Maruyama Zoo

A menagerie of winter-loving animals

Conveniently located near downtown Sapporo and surrounded by a large park, Maruyama Zoo is a popular destination year-round. During winter, visitors can enjoy a rare chance to see cold-weather animals like polar bears at their most active.

Maruyama Zoo focuses on helping its visitors experience nature up close. The enclosures mimic the animals’ natural habitats as much as possible to let them show off their personalities. You can watch polar bears play and swim in deep pools of water, or see Siberian tigers and snow leopards wrestle and climb in their habitats. Local animals such as Japanese snow monkeys and Hokkaido squirrels add to the energetic winter fun.

In case you need to take a short break from the cold, there are several heated rest areas. The zoo also has indoor habitats for tropical animals like giraffes and kangaroos, so the nature-viewing fun can continue while you warm up. A petting zoo is available for kids to meet some smaller animals. Since children get free admission to Maruyama Zoo, it’s a great option for a family winter experience.

How to get there

Maruyama Park is about 10 minutes by subway from Sapporo Station. From Maruyama Koen Station, it’s a 15-minute walk through the park to the zoo’s entrance.

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