Ueno Park & Zoo

Ueno Park is so much more than just a 133 acre park. You can literally spend an entire day here, possible even more! These lush, sprawling grounds are home to a variety of museums, statues, shrines and even a giant zoo. They are also home to around 1,200 cherry blossom trees, famous for their short annual bloom in late March and early April.

Kaneiji Temple, Kiyomizu Kannon Temple and Bentendo are all open seven days a week until around 5 PM and have free entry, perfect for budget travelers. There is not much left of the ancient temples, however the lavish Toshogu Shrine is breathtakingly gorgeous. Entrance to the shrine is not free, but well worth it.
The Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, National Museum of Western Art and Shitamachi Museum each charge between 300-600 yen for entry with different hours and different closed days. Be sure to double-check prior to visiting if there is any one museum that you are most interested in (I recommend the Tokyo National Museum, Japan’s oldest and largest).

Ueno Zoo dates back to the 1800s and is known around the world for its pandas, however the zoo is also home to polar bears, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, eagles and a seemingly never-ending variety of other species. Entry is cheap and concessions are fairly priced. All in all, a great way to kill anywhere from two to six hours, depending on how long the kids are entertained.