Ueno, Tokyo · Things to do
Things to Do in Ueno: 10 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
10 things to do · checked October 20, 2026
10 things to do in Ueno, from the park to the market street
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 20, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Ueno Park上野恩賜公園
City park · Ueno Park
A large metropolitan park known for its cherry blossoms and Shinobazu Pond. The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Zoo and Ueno Toshogu all stand inside it.
- Access
- Ueno Station (JR lines, Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines), about 2 minutes on foot; Keisei Ueno Station, about 1 minute.
- Hours
- Open at all times; facility hours vary (service centre 03-3828-5644)
- Price
- Free to enter; the boating area, sports facilities and parking charge
2Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo不忍池・不忍池辯天堂
Pond, temple hall and boating · Ueno Park
A pond at the foot of Ueno Park with the Bentendo hall on an island in it, built in the Kan'ei era (early Edo period) by the priest Tenkai of Kan'ei-ji. Rowing, cycle and swan boats can be hired on the pond.
- Access
- About 3 minutes on foot from JR Ueno Station or Keisei Ueno Station, about 10 minutes from Ueno Station on the Ginza and Hibiya lines.
- Hours
- Bentendo gates 9:00–17:00. Boats: Oct and Mar 9:30–17:20 (boat desk until 16:20); Nov–Feb 9:30–16:50 (until 15:50); Apr–Sep 10:00–17:50 (until 16:50)
- Closed on
- Boats closed on Wednesdays from December to February; hours can change with conditions
- Price
- Boats per 30 minutes: rowing boat ¥800 (up to 3 adults); cycle boat and swan boat ¥1,000 (up to 2 adults and 1 child)
3Ueno Toshogu上野東照宮
Shrine · Ueno Park
A shrine founded in 1627 for Tokugawa Ieyasu. Its gold-leaf buildings, rebuilt in 1651 and designated Important Cultural Properties, are seen from inside the Sukibei wall; the interior is not open.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station or from Ueno Station on the Ginza and Hibiya lines; about 12 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station.
- Hours
- Worship 9:00–16:30 (Oct–Feb), 9:00–17:30 (Mar–Sep). Inner viewing area 9:30–16:00 (Oct–Feb), 9:30–17:00 (Mar–Sep); may change with weather
- Closed on
- None stated (inner viewing: open daily, subject to season and weather)
- Price
- Shrine grounds free; inner viewing adults (junior high and up) ¥700, elementary school ¥300, groups of 20+ ¥600
4Kiyomizu Kannon-do清水観音堂
Temple hall · Ueno Park
A hall built by the priest Tenkai on the model of Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera, first built in 1631 and moved to its present site in 1694. It is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and its main image is a Senju Kannon.
- Access
- Inside Ueno Park (Ueno-koen 1-29, Taito). The sources checked give no walking time from a station.
5Tokyo National Museum東京国立博物館
Art and history museum · Ueno Park
A national museum in Ueno Park whose collection is shown in the Honkan (Japanese Gallery), the Toyokan and the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures. Room 4 of the Honkan (Japanese Gallery) is closed from 26 October 2026 to 25 April 2027 for maintenance.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from JR Ueno or Uguisudani Station; about 15 minutes from Ueno Station (Ginza and Hibiya lines), Nezu Station (Chiyoda Line) or Keisei Ueno Station.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays before a Monday holiday until 20:00. Last admission 30 minutes before closing
- Closed on
- Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, open that day and closed the next); 26–31 December 2026. Open 1 January 2027, 12:00–20:00
- Price
- TNM Collection exhibitions: adults ¥1,000; university students ¥500; under 18 free (bring proof of age)
6National Museum of Nature and Science国立科学博物館
Science museum · Ueno Park
A national science museum with the Japan Gallery and the Global Gallery in the Ueno Main Building. The third basement of the Global Gallery has been closed for renovation since 8 September 2026, and part of the Global Gallery 2F is also temporarily closed.
- Access
- About 5 minutes on foot from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station; about 10 minutes from Ueno Station (Ginza and Hibiya lines) or Keisei Ueno Station.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00; last admission 30 minutes before closing
- Closed on
- Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, open that day and closed the next); 28 December–1 January; a fumigation closure on dates announced separately
- Price
- General and university students ¥630; high school students and younger free; visitors 65 and over free (ID required); free on 18 May and 3 November
7National Museum of Western Art国立西洋美術館
Art museum · Ueno Park
A national museum of Western art in Ueno Park. The permanent collection is closed for facility maintenance from 12 January to 19 March 2027. Special exhibitions are priced separately and their tickets include the permanent collection.
- Access
- About 1 minute from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station; 7 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station; 8 minutes from Ueno Station (Ginza and Hibiya lines), as given on the museum's access page.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:30; Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00. Admission ends 30 minutes before closing
- Closed on
- Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, open that day and closed the next); 28 December–1 January; permanent collection closed 12 January–19 March 2027
- Price
- Permanent collection: adults ¥500; college students ¥250; free for high school age and under, visitors 65 and over; free on the 2nd Sunday of each month, 18 May and 3 November
8Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum東京都美術館
Art museum · Ueno Park
A red-brick museum in Ueno Park that holds changing special and thematic exhibitions. Entering the building is free; each exhibition sets its own admission fee.
- Access
- About 7 minutes on foot from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station; about 10 minutes from Ueno Station exit 7 (Ginza and Hibiya lines) or from Keisei Ueno Station.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:30 (last admission 17:00); Fridays until 20:00 (last admission 19:30) during special and thematic exhibitions
- Closed on
- 1st and 3rd Mondays (every Monday during special and thematic exhibitions; the next weekday if Monday is a holiday); maintenance 21–28 December 2026 and 12 January 2027; 29 December 2026–3 January 2027
- Price
- Museum entry free; exhibition fees vary by exhibition
9Ueno Zoo上野動物園
Zoo · Ueno Park
A zoo in Ueno Park, divided into an East Garden and a West Garden with three gates. The giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei left for China on 27 January 2026.
- Access
- Gate-to-station walks given by the zoo: 5 minutes from JR Ueno Station (Park Exit or Shinobazu Exit), 4 minutes from Keisei Ueno, 8 minutes from Ueno Station (Ginza and Hibiya lines), 5 minutes from Nezu Station (Chiyoda Line).
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00; entry and ticket sales until 1 hour before closing. Some animals go indoors early
- Closed on
- Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday; some Mondays open); 29 December–1 January
- Price
- Adults ¥600; 65 and over ¥300; junior high ¥200; elementary and under free; Tokyo-resident or Tokyo-school junior high students free. Free days: 20 March, 4 May, 1 October
10Ameyoko Shopping Streetアメ横商店街
Market street · Ueno and Okachimachi
A shopping street about 500 m long between JR Ueno and JR Okachimachi with more than 400 shops. It grew out of a black market in the years right after the Second World War.
- Access
- Right at the Shinobazu Exit of JR Ueno Station and the north exit of JR Okachimachi; about 2 minutes on foot from exit 7 of Ueno Station (Ginza and Hibiya lines).
Good to know
Most of Ueno is inside one park. The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Metropolitan Art Museum, Ueno Zoo, Ueno Toshogu and Shinobazu Pond are all within Ueno Park, between 1 and about 15 minutes on foot from Ueno Station. Ameyoko, the market street, is the one place on this list outside it, beside the station on the Okachimachi side.
Check the day and the hour before you pick. The national museums close on Mondays, the Metropolitan Art Museum on the 1st and 3rd Mondays, and Ueno Zoo on Mondays too, with entry stopping at 16:00. The Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art stay open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Ueno Park itself is open at all times.
Closures to plan around: the giant pandas left Ueno Zoo for China on 27 January 2026. Room 4 of the Tokyo National Museum's Honkan is closed from 26 October 2026 to 25 April 2027, and part of the National Museum of Nature and Science's Global Gallery has been closed since 8 September. The National Museum of Western Art closes its permanent collection from 12 January to 19 March 2027. Several museums also close in the last week of December.
What it costs to get in, and when to be at the door
Adult prices for the paid places in Ueno Park. Hours are today's regular hours as each place states them, and each card above lists closures and exceptions.
| Place | Entry (adult) | Last entry or closing | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo National Museum | ¥1,000 (collection) | Closes 17:00; 20:00 Fri and Sat | Mondays |
| National Museum of Nature and Science | ¥630 | Closes 17:00; last entry 16:30 | Mondays |
| National Museum of Western Art | ¥500 (permanent collection) | Closes 17:30; 20:00 Fri and Sat | Mondays |
| Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum | Free to enter; exhibition fees vary | Last entry 17:00 (19:30 on some Fridays) | 1st and 3rd Mondays |
| Ueno Zoo | ¥600 | Entry until 16:00; closes 17:00 | Mondays |
| Ueno Toshogu | Grounds free; inner viewing ¥700 | Inner viewing until 16:00 (Oct–Feb) | None stated |
| Shinobazu Pond boats | ¥800 or ¥1,000 per 30 min | Boat desk until 16:20 (Oct) | Wednesdays, Dec–Feb |
By kind of trip
First trip, half a day
The park, the pond and the Tokyo National Museum are a short walk apart, and Ameyoko is on the way back to the station. The Tokyo National Museum closes at 17:00 except on Fridays and Saturdays.
Ueno Park · Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo · Tokyo National Museum · Ameyoko Shopping Street
Museums
Four museums within a few minutes of each other. The three national museums close on Mondays; the Metropolitan Art Museum closes on the 1st and 3rd Mondays, and on every Monday during special and thematic exhibitions.
Tokyo National Museum · National Museum of Nature and Science · National Museum of Western Art · Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Open late
The Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and the Metropolitan Art Museum until 20:00 on Fridays during special and thematic exhibitions. Ueno Park is open at all times.
Tokyo National Museum · National Museum of Western Art · Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum · Ueno Park
With children
Ueno Zoo is free for elementary school age and under, the National Museum of Nature and Science is free up to high school, and boats on Shinobazu Pond take one child with two adults.
Ueno Zoo · National Museum of Nature and Science · Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo · Ueno Park
Shrines and temple halls
Toshogu dates from 1627, Bentendo from the Kan'ei era and Kiyomizu Kannon-do from 1631. Bentendo's gates open 9:00–17:00.
Ueno Toshogu · Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo · Kiyomizu Kannon-do
Questions
Are there still pandas at Ueno Zoo?
No. The giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei left Ueno Zoo on 27 January 2026 and arrived at the Ya'an base in China on 31 January, according to the zoo's own news. The zoo is open 9:30–17:00 and closed on Mondays.
How much do the Ueno museums cost?
The Tokyo National Museum collection is ¥1,000 for adults (under 18 free), the National Museum of Nature and Science ¥630 (high school and under free), and the National Museum of Western Art permanent collection ¥500. Entering the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is free and each exhibition sets its own fee.
Which Ueno museums are open in the evening?
The Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art are open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. The Metropolitan Art Museum stays open until 20:00 on Fridays during special and thematic exhibitions.
Is Ueno Park free?
Yes. Entry to Ueno Park is free and the park is open at all times. The boating area, sports facilities and parking charge, and the museums, the zoo and the inner viewing area at Toshogu have their own tickets.
How do I get from Ueno Station to Ueno Park?
Ueno Park is about 2 minutes on foot from Ueno Station (JR lines and Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines) and about 1 minute from Keisei Ueno Station. The National Museum of Western Art is about 1 minute from the JR Park Exit, and the Tokyo National Museum about 10 minutes.