Kobe Animal Kingdom — Attraction in Kobe

4.5 ⭐️ a must visit!

This is one of the best zoos I've been to. Great value for money, in my opinion. There is an awesome selection of animals on show. I especially appreciated the original and authentic enclosures. Speaking of which, they were clean, and the animals themselves generally appeared in good health. I really liked that there were enclosures, like the spoon bill and the African wetlands, that were more open. This allowed you to get closer to the animals for a unique experience. It also allowed you to photograph/video much better. There are a lot of plants and flowers throughout the entire zoo, which added a lovely touch. There are multiple food stalls on site and plenty of seating. I'm especially fond of the fact that this zoo engages in multiple conservation projects.

Lowlights: During my visit, it appeared that the Puma cage was very small considering the size of the animals and their usual habitats. I also noticed that one of the cats themselves had an injury and looked malnourished. This may be completely under control by the zoo, but a notice on the enclosure would have been reassuring for visitors. I also noticed that many of the mamals appeared anxious, pacing back and forth in their cages. While I understand that to a certain degree, nothing can be done about this without simply not having animals at a zoo, I've just never noticed it so much during other zoo visits. I'm not sure what can be done to help this situation, but it felt a bit stressful watching the animals...

5 Stars – An Unforgettable Animal Experience for All Ages

Kobe Animal Kingdom is a newly developed, state-of-the-art zoo that offers a refreshing and highly interactive experience. Unlike traditional zoos, this park allows visitors to truly connect with the animals—you can feed, pet, and observe them up close. These special encounters require free timed tickets, which help manage crowding and ensure a calm, enjoyable experience.

The park boasts a surprisingly diverse collection of species, including pygmy hippos, pumas, and lesser-known wildcats—animals rarely seen in most zoos. The enclosures are designed with care, offering excellent visibility from all angles, even for small children, making the park extremely family-friendly.

What really stands out is the close interaction between visitors, animals, and zookeepers. It’s clear that the staff are passionate and knowledgeable, and they actively engage with guests, creating a meaningful and educational environment.

While the entrance fee is slightly above average, the quality of the experience makes it well worth it. Inside, you’ll find several restaurants offering tasty and affordable food, but guests are also welcome to bring their own meals and enjoy the many seating areas and picnic spots.

In short, Kobe Animal Kingdom is much more than a zoo—it’s an immersive, hands-on experience that’s perfect for curious kids and animal-loving adults alike. Whether you’re a family or a solo traveler, this park promises a memorable and...

I can’t believe I was almost considering skipping Animal Kingdom to make time for other attractions. After beef at Kokubu, Animal Kingdom was our most memorable experience in Kobe and one of the most memorable in Japan. It seems pretty exorbitantly priced at 1800 yen each for a seemingly small zoo. However once you go inside, you realize it’s very different from a traditional zoo in the West. Here a lot of animals are just roaming around among the humans, and you can touch, pat and photograph with them. There is a section with lemurs jumping around. You can get very close to them, although exercise caution as they’re wild animals. In another section, you can pat capybaras, galapagos tortoise and even walk among anteaters, tucan birds and marmoset monkey and even a sloth. One of the best experiences here was seeing a red panda up close as it has evaded us in all the zoos we’ve ever been to, including feeding the red panda experience. They have a lot of unique animals, and at the end even a section where you can play with kangaroos. The photos posted here are just the highlight reel and there are so many other animals to watch and be enchanted by.

Overall it is an excellent place to spend middle of the day if you love animals and is a very different experience from being in yet another zoo. If there is one thing you can do in Kobe apart from eating Kobe beef (I recommend...