to buy tickets
- →Admission can be paid in cash or by cashless methods such as credit cards, transit IC cards, e-money, PayPay, and Alipay
- →Web tickets (Asoview) can also be bought via the official website
- →Free for junior high students and younger. The 65+ discount applies to Nagoya residents only
- →If you're also going up the Sky Tower, the combo ticket is a better deal
Tickets & tours for this attractionPR
Tips
Tips for travelers
- ✓The zoo and botanical garden each take 2–3 hours, so allow a full day to see both
- ✓Closed on Mondays (the following weekday if a holiday)
- ✓Reachable from Nagoya Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line with no transfers. Hoshigaoka Station on the botanical garden side is also handy on the way back
- ✓From October 1, 2026, adult admission is revised to ¥800
Access
Getting there
- Nearest station
- Higashiyama-koen Station (Higashiyama Subway Line)3 min walk from Exit 3Main Gate side
- Hoshigaoka Station (Higashiyama Subway Line)7 min walk from Exit 6Botanical garden side
- From major stations & airports
- Nagoya Station: Higashiyama Subway Line to Higashiyama-koen Station (no transfers)
- IC cards
- Transit IC cards can be used on the Nagoya Municipal Subway. Admission can also be paid with a transit IC card
- Getting back
- Parking for about 1,600 cars (8:45–17:00); from October 1, 2026, ¥1,000 per entry for regular cars. For cash, bills larger than ¥1,000 are not accepted
- If you leave from the botanical garden side, Hoshigaoka Station is closer. A same-day re-entry ticket is available at each gate
Weather
Weather & what to wear
Spring
About 100 varieties of cherry trees bloom along the botanical garden's cherry blossom promenade.
Summer
Some outdoor areas have little shade, so take heat precautions.
Autumn
During the autumn night opening (autumn leaves illumination), hours are extended until 20:30. Admission fees revised from October 1, 2026.
Winter
Closed December 29 – January 1.
- ☂ Rainy days
- Mostly outdoors. You can shelter from the rain in indoor animal houses, the botanical garden greenhouse, and the Sky Tower
- Heat
- The grounds are large, with long walks outdoors. Bring a hat and drinks, and use the rest areas
- Cold
- Most of the visit is outdoors, so dress warmly in winter
- What to wear & bring
- The grounds are large and hilly, so wear comfortable shoes
Rules
Rules & what you can bring
- !For re-entry, get a re-entry ticket at any gate (valid on the same day only)
- !Do not feed the animals. Flash photography near animal houses and live streaming are prohibited
- !Bicycles, kick scooters and other vehicles, tents, balloons, and drones are not allowed
- !Assistance dogs only; no other pets
Facilities
Facilities & services
- Lockers & luggage
- Coin lockers at the Main Gate and North Garden Gate (large ¥500, medium ¥400, small ¥300)
- Payment
- Cash, credit cards, transit IC cards, e-money, and code payments such as PayPay and Alipay
- Strollers & wheelchairs
- Stroller rental ¥300 (age 7 months to 3 years; Main Gate, Kamiike Gate, North Garden Gate; 9:00–16:00). Wheelchairs loaned free at each entrance gate (limited number; reservations accepted)
- Accessibility
- Nursing rooms at 12 locations (hot water available). An electric cart program is available in the botanical garden
Food
Food
- Must-try
- Food court ZOOASISFree rest area Cafe North Garden
Where to Stay · Agoda
Places to Stay near Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensPR
Prices and availability are shown on Agoda.
Events
Events & festivals in Nagoya
April
OctoberNagoya Festival
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
Usually a Saturday and Sunday in mid-October
2026 (72nd): Oct 17 (Sat) – Oct 18 (Sun), 2 days (no Nagoya Festival processions)
Attractions
Attractions in Chubu & Hokuriku
ExperienceFukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Katsuyama, Fukui
A dinosaur-themed museum in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture. It displays 51 complete dinosaur skeletons along with fossils, dioramas, and life-size models, and a new wing was added in 2023. Tickets are generally bought in advance for a specific date and time, so book on the official website once your itinerary is set.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendlyAdvance, date-specific tickets required
Theme parkGhibli Park
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagakute, Aichi
A park facility recreating the worlds of Studio Ghibli films, located inside Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture. It's divided into five areas, and all tickets are date-specific and must be bought in advance; you cannot buy admission at a ticket window on the day. Tickets go on sale at 14:00 on the 10th of the month two months before your visit, so plan your purchase early once your itinerary is set.
Advance, date-specific tickets required
ExperienceHida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Takayama
An open-air museum in Takayama where more than 30 buildings, including thatched- and shingle-roofed farmhouses relocated from across the Hida region, are arranged like a village. It's about 9 minutes by Sarubobo Bus from the Takayama Nohi Bus Center, making it easy to combine with sightseeing in Takayama's old town.
ZooJigokudani Yaen-koen (Snow Monkey Park)
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagano / Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen
A park in the mountains of Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, where you can observe wild Japanese macaques up close. It's famous for its monkeys bathing in hot springs in winter. The entrance is about a 30-minute walk along a mountain path from the parking lot or bus stop, so wear shoes and clothing suited to the season.
ExperienceKurobe Gorge Railway (Torokko Train)
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Toyama / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
A torokko (open-air) train running from Unazuki Onsen deep into the Kurobe Gorge. Full-line service between Unazuki and Keyakidaira resumed on October 1, 2026, and you can ride all the way to the Keyakidaira terminus during the operating season until November 30. From the windowless open cars, you can enjoy the beauty of the gorge and the views from the railway bridges.
Theme parkLEGOLAND Japan Resort
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
An outdoor theme park based on the world of LEGO bricks, located at Kinjo Pier in Nagoya Port. Aimed mainly at children aged 2–12 and their families, it has more than 40 rides, shows, and attractions. Together with the adjoining SEA LIFE Nagoya aquarium and hotel, it forms a resort.
ExperienceMuseum Meiji-mura
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Inuyama, Aichi
An open-air museum in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, where buildings from the Meiji era have been relocated, preserved, and opened to the public. The buildings are spread across the large village grounds, and you can walk through Meiji-era streetscapes while touring their interiors. You can also ride the SL (steam locomotive) and streetcar that run through the village.
AquariumPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
A large aquarium at Garden Pier in Nagoya Port, made up of two buildings: the North Building, showing marine mammals such as orcas, belugas, and dolphins, and the South Building, themed on a journey to Antarctica. It's a 5-minute walk from Nagoyako Station on the Meiko Subway Line, and conveniently reachable from central Nagoya by subway alone.
ExperienceSCMAGLEV and Railway Park
Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
A railway museum run by JR Central, displaying real Shinkansen, conventional line, and superconducting maglev vehicles. It's entirely indoors and about a 2-minute walk from Kinjofuto Station on the Aonami Line. With driving simulators and a large diorama, it's fun for families as well as railway fans.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendly
Hours, prices and access are based on official and other primary sources. They may change, so check the official website before you go.
Last checked: 2026-10-02
