Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden with kids

Shinjuku Gyoen is a 58-hectare garden with wide lawns, a Japanese garden and a greenhouse. There is nothing to do here in the theme-park sense, and that is the point. After a morning of trains and queues, small children need grass and space, and this is where to find them near the centre.

Shinjuku

Tickets

Free for 15 and under · ¥250 students and over-65s · ¥500 adult

Go to the official site

There is no ticket partner for this one, so the button goes to the official site.

Best time

Late morning on a dry day. Closed Mondays, except in cherry blossom season and early November.

Open in Google Maps

More in Tokyo

Ueno Zoo National Museum of Nature and Science Sumida Aquarium Tokyo Skytree

The family card

Family card

Minimum ageNo minimumNo minimum

Enjoys from1 year

Duration1h – 2h

StrollerNot confirmed yet

Child priceFree for 15 and under · ¥250 students and over-65s · ¥500 adult

Toilets and changingNot confirmed yet

QueueShort queuesGates take transport IC cards directly, which skips the ticket machines.

☀

Best timeLate morning on a dry day. Closed Mondays, except in cherry blossom season and early November.

Verdict by age

Not a general rating. How each age band actually experiences it.

0-2

Great

3-5

Great

6-10

Fine

11+

Fine

Babies and under-fives get the most from it, simply because they can move freely. School-age kids enjoy an hour. Teenagers see a nice park and little else.

Give it an hour or two. Buy something to eat before you go in, find a patch of lawn and let everyone lie down. Entry is through ticket gates at Shinjuku, Okido and Sendagaya. The garden closes early in winter, at 4:00 pm from October to mid-March with gates shut at 4:30, so do not leave it for the end of the day.

Tips for the visit

It is closed on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a holiday.
Tap in with a Suica or Pasmo card at the gate instead of queueing for tickets.
The greenhouse closes earlier than the garden, so see it first if you want it.

Sources

Facts checked on Oct 4, 2026 against these pages:

fng.or.jp