Gunma Safari Park
A safari park of six drive-through zones with about 100 species.
piggybackjapan.com
Gunma Safari Park
SaveA safari park of six drive-through zones with about 100 species.
A walking zone lets you leave the car to feed animals, and staff hold the reins for pony rides.
MoreWhat kind of place
Gunma Safari Park is a drive-through animal park in Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, home to about 1,000 animals from roughly 100 species.
The driving route is split into six zones, and a separate area you tour on foot brings you close to red pandas, capybaras, and miniature horses.
The park also runs a lift-equipped feeding bus you can board while seated in a wheelchair, the first of its kind in Japan by its own account.
Sources and evidence (21)
- About 1,000 animals from roughly 100 species live at Gunma Safari Park.source
- The safari area, toured by car or bus, is divided into six zones.source
- In the walking zone (Walking Safari Zone), you can get out of the car to feed animals and meet them up close.source
- The petting area (Fureai Park) brings you close to red pandas, capybaras, and miniature horses, and also has flying shows, feeding times, and pony rides.source
- Strollers are lent out on request at the reception window for 100 yen per use.source
- A shop in the walking zone also lends strollers, which you can use after stepping off the bus.source
- Strollers cannot be brought onto the keeper-experience bus, the feeding bus, or the safari bus.source
- No baby food is sold here, so bring what you need.source
- You can move through the walking zone in a wheelchair.source
- Five wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge at the information center in Parking Lot 1 and at the Marché shop.source
- Three more wheelchairs are available free of charge in the walking zone.source
- Parking Lot 1 has seven wheelchair parking spaces; tell the staff at the entrance gate to use one.source
- The lift-equipped bus (Giraffe Bus) can be boarded while seated in a wheelchair.source
- A first-aid room inside the information center can treat minor injuries.source
- AEDs are installed in two places: the information center in Parking Lot 1 and the Savanna restaurant.source
- There are 10 paid coin lockers beside the information center reception.source
- Free Wi-Fi with no password reaches the area in front of the information center in Parking Lot 1 and the car entry desk.source
- Smoking is allowed at one spot only, inside Parking Lot 1.source
- There is no ATM or other way to withdraw cash in the park.source
- Menus do not list allergens, but Savanna and Oakwood keep dishes for various allergies.source
- There is a lift-equipped feeding bus you can board while seated in a wheelchair, which the park says is the first in Japan.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If long walks at a zoo wear your kids out, you can see most of the animals from your own car, with nothing to pay beyond admission.
In the walking zone you get out to feed them, and a staff member leads the pony by the reins, so even a first-time rider can take a turn.
When everyone needs to sit down, you can eat at the Savanna restaurant or the Oakwood counter, or open a packed lunch at the covered free rest area.
Three nursing rooms are spread around the park and staff hand out hot water for formula on request, but no baby food is sold here, so bring what you need.
Plan on close to three hours including lunch, and check the date before you drive out: the park closes on Wednesdays, except when that Wednesday is a public holiday or falls in Golden Week or the summer holidays.
Sources and evidence (7)
- A staff member leads the pony by the reins, so a child riding for the first time can take part.source
- A nursery teacher with a baby: a car loop takes about an hour, and walking-zone feed is self-service, ¥100 in a box.source
- Once in the safari zone you cannot get out for about 20 minutes, so go to the toilet first. Feed is ¥200 a cup.source
- A long queue at the ticket machine at 11:30, but seats were free; none by 12:30. Kids plate ¥1,000 with drink bar.source
- Mist points by the information center and shops; buses are air-conditioned. Animals move mornings and evenings.source
- Getting there without a car: the Joshin line to Joshu-Tomioka, then the shared Ai-Taku taxi, 15 minutes, ¥500 one way.source
- Winter here: snow settles once or twice a year in Tomioka, and tigers and lions come onto the road on cold days.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The safari area's six zones can be driven straight through in your own car, and the drive-your-own-car plan needs nothing beyond the admission ticket. Because you stay inside the car, a baby held in your arms or strapped into a car seat can watch animals walking right outside the window. In the Fureai Park you can get close to red pandas, capybaras and miniature horses. Children under three enter free.There are three nursing rooms: at the information center in the first parking lot, at the Marche shop, and inside the free rest house. Hot water for formula is given on request at the information center, at Restaurant Savanna and at the Oakwood fast food counter. Diapers are changed in the men's and women's restrooms at the information center, in the men's and women's restrooms inside the Marche shop, and in the nursing room of the free rest house. No baby food is stocked, so bring your own. A stroller rents for 100 yen, asked for at the reception window, but it cannot be loaded onto the keeper-experience bus, the feeding bus or the safari bus; the shop in the Walking Safari Zone also lends strollers, for use once you get off the bus.
- Ages 2-3In the Walking Safari Zone you get out of the car and feed the animals with your own hand and touch them. The Fureai Park has red pandas, capybaras and miniature horses, plus a flying show and feeding times. For the pony ride a staff member leads the horse by the reins, so a child riding for the first time can take part.Admission becomes the child fare of 1,600 yen from age three; under three is free, and adults from junior high pay 3,200 yen. A stroller rents for 100 yen at the reception window. It cannot go on the keeper-experience bus, the feeding bus or the safari bus, so borrowing one at the shop in the Walking Safari Zone gives you a stroller from the moment you step off. No baby food is stocked, so bring your own. If you bring a packed lunch, you can eat it in the roofed free rest house in the first parking lot. The menus carry no allergy labelling, but Restaurant Savanna and Oakwood both keep dishes prepared for various allergies.
- Ages 4-6On the feeding bus a child feeds animals by hand through the window; it adds 1,800 yen per adult to the admission. On weekends and holidays a safari bus also runs, adding 1,200 yen per adult. In the Walking Safari Zone you leave the car and go on foot, feeding and touching the animals. For the pony ride a staff member leads by the reins, so even a first-timer sits on the horse alone.Admission is 1,600 yen for children aged 3 through elementary school and 3,200 yen for adults from junior high. Summer hours, 20 March to 3 November, take entries 9:30-16:00 and close at 17:00; winter hours, 4 November to 19 March, take entries 9:30-15:30 and close at 16:30. The park closes on Wednesdays, except on holidays and during the no-closing stretches of spring break, Golden Week, summer break and the New Year period. A visitor with a five-year-old arrived at 10:30 and left at 13:10, lunch at the park restaurant included. There is no ATM or cash machine on the grounds, so bring cash with you; payment also takes credit cards, e-money and QR code payments. Tickets can be bought in advance from the ticket page on the official website.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe safari area, divided into six zones, is toured from inside your own car or a bus. The Walking Safari Zone is where you get out of the vehicle for feeding and hands-on encounters. A packed lunch can be eaten at the free roofed rest area in Parking Lot 1.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：yes
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (3)
Lost-child support, Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A nursery teacher with a baby: a car loop takes about an hour, and walking-zone feed is self-service, ¥100 in a box.
Tried with kids: how to enjoy and get around Gunma Safari Park, from what to pack to how long it takes
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Once in the safari zone you cannot get out for about 20 minutes, so go to the toilet first. Feed is ¥200 a cup.
Field report: exploring Gunma Safari Park by car with a child — the animals, lunch and how busy it was
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A long queue at the ticket machine at 11:30, but seats were free; none by 12:30. Kids plate ¥1,000 with drink bar.
Making the most of Gunma Safari Park (3): lunchtime with the kids
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Mist points by the information center and shops; buses are air-conditioned. Animals move mornings and evenings.
Summer with children at Gunma Safari Park: how the park keeps you cool
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Getting there without a car: the Joshin line to Joshu-Tomioka, then the shared Ai-Taku taxi, 15 minutes, ¥500 one way.
A day trip from Tokyo: the complete guide to reaching Gunma Safari Park by public transport
More to look at
Gunma Safari Park · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
1 Okamoto, Tomioka-shi, Gunma 370-2321source
Before you go
- You cannot stay in a wheelchair on the animal-house tour bus, the feeding bus, the safari bus, or the private tour.source
- You can pay with cash, credit cards, electronic money, or QR code payment.source
- Tickets can be bought ahead of time on the ticket page of the official website, and phone reservations are not taken from individual visitors.source
Basics
- Fee：Admission ¥3,200 for adults (junior-high and up) and ¥1,600 for children (age 3 to 6th grade); under 3 free. ¥2,800 for age 65+ and ¥2,000/¥1,000 with a disability certificate (proof required). Bus tours cost extra on top of admission: feeding-experience bus +¥1,800 per adult, safari bus (weekends and holidays) +¥1,200 per adult. Driving your own car through the safari needs only the admission ticket. Prices as of February 2026, tax includedsource
- Hours：Summer season (20 March-3 November): entry 9:30-16:00, park closes 17:00. Winter season (4 November-19 March): entry 9:30-15:30, park closes 16:30. Closed every Wednesday, except public holidays and the no-closing periods (spring break, Golden Week, summer holidays and the New Year period, apart from 1 January)source
- Time to allow：2.5 hsource
- Booking：Tickets can be bought in advance on the official ticket site, which has web-only discounts and plans; phone booking is not taken from individual visitors. Same-day tickets are sold too, but the number varies with reservations. Timed plans such as the feeding bus close once the seats gosourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (21)
- Admission is 3,200 yen for adults, meaning junior high school age and up.source
- Admission is 1,600 yen for children from age 3 through elementary school.source
- Children under 3 enter free.source
- Visitors 65 and over pay 2,800 yen and need official proof of age.source
- Visitors with disabilities pay 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children, with a disability certificate shown.source
- All listed prices include consumption tax as of February 2026.source
- Driving the safari in your own car takes nothing more than the admission ticket.source
- The feeding bus adds 1,800 yen per adult on top of admission.source
- The safari bus, which runs only on weekends and public holidays, adds 1,200 yen per adult on top of admission.source
- Summer hours run from March 20 to November 3.source
- In summer hours, entry is accepted from 9:30 to 16:00.source
- In summer hours, the park closes at 17:00.source
- Winter hours run from November 4 to March 19.source
- In winter hours, entry is accepted from 9:30 to 15:30.source
- In winter hours, the park closes at 16:30.source
- The park is closed every Wednesday.source
- It opens on Wednesdays that fall on public holidays and during its no-closing stretches: spring break, Golden Week, summer vacation, and the year-end and New Year period, except January 1.source
- The address is 1 Okamoto, Tomioka City, Gunma 370-2321.source
- It is about 10 minutes, or 5.6 km, from the Tomioka interchange on the Joshin-etsu Expressway.source
- By train, ride the Joshin Line about 35 minutes from JR Takasaki Station to Joshu-Tomioka Station, then take a taxi for about 15 minutes.source
- The Tomioka bus stop has no taxi stand, so you have to arrange a taxi yourself.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (8)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Nursing space
- Official: Family restroom, Stroller access notes
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Outside food allowed
The safari itself is six zones, crossed by bus or in your own car. The Walking Safari Zone is the part you cover on foot, feeding animals as you go. In the Fureai petting park you can get close to red pandas, capybaras and miniature horses, and there are flying shows and feeding times. Staff hold the reins for the pony rides, so a first-timer can sit up. One feeding bus has an elevator and takes wheelchairs as they are.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers are lent at the reception window for ¥100 a use. They cannot be taken on the keeper-experience bus, the feeding bus or the safari bus; a shop in the Walking Safari Zone lends strollers for after you get off | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp | |
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three nursing rooms: the information center at Parking Lot 1, the Marche shop, and inside the free rest house. Hot water for formula is available at the information center, Restaurant Savanna and Oakwood fast food. No baby food is sold, so bring your own | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing places are in the men's and women's toilets at the information center by Parking Lot 1, the men's and women's toilets inside the Marche shop, and the nursing room in the free rest house | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Wheelchair-accessible toilets beside the information center at Parking Lot 1 (two each for men and women), at the Marche shop (one each), and at the Walking Safari Zone parking lot (one unisex) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | Bring your own bento — there is a free covered rest house inside Parking Lot 1. The park also has Restaurant Savanna (180 general seats) and Oakwood fast food; neither labels allergens on the menu, but both prepare dishes for various allergies on request | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | The safari is driven or ridden through six outdoor zones, and the Walking Safari Zone is walked on foot | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | ウォーキングサファリゾーンは車イス可 | The Walking Safari Zone can be crossed in a wheelchair. Five wheelchairs are lent free at the information center and the Marche shop, and three more in the Walking Safari Zone; seven wheelchair parking spaces are in Parking Lot 1. The elevator bus (Giraffe Bus) takes wheelchairs as they are, but the keeper-tour bus, feeding bus, safari bus and private tour cars do not | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | safari.co.jp |
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet |