African Safari (Kyushu Natural Zoological Park)
A safari park you drive through in your own car, past lions and elephants.
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African Safari (Kyushu Natural Zoological Park)
SaveA safari park you drive through in your own car, past lions and elephants.
On the Jungle Bus you feed lions and elephants through the mesh as it circles the zone.
MoreWhat kind of place
African Safari sits in the hills of Ajimu, in the city of Usa, Oita. Its main part is a drive-through zone, where you stay in your own vehicle instead of walking past enclosures.
The Jungle Bus covers the same ground a different way: a mesh-sided observation bus that makes one 50-minute loop while riders hand food to mouflon, American black bears, lions, fallow deer, Asian elephants, and Bactrian camels.
The bus runs about 15 times a day on weekdays and about 30 on weekends and holidays. Off the driving route, Deai no Mura is a walking area with a wooded kangaroo enclosure you can go into.
The park has no regular closing day and stays open in the rain; the one thing rain cancels is the rabbit petting.
Sources and evidence (18)
- It stays open in the rain, but the rabbit petting session is canceled when it rains.source
- There is no ATM in the park.source
- What the park calls the my-car safari is touring the safari zone in your own vehicle or a tour bus.source
- Convertibles and soft-top vehicles cannot enter the animal zones, and their passengers switch to the Jungle Bus.source
- Vehicles with an open bed, such as kei trucks and pickups, soft-top vehicles, and cars with luggage strapped to the outside are not allowed in.source
- A pickup truck with a hard cover over the bed can go in.source
- Never get out of your vehicle in the safari zone.source
- Close every window, lock the doors, and retract the antenna.source
- Wild animals sometimes touch the cars, so the park suggests the Jungle Bus for anyone uneasy about that.source
- The animals have learned that private cars carry no food, so they rarely come close.source
- The Jungle Bus is an observation bus that moves through the zone while riders feed lions, elephants, camels, and others.source
- The animals you can feed are mouflon, American black bears, lions, fallow deer, Asian elephants, and Bactrian camels.source
- The Jungle Bus has air conditioning, but the sides are wire mesh, so cold and heat come straight through.source
- In winter the mountain setting brings low temperatures and strong wind, and the park recommends gloves and a heavy coat.source
- While waiting for your bus you can walk the petting areas or drive the animal zones in your own car.source
- There are two Jungle Bus boarding points, and you go to whichever one you were given when you bought the ticket.source
- Nursing rooms are at the information center and inside the Arosa shop.source
- There are three smoking areas in the park, and no cigarettes are sold.source
With kidsThe part that matters
You tour the safari zone from inside your own car, windows up, doors locked, child locks on, while the animals move around you.
If your children want to be closer than that, the Jungle Bus runs the same loop with wire mesh instead of glass, and everyone aboard feeds the lions, elephants, and camels by hand.
The ride lasts about 50 minutes with no stops along the way, and children 3 and under ride free on an adult's lap, one child per adult.
Strollers cannot go aboard, so the information center holds yours until you are back — it also has a nursing room, and there is a second one in the Arosa shop.
Bus tickets are sold only on the day, in the order cars arrive, and they stop when they sell out, so getting there early is what puts your family on board; the wait itself is time to drive the zone on your own, 30 to 40 minutes a loop, as many loops as you like.
Sources and evidence (5)
- 8:30am on a weekday and already a long line; the earliest bus left was 2:30pm. Advance tickets ended May 2025.source
- In at 9:30, out by 13:00, on the 11am bus. Feeding ponies, guinea pigs, squirrel monkeys and kangaroos.source
- 35 minutes by car from Beppu station. The Salvia restaurant runs ¥850-1,300; a cup of feed is ¥200.source
- Arriving at 10:30 from the Beppu hotel still left a 14:30 bus; animals ignore private cars. Yufuin is 30 min on.source
- Golden Week opens at 7am. Arriving past 8 meant 30 minutes of traffic and only a 4:20pm bus left.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The Jungle Bus has no age limit: from a baby's first year a child rides on a parent's lap, and under-fours ride free. The bus's sides are wire mesh, so the lions, elephants and camels that come for the food arrive right in front of you. Admission is free for under-fours as well.One adult may hold one child on their lap. Strollers and wheelchairs cannot go on the Jungle Bus, so leave them at the general information center, which is also where strollers are lent (300 yen; wheelchairs are free). Nursing rooms are at the general information center and inside the Arosa shop. The ride is about 50 minutes with no getting off partway, and no eating or drinking on board. The mesh sides let the cold and the heat in, and the park recommends gloves and a thick coat in winter.
- Ages 2-3Deai-no-Mura has the Kangaroo Forest, part of a petting area you walk around. The wait for the Jungle Bus is meant to be spent here, or driving the animal zone in your own car. Up to age three a child rides the bus free on a lap.A loop of the drive-through safari takes 30 to 40 minutes, and you may do it as many times as you like while you are inside. In the safari zone you must never leave the car: close every window, lock the doors, and use the child locks when children are aboard. Jungle Bus tickets are sold first-come first-served on the day until they run out — in August and September every service is sold that way — and they go in the order cars arrive, at the entrance gate and the general information center. Children of elementary-school age and under must be accompanied by a guardian.
- Ages 4-6From age four a child takes a seat of their own (1,500 yen) and holds the food out through the mesh themselves. The animals you feed are mouflon, American black bears, lions, fallow deer, Asian elephants and Bactrian camels, on a full 50-minute loop of the safari zone.Admission for children aged 4 to junior high is 1,500 yen, and the 1,500-yen Jungle Bus fare is on top of that (2,000 yen for the weekday-afternoon services you can book online). There are about 15 services on weekdays and about 30 at weekends and on holidays, the first at 9:10 and the last at 15:50 (15:20 from November to February); to catch the last one, arrive by 15:30 (15:00 in winter) and hope there is space. There are two boarding points, so go to the one you are told when you buy. The ride can shake and vibrate noticeably.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe safari zone is a drive-through zone: in your own car a lap takes 30 to 40 minutes, and you can repeat it as many times as you like. The park stays open in the rain, though the rabbit petting is called off, and the Jungle Bus has wire mesh on both sides.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed3.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (2)
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
8:30am on a weekday and already a long line; the earliest bus left was 2:30pm. Advance tickets ended May 2025.
African Safari, 2026: buying tickets and dodging the queues
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
In at 9:30, out by 13:00, on the 11am bus. Feeding ponies, guinea pigs, squirrel monkeys and kangaroos.
African Safari with a 6-, 4- and 1-year-old in Oita
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
35 minutes by car from Beppu station. The Salvia restaurant runs ¥850-1,300; a cup of feed is ¥200.
Oita trip: what African Safari is actually like
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Arriving at 10:30 from the Beppu hotel still left a 14:30 bus; animals ignore private cars. Yufuin is 30 min on.
Oita with the kids (3): African Safari and Yufuin
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Golden Week opens at 7am. Arriving past 8 meant 30 minutes of traffic and only a 4:20pm bus left.
We got on even on Children's Day: what time to arrive for the Jungle Bus
African Safari (Kyushu Natural Zoological Park) · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
2-1755-1 Ajimumachi-Minamihata, Usa-shi, Oita 872-0722source2
Before you go
- The weekday afternoon Jungle Bus runs that can be reserved online cost 2,000 yen per person age 4 and up.source
- Annual tickets cannot be ordered in advance; you buy one at the information center after entering.source
- From your own car you cannot open the windows or hand out food, but you set your own pace.source
- Jungle Bus tickets are normally sold on the day, first come first served, until they run out, and only some weekday afternoon runs can be reserved online.source
- In August and September no online reservations are taken at all, so every seat goes first come first served on the day, and the booking schedule from October onward has not been decided.source
More notes (10)
- Jungle Bus tickets are sold at the entrance gate and at the information center.source
- You can buy tickets only for the number of people who actually came and paid admission.source
- Tickets are sold in the order cars arrive, and cannot be bought on foot.source
- Eating and drinking are not allowed on the Jungle Bus.source
- The Jungle Bus makes no stops along the way, so tell the driver if someone feels ill.source
- Cancellations and refunds are handled at the information center up to 30 minutes before your departure, and you can change to another time if there is space.source
- Only people holding a Jungle Bus ticket can re-enter, and they arrange it at the information center before they leave.source
- Pets cannot go into the safari zone or the petting zone, and the park's pet holding area keeps them free of charge.source
- Flying a drone anywhere on the property is prohibited.source
- Smart interchanges take ETC-equipped vehicles only and are closed to vehicles longer than 12 meters (39 feet).source
Basics
- Fee：Admission ¥2,600 for adults (high school and up) and ¥1,500 for children aged 4 to junior high; under 4 free. Driving your own car through the safari zone costs nothing extra. The Jungle Bus is ¥1,500 per person aged 4 and over on top of admission (¥2,000 for the online-booked weekday afternoon runs); under 3s ride free on a lap. A disability certificate, card or Mirairo ID takes ¥1,000 off an adult and ¥500 off a child, for the holder. An annual pass is ¥9,000 / ¥5,000, less the day's admission if you buy it with that day's receipt.source
- Hours：1 March to 31 October: reception 8:50-16:00, open 9:15-16:30. 1 November to end of February: reception 8:50-15:30, open 9:15-16:00. You must enter the safari zone by 30 minutes before closing. Open all year, though a typhoon or snow can close it, and long holidays can shift the hours. Jungle Buses run from 9:10, last departure 15:50 (15:20 from November to February) — about 15 a day on weekdays and 30 on weekends.source
- Time to allow：3.5 hsource
- Booking：Jungle Bus seats are sold on the day, first come first served, at the entrance gate and the information center, and only to people who have already paid to come in — one seat per person actually present, sold in the order cars arrive. Some weekday afternoon runs can be booked online at a different price, but August and September are on-the-day only. Cancel or move a booking at the information center up to 30 minutes before departure.source
Basics in detail (27)
- The safari zone is the part you tour by vehicle.source
- The park is open year-round with no regular closing day, though a typhoon or heavy snow can close it for the day.source
- From March 1 to October 31, the gate takes visitors 8:50 to 16:00, the park opens at 9:15, and it closes at 16:30.source
- From November 1 through the end of February, the gate takes visitors 8:50 to 15:30, the park opens at 9:15, and it closes at 16:00.source
- Entry into the safari zone stops 30 minutes before closing.source
- Hours can change during long holiday weekends and other busy stretches.source
- There is no night safari this fiscal year.source
- About 15 buses run on weekdays and about 30 on weekends and holidays, the first at 9:10 and the last at 15:50, or 15:20 from November through February.source
- To catch the last bus, arrive by 15:30, or by 15:00 from November through February, and board if a seat is left.source
- Admission is 2,600 yen for adults, meaning high school age and up, and 1,500 yen for children age 4 through junior high.source
- Children under 4 get in free.source
- Showing a disability certificate, card, or Mirairo ID at the desk takes 1,000 yen off an adult ticket or 500 yen off a child ticket, for the holder only.source
- Driving the safari zone in your own car costs nothing beyond admission.source
- The Jungle Bus costs 1,500 yen per person age 4 and up, separate from admission.source
- An annual ticket is 9,000 yen for adults and 5,000 yen for children, and covers admission for one year from the day you buy it.source
- If you buy an annual ticket on the day you visit, that day's admission is deducted, as long as you have that day's receipt.source
- You cannot go in just for the souvenir shop or the other facilities; admission is required either way.source
- Admission and Jungle Bus tickets can be paid by credit card, including Visa, Mastercard, and JCB.source
- Children 3 and under ride the bus free.source
- For cars with ETC, the nearest exit is Beppu Bay Smart IC on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) and 7 minutes away.source
- From Yufudake Smart IC on the Oita Expressway it is about 10 minutes.source
- Without ETC, it is about 30 minutes from Yufuin IC on the Oita Expressway or Beppu IC on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway.source
- No taxis wait at the park, and one takes about 30 minutes to come from the nearest office.source
- There is no gas station nearby, with the closest ones in Beppu and Yufuin.source
- The park is at 2-1755-1 Minamibata, Ajimu-machi, Usa, Oita 872-0722, and the phone number is 0978-48-2331.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (5)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Nursing space
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: main site
The safari zone is driven, not walked, with the windows shut and the doors locked. You can drive the loop as many times as you like. Animals rarely approach a private car, since they know no food comes from one. The Jungle Bus, wire mesh down both sides, runs about fifty minutes, feeding mouflon, black bears, lions, Asian elephants and Bactrian camels. A walk-round zone adds a kangaroo forest at the Village of Encounters.
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | The safari zone is driven through, and the walk-round animal zone is outdoors. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | africansafari.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers are rented at the information center for ¥300 (wheelchairs are free). They cannot go on the Jungle Bus — the information center keeps them while you ride. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | africansafari.co.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | Two nursing rooms: at the information center and inside the Arosa shop. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | africansafari.co.jp |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Under-4s get in free, and under-3s ride the Jungle Bus free on a parent's lap — one child per adult, so two small children need two adults. Elementary school age and under must have a parent with them on the bus. There is no age limit, but the bus shakes and jolts, its sides are wire mesh so it feels the cold and heat, and it cannot be left part-way. In your own car, use the child locks. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | africansafari.co.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Come by car: about 7 minutes from Beppu Bay Smart IC or 10 from Yufudake Smart IC (ETC only, no vehicles over 12m); about 30 minutes from Yufuin IC or Beppu IC without ETC. No taxi waits at the park — the nearest depot is about 30 minutes away — and there is no gas station nearby or ATM inside. Cars without a solid roof are turned back: open-top and soft-top cars, pickups and kei trucks with an open bed, and cars with luggage on the outside must switch to the Jungle Bus. In the safari zone you may not leave the car; windows stay shut, doors locked, aerials retracted. Re-entry only for Jungle Bus ticket holders. Pets are kept free of charge at the pet reception, three smoking areas, drones banned. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | africansafari.co.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet |