Kanto zoos, gardens and a castle: which to book

Start with what kind of day you want

These nine SkyGate tickets do not form one day trip. XTOUR's reading is that the venues split by prefecture and by the kind of day they suit: two drive-through safaris and two walk-through zoos across Tochigi, Gunma and Izu, two aquariums in Ibaraki and Kawasaki, a castle in Gunma, an aviation museum beside Narita Airport in Chiba, and a rose garden in Ibaraki. Each ticket admits you to one venue, and none of the listings route between them.[17][15][13][11][9][7][5][3][1]

Animal parks and aquariums in Kanto and Izu

Six of the nine products are animal venues, and they split into two drive-through safaris, two walk-through zoos, and two aquariums.

Gunma Safari Park and Nasu Safari Park are both drive-through. Gunma Safari Park is home to around 1,000 animals from about 100 species, and SkyGate's listing describes travelling by car through five safari zones to see giraffes, rhinos, zebras, American bison, Japanese black bears, white tigers and lions, then stopping at a Walking Safari Zone on foot for cheetahs, Amur leopards and timber wolves.[3] The operator says you can visit in your own suitable vehicle or take the park's tour, but open-top cars, trucks and canvas-top vehicles cannot enter the safari area, and some camper vans may be refused depending on their specifications.[4] Nasu Safari Park is smaller, with around 500 animals from about 50 species including lions, tigers, giraffes, hippos and elephants. There, SkyGate's listing says you travel the safari zone by Lion Bus, safari car, or an eligible private vehicle, feeding giraffes and other herbivores along the way, and a separate on-site charge applies for that required transport.[9] The operator adds a reservation-only Wild Ride, elephant rides, and a night safari on selected dates.[10]

Nasu Animal Kingdom and Izu Shaboten Zoo are walk-through. Nasu Animal Kingdom's Town Area and Farm Area let you get close to capybaras and maras in Capybara Forest and look for Pallas's cats, wolves, red pandas, penguins and alpacas, with performances including The Cats and a New Zealand Farm Show of sheepdogs at work.[1] The operator adds lift bus and tractor bus rides and says the park welcomes visitors with dogs, strollers and wheelchairs.[2] Izu Shaboten Zoo pairs around 150 animal species with 1,500 varieties of cacti and succulents, with free-roaming peacocks and squirrel monkeys and giraffes, zebras and ostriches in its Savanna Area.[13] The operator highlights an original capybara open-air bath each winter, a tradition it says began at the zoo in 1982, running from November to April.[14]

Aqua World Ibaraki Prefectural Oarai Aquarium and Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium are the two aquariums, and they suit different trips. Aqua World is the bigger day out: SkyGate's listing calls it home to one of Japan's largest shark collections, with around 68,000 creatures from about 580 species and a dolphin and sea lion live performance.[5] The operator's site said that show was being renewed as of March 2026, so its current status is unconfirmed.[6] Kawasui sits immediately beside JR Kawasaki Station's east exit.[12] SkyGate's listing describes immersive river and waterside habitats worldwide, with freshwater fish, reptiles and birds, as an indoor experience for any weather.[11]

Options differ across all six. Aqua World has Admission and a Preschoolers option; Kawasui combines a Preschoolers (4-5 years) and Youth (15-18 years) option as its second ticket; Izu Shaboten Zoo's second option is Preschoolers (4-5 years) only.[13][11][5] Nasu Animal Kingdom and Gunma Safari Park each sell one option, Admission, with no age-based alternative.[3][1]

Lockheart Castle, a Scottish castle in Gunma

Lockheart Castle sits in Takayama Village, Gunma Prefecture, and Wikidata's record for it confirms that location, distinct from Hida-Takayama in Gifu, which some travellers confuse it with.[8] SkyGate's listing describes an authentic Scottish castle built near Edinburgh in 1829 and reconstructed in Gunma in 1993, with park grounds and collections of bridal dresses, teddy bears and books linked to Sir Walter Scott, plus a Santa Museum and a tower bell that legend associates with eternal love. The ticket has two options, Admission and a youth option for ages 13 to 18, and SkyGate's option data says the youth option is restricted to that age range. The operator's own site could not be read on the project's check date because it refused automated access, so this guide states no operator hours, closure days or collection details beyond what SkyGate's own page gives. SkyGate's listing does say cosplay costumes, wedding dresses and dolls are prohibited inside, and that tripods and reflectors need prior approval.[7]

Museum of Aeronautical Sciences, beside Narita Airport

The Museum of Aeronautical Sciences sits beside Narita Airport in Shibayama, Chiba, which makes it a fit for a layover rather than a dedicated day trip. SkyGate's listing describes a Boeing 747 engine, a 300-model timeline tracing a century of flight, real business and economy seats to sit in, and around 20 real aircraft outdoors, with observation areas to watch jets take off and land.[15] The operator says the museum opened in 1989, and its calendar marks a facility maintenance closure in December 2026.[16] The ticket has two options, Admission and a youth option for ages 13 to 18.[15]

Ibaraki Flower Park, roses in Ishioka

Ibaraki Flower Park is a rose garden, not an animal venue, and SkyGate's listing centres it on around 900 rose varieties across themed gardens, including a Rose Tunnel and a garden comparing five fragrance types.[17] The operator adds dahlias, zinnias and cosmos in season and around 100 other activities, and publishes a 2026-to-2027 operating calendar as a PDF rather than fixed year-round hours.[18] The ticket's two options are Admission and an Admission (Pets) option; SkyGate's page says pets must stay on a lead and are not permitted inside buildings, greenhouses or on rides.[17]

How to choose

• Want to drive through a safari yourself: Gunma Safari Park, if your vehicle meets the operator's roof and window rules.
• Want a guided safari ride with giraffe feeding, and don't mind paying for the Lion Bus or safari car separately: Nasu Safari Park.
• Want a walk-through zoo with scheduled animal performances: Nasu Animal Kingdom.
• Want cacti alongside free-roaming animals, and are travelling in winter for the capybara baths: Izu Shaboten Zoo.
• Want the bigger aquarium, with sharks: Aqua World Ibaraki.
• Want an aquarium you can reach on foot from a train station: Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium.
• Want a European-style castle and curiosity collections in Gunma: Lockheart Castle.
• Breaking up a Narita Airport connection: Museum of Aeronautical Sciences.
• Want roses and a flower garden, and are travelling with a pet: Ibaraki Flower Park.

Before you book

• Confirm the youth age range (13 to 18) before booking a teenager at Lockheart Castle or the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences.[15][7]
• Budget for a separate on-site transport charge at Nasu Safari Park; the ticket itself does not cover the Lion Bus or safari car.[9]
• Check Gunma Safari Park's vehicle rules before you drive in: open-top cars, trucks, canvas-top vehicles and some camper vans are refused entry to the safari area.[4]
• Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium and Izu Shaboten Zoo show narrower SkyGate booking windows (14 and 6 open days) than the other animal venues in this guide, so check the live calendar before planning your dates.[13][11]
• Ibaraki Flower Park opens on a seasonal calendar rather than fixed year-round hours, so check the operator's PDF calendar for your date.[18]
• Lockheart Castle's operator site could not be read on the project's check date, so this guide gives no operator hours or closure days for it; check the operator directly.[7]
• The Museum of Aeronautical Sciences' operator calendar lists a facility maintenance closure in December 2026.[16]