Izu Shaboten Zoo Guide 2026: Tickets, Hours, Bus from Ito, Dogs & Capybaras

Izu Shaboten Zoo (伊豆シャボテン動物公園) in Ito, Shizuoka charges adults (junior high school and older) 2,800 yen on weekdays and 3,000 yen on weekends, holidays and school-holiday periods; it is open every day, usually 9:30–17:00 (8:30–17:30 on peak days). From JR Ito Station, Tokai Bus "Shaboten Koen" (シャボテン公園) takes about 49 minutes and costs 880 yen, rising to 1,010 yen on October 1, 2026. Dogs are allowed on a leash of 1 m or less (sources: Izu Shaboten Zoo official site and Tokai Bus official site, checked 2026-09-23).

This guide is written for visitors coming from Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan without much Japanese. It covers tickets, discounts, opening hours, the bus from Ito and Izu-Kogen stations, IC cards, dogs, the capybaras, paid animal experiences, luggage and payment. Every figure comes from the zoo operator, Tokai Bus or the Ito Tourist Association and is dated. Getting from Tokyo to Ito Station itself is covered in Tokyo to Ito by train.

Tickets (checked 2026-09-23)

• There are two price levels: weekday, and "holiday" (Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and long school-holiday periods). The official fee calendar colour-codes each day.
• The official price table starts at "age 4 and up". It does not list a category for children aged 3 and under, so ask at the gate.
• A welfare discount applies with a Japanese disability certificate; the amount is not published.
• The official homepage links to discounted e-tickets sold through an outside ticketing site. The e-ticket price is not shown on the zoo's own pages, so it is not quoted here.
• The Ito Tourist Association's page still shows older, lower prices (for example 2,700 yen for adults on weekdays) as of 2026-09-23. Treat the zoo's own site as correct (sources: Izu Shaboten Zoo, hours and admission; Ito Tourist Association, checked 2026-09-23).

Tickets are sold at the gate. The main gate and pedestrian gate take credit cards, but there is no ATM inside the zoo, so withdraw any cash you need before you arrive.

Discounts: the Tokai Bus 2-day pass pays for itself

Three discounts are confirmed on official pages:

The 2-day pass price changes for passes sold from October 1, 2026: currently 1,800 yen for adults and 900 yen for children, then 2,150 yen and 1,080 yen. Bought in the EMot smartphone app, the child pass is 500 yen (source: Tokai Bus 2-Day Pass, checked 2026-09-23).

Here is the arithmetic for one adult making a return trip from Ito Station (fares from the bus fare table below):

In both periods the pass is cheaper than paying cash both ways, before you even use it again. The same pass takes 100 yen off the adult Mt. Omuro chairlift ticket next door, and covers almost all Tokai buses in Ito City for two days. The adult annual pass (10,400 yen) pays off on the fourth weekday visit (4 × 2,800 = 11,200 yen), so it only makes sense for residents or repeat visitors.

Opening hours (checked 2026-09-23)

• The zoo is open every day of the year. Hours vary by season and day and are listed per day on the official fee calendar; the October 2026 calendar shows 9:30–17:00 every day.
• Last admission is only stated for 8:30–17:30 days (17:00). For normal days the official pages do not give a last-entry time; if you will arrive late, call +81-557-51-1111.
• Closing and last-admission times can change in bad weather such as typhoons (source: official hours and admission, checked 2026-09-23).

Getting there by bus from Ito or Izu-Kogen

• Tokai Bus and the zoo give different ride times. Plan on the bus company's figures (about 49 and 24 minutes) and check the day's departures on Tokai Bus's timetable search.
• At Ito Station, the bus stops are to the left as you exit the ticket gates. At Izu-Kogen Station, the stop is about a minute's walk from the Sakuranamiki exit.
• Get off at the last stop, "Shaboten Koen"; Tokai Bus gives about 5 minutes on foot from there. The same terminal serves the Mt. Omuro chairlift.
• The zoo's own directions for rail travellers are: Tokaido Shinkansen or Tokaido Line to Atami, then the JR Ito Line to Ito Station (sources: Tokai Bus sightseeing access; official access page, checked 2026-09-23).

Bus fares (one way; revised October 1, 2026)

• Tokai Bus raises fares on all regular routes on Thursday, October 1, 2026 (approved by the Chubu District Transport Bureau on September 3, 2026). Single fares are the same in cash and by IC card.
• Suica, PASMO and the other nationwide IC cards (ICOCA, TOICA, Kitaca, manaca and more) work on Tokai route buses. Board at the front door and tap on and off; you do not need a numbered ticket when paying by IC. If one card is paying for several people, tell the driver before you tap. If your balance is short you can top up on board with 1,000-yen notes only (sources: Tokai Bus fare revision table, PDF; Tokai Bus IC card guide, checked 2026-09-23).
• A Japan Rail Pass does not cover Tokai Bus. It is a separate company from JR and from Izu Kyuko.

By car

• Parking holds 400 cars and 18 buses. It is paid, but the fee is not listed on the zoo's pages.
• About 85 km from the Atsugi IC of the Tomei Expressway via the Odawara-Atsugi Road and Route 135, or about 55 km from Numazu / Nagaizumi-Numazu IC via the Izu Jukan Expressway. The zoo suggests the Hakone Turnpike and Izu Skyline to avoid peak-season traffic. There is an EV fast charger (sources: official FAQ; official access page, checked 2026-09-23).

Bringing a dog (checked 2026-09-23)

• Dogs are allowed. Animals roam free inside the zoo, so keep your dog on a leash of 1 m or less.
• Dogs cannot enter: Bird Paradise, Kangaroo Hill, Nakayoshi Farm, the Capybara Rainbow Plaza, the Animal Boat Tours, the Red Panda House, Touch dezoo, the baby room, and the inside of restaurants.
• The food court's terrace seats are dog-friendly, though they can be full in peak season.
• Pets without the vaccinations required by Japanese law are not admitted.
• The official FAQ asks owners to take turns visiting the dog-free areas. Because the capybara petting area is one of them, a dog-friendly visit works best with at least two adults (source: official pet policy, checked 2026-09-23).

Capybaras all year, not only in winter

The zoo calls the capybara its most popular animal, and you can see them in any season:

• Capybara Rainbow Plaza (カピバラ虹の広場): an area where you can touch the capybaras (no dogs).
• Animal Boat Tours: capybaras and flamingos live along the pond shore and can be seen from the boat.
• The original Capybara Open-Air Bath (元祖カピバラの露天風呂): according to the zoo, it began one winter day in 1982 when keepers cleaning the enclosure with hot water noticed the capybaras gathering in the warm puddles. 2026 marks 60 years of keeping capybaras at the zoo, and the winter-solstice yuzu bath reaches its 30th season in 2026–2027.
• The 2026–2027 bath season runs Saturday, November 21, 2026 to Sunday, April 4, 2027. Session times and special events are collected on our sister site: Capybara Onsen 2026–2027 (Japan-Event) (sources: official capybara page; official bath announcement, checked 2026-09-23).

Paid experiences and how long to allow

The zoo does not publish an overall "allow X hours" figure. What it does publish is the length of individual experiences:

• The boat tours stop on some days for pond maintenance (the zoo announced a full-day suspension on September 16, 2026, for example). Check the official news page on the day if the boat is your priority.
• The Savanna Area opened in May 2025. From a wooden deck about 3 m above the ground you can feed the giraffes at eye level. They are the first giraffes the zoo has kept since it opened in 1959: Niko arrived in April 2025 and Yume in July 2025.
• The llama zipline sends a snack along a rope about 10 m long up to the llamas on the hill.
• Five cactus greenhouses (South America, Africa, Forest Cactus, Madagascar and Mexico) hold about 1,500 kinds of cacti and succulents, including a golden barrel cactus about 170 years old in the Mexico house. They are indoors, which helps on a rainy day.
• At cactus picking you choose from over 100 kinds and staff pot your own arrangement (sources: official boat tours; official Savanna Area; official cactus page, checked 2026-09-23).

Luggage, strollers, food and payment (checked 2026-09-23)

• Coin lockers are available. Bags too big for the lockers can be left at the front desk for a fee, which is useful if you come straight from the station with a suitcase.
• Strollers can be rented (paid, limited numbers, first come first served). There is a baby room for nappy changes and nursing, and a first-aid room.
• You may bring your own food, eaten at the benches; take your rubbish home or use the bins. Never feed your own food to the animals.
• Credit cards are accepted at the ticket gates, the GIBBONTEI restaurant and the Animal Mart gift shop. There is no ATM in the zoo; use a convenience store before you come.
• Photos and video are for private use only. Live-streaming on social media and flying drones anywhere in the zoo are prohibited.
• The zoo runs an English website (izushaboten.com/en/) as well as Simplified and Traditional Chinese versions (source: official FAQ, checked 2026-09-23).

Combining it with nearby stops

Buses for the zoo that run via Ippekiko pass Lake Ippeki, a volcanic crater lake about a 380-yen ride away (440 yen from October 1). How to walk and boat on the lake is in our Lake Ippeki guide. To end the day with a soak near Ito Station, the Ito Onsen public bathhouses (Shichifukujin baths) are within walking distance of the station. Festival and event dates for Ito are kept on Ito festivals and events 2026–2027 (Japan-Event).

Frequently asked questions

Q. How much are Izu Shaboten Zoo tickets? A. Adults (junior high school and older) pay 2,800 yen on weekdays and 3,000 yen on weekends, holidays and long school holidays; elementary children 1,400 / 1,500 yen; children 4 and up 700 / 800 yen. Showing the Tokai Bus Ito / Izu-Kogen 2-Day Pass takes 200 yen off adult and 100 yen off elementary admission (official site and Tokai Bus, checked 2026-09-23).

Q. What are the opening hours? A. Open every day. Usually 9:30–17:00, and 8:30–17:30 (last admission 17:00) on peak days. The daily hours are on the official fee calendar; October 2026 shows 9:30–17:00 every day (official site, checked 2026-09-23).

Q. How do I get there from Tokyo? A. Take the train to Ito Station (for example via Atami and the JR Ito Line), then Tokai Bus from stop 5 for "Shaboten Koen", about 49 minutes. The fare is 880 yen, 1,010 yen from October 1, 2026, and Suica/PASMO work. From Izu-Kogen Station the bus takes about 24 minutes (Tokai Bus, checked 2026-09-23).

Q. Can I bring my dog? A. Yes, on a leash of 1 m or less. Dogs cannot enter the Capybara Rainbow Plaza, the Animal Boat Tours, restaurant interiors and several other areas; the food-court terrace seats are fine (official site, checked 2026-09-23).

Q. How long should I spend there? A. The zoo does not publish an overall time. It publishes the length of each experience: about 15 minutes for the round-the-pond boat and about 20 minutes for the Monkey Island landing. Work backwards from your return bus (official site, checked 2026-09-23).

Sources and update policy

Admission, hours, pet rules and facilities were copied on 2026-09-23 from the Izu Shaboten Zoo official site (hours and admission, access, pet policy, FAQ, annual pass, boat tours, capybara pages); bus details from Tokai Bus (sightseeing access, 2-day pass, fare revision, IC card pages); with the Ito Tourist Association as a cross-check. Prices and hours change, so check the official site before you go.

Update history: 2026-09-23 created from official sources