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A small marmoset monkey with white tufts of hair by its ears sits on a rock, surrounded by green foliage in the background.
A wet otter stands on a tree branch, mouth slightly open and facing forward. Lush green plants and a glass roof are visible in the background.
Close-up of an owl’s face, showing its large, round, orange-brown eyes, speckled light and dark feathers, and pointed beak. The background is blurred with hints of green and red.
Two colorful parrots perch on a branch; one is mainly red with green and blue wings, the other is bright yellow with blue wings and a green head. Green foliage is blurred in the background.
A small marmoset monkey with white tufts of hair by its ears sits on a rock, surrounded by green foliage in the background.
A close-up of a capybara partially submerged in water, with another capybara in the blurry background. The animal’s wet fur and snout are clearly visible.
Kobe

Kobe Animal Kingdom

4.5 (17646)ZooTourist AttractionPoint Of InterestEstablishment
Last updated Nov 8, 2026

Kobe Animal Kingdom is a zoo on Port Island, the artificial island in Kobe's harbor. About 70 percent of the park is indoors, so it works well on rainy or very hot days. The planted enclosures recreate each animal's natural habitat, and you can see many species up close or feed them.

The park is best known for its shoebills and capybaras. Allow two to three hours, and more if you want to see the shows and feeding sessions.

What to see at Kobe Animal Kingdom

The park is split into an indoor zone and an outdoor zone.

  • Indoor zone: night animals, the shoebill habitat and an African wetland

  • More indoor areas: Sumatran tigers, Asian and tropical forests and a flower-filled hall with water lilies

  • Outdoor zone: a Pantanal area, a squirrel forest and the small-clawed otters

  • More outdoor areas: the penguin coast, camels, alpacas and a sheep hill

Shows and animal encounters

The highlight is Wings, a free-flight bird performance in which trained birds fly freely around the open Performance Field. There is also a dog sports show and a pelican flight. Keepers give short study talks at the red panda, lemur and pygmy hippo enclosures.

Hands-on extras include feeding the capybaras, alpacas and sheep. You can also pet cats, dogs and rabbits or ride a camel or pony. These cost extra and are paid in cash only, so carry some yen even if you buy your ticket by card. Check the daily schedule at the entrance and plan around the bird show.

Kobe Animal Kingdom tickets

  • Adults (13 and over): 2,400 yen

  • Children 6 to 12: 1,200 yen

  • Children 4 and 5: 500 yen

  • Seniors 65 and over: 1,900 yen

Re-entry is not allowed. The Kobe Animal Kingdom ticket page lists group and disability rates.

Combined train and entry tickets

  • Port Liner set ticket: round-trip Port Liner fare plus entry for 2,400 yen per adult, sold at Sannomiya and Kobe Airport stations. This is the same price as entry alone, so the train ride is effectively free.

  • Hanshin set ticket: round-trip Hanshin Railway travel from Osaka Umeda or Namba plus entry, 3,000 yen per adult from April 1, 2026

Both set tickets are cash only.

How to get to Kobe Animal Kingdom

Take the Port Liner from Sannomiya Station toward Kobe Airport and get off at Keisan Kagaku Center Station, about 14 minutes. The station is named for the park, and the entrance is a short walk away. From Kobe Airport, the Port Liner takes about four minutes in the other direction.

From Shin-Kobe Station, take the subway one stop to Sannomiya and change to the Port Liner. There is a large parking lot, which costs 700 yen per day on weekdays and 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays.

The Bando Kobe Youth Science Museum is also on Port Island, at Minami Koen Station on the Port Liner, so the two fit into one family day.

For a wider plan of the city, see this Kobe itinerary for two days.

A private tour with a Kobe local can also be planned around your own list of stops.


Hours
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Phone
+81 78-302-8899
Website
www.kobe-oukoku.com


Overview

Address
9, 7-chōme-1-1 Minatojima Minamimachi, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan

Places & attractions near Kobe Animal Kingdom

Modern cityscape featuring a tall skyscraper, a red observation tower, and a unique white, sail-like structure with trees and a paved plaza in the foreground under a clear blue sky.

Meriken Park

Sorakuen Kobe

Sorakuen Garden

Meriken Park

Times Meriken Park

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden

Places & attractions near Kobe Animal Kingdom

Modern cityscape featuring a tall skyscraper, a red observation tower, and a unique white, sail-like structure with trees and a paved plaza in the foreground under a clear blue sky.

Meriken Park

Sorakuen Kobe

Sorakuen Garden

Meriken Park

Times Meriken Park

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden


Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Home
  2. Places
  3. Kobe
  4. Kobe Animal Kingdom

Hours

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Phone

+81 78-302-8899

Website

www.kobe-oukoku.com

Explore tours near Kobe Animal Kingdom

Kobe Harborland
8 hours
Kobe Private Guided Tour: Kitano, Chinatown & Harborland
Kobe Tour
3 hours / 4 hours / 6 hours / 8 hours
Private Kobe Tour with a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems
Arima Onsen
8 hours
Kobe Private Day Tour: Scenic Mountains, Gardens & Hot Springs
Kobe Seaside
3 hours / 4 hours
Half-Day Personalized Kobe Tour with a Local Guide

Traveler reviews

We had a wonderful experience and would highly recommend it for families with young children. There are plenty animals for kids to interact with and feed the animals, which made the visit both fun and memorable. My advice is to arrive early, as there’s a lot to see and do. Many of the animal interaction activities require queue tickets, so it’s best to check the schedule and secure your slots as soon as possible. The most popular activities, such as penguin feeding and horse or camel rides, appear to have only a couple of sessions each day, making tickets very limited and highly sought after. We missed out on some activities because the queue tickets ran out quickly. Overall, it’s a fantastic family-friendly attraction, especially for children who love animals.
Profile photo
Michi
May 30, 2026
One of the best places I've ever been and absolutely my favorite part of our trip. I hope this place stays under the radar for tourists. It's such an intimate and educational experience with wildlife. We had the best time walking through all the environments and interacting with the animals. The staff were very friendly, aware, and professional. The gift shop was excellent too!
A decent small zoo, special for allowing close interaction with most of the animals. The variety is nice, but not huge. The facility is very inviting, with a lot of air-conditioned parts. Sadly for us, we came on a very hot day, and the outside yard was tough. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to touch the animals, but you get to stand very close to them, and some of them are truly unique. Overall - a nice experience.
This place is awesome! This is like a super fun petting zoo where you get to interact with a lot of the animals there. We got there 2 hrs before closing, but experienced quite a bit within that time. Right when we arrived, we began feeding rabbits, then fish, then seeing some nocturnal animals, and tons of birds just hanging out, roaming amongst the visitors. The best part was seeing the capybaras and being able to feed them! 2 hours was just not enough time and if we ever go back, we’ll make sure to go a little earlier next time!
I went to here with a friend. It was indoor and she had a child. I thought it would be a perfect place since a lot was indoor and they also had an outdoor area. I really appreciate how easy it was to navigate but also how much there was to see. The price is high compared to other places but I have been. But this is definitely a different atmosphere. I think it is a great experience to try at least once with you and your kids and if you like it keep going. Granted some may complain about space and smell. For the size it was and the environment they built I thought it was quite interesting. I enjoyed the squirrel forrest and watching the mountain lion climb around. It was great they had a cat and dog petting zoo near the front. It was pretty cool.

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