Nijō Castle: A guide to highlights, opening hours, tickets, and access

Contents

Highlights of Nijō Castle
Basic Information about Nijō Castle
Tickets for Nijō Castle
Getting to Nijō Castle

Highlights of Nijō Castle

Nijō Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu as his base in Kyoto. Ninomaru Palace, which witnessed both the beginning and the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, is known as the place where Shogun Yoshinobu expressed his intention to return political power to the emperor.

Southeast Corner Turret and East Main Gate

The southeastern turret stands at a corner of the outer moat, with white walls and stone ramparts extending along the water’s edge. Viewed across the moat, the southeastern turret is one of the characteristic sights of Nijō Castle.

The East Main Gate, facing Horikawa Street, is the entrance for visiting Nijō Castle.

Karamon Gate

Karamon is the main gate of Ninomaru Palace. The transom of the gabled gate is decorated with carvings of pine, bamboo, plum blossoms, cranes, and butterflies, and the covered carriage entrance of Ninomaru Palace can be seen beyond it.

Ninomaru Palace

The buildings of the Ninomaru Palace are arranged in a zigzag pattern, while white walls and horizontal wooden latticework extend beneath the deeply projecting tiled roofs.

The Ninomaru Palace, a National Treasure, is a shoin-zukuri-style building made up of 6 connected structures. Visitors can see the Great Hall, where the intention to return political power to the emperor was expressed, wall paintings by the Kanō school, ranma carvings, and a corridor with a “nightingale floor” that makes a sound when walked on.

Honmaru Palace and Gardens

Honmaru Palace is an imperial-family residence relocated from the former Katsura-no-miya Palace. The layout and design of its buildings offer a glimpse into the modern-era life of a branch of the Imperial Family. The castle grounds also contain the Ninomaru Garden, Honmaru Garden and Seiryū-en Garden, which can be visited together with the palace.

Cherry Blossoms and Nighttime Events

At night, weeping cherry trees are illuminated within the castle grounds, and the outlines of the blossoms emerge from the darkness.

Nijō Castle is home to several varieties of cherry trees. In years when evening events are held in spring, you can enjoy the illuminated cherry blossoms and views of the castle grounds.

Basic Information about Nijō Castle

The information below was checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. Please also check the latest information on the official website when planning your trip.

🔗 Official website: Check the latest information on public access, opening hours, admission fees, and conditions for visiting the palaces.

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nijo-jocastle.city.kyoto.lg.jp
📍 Address: Nijojo-cho 541, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
🕐 Opening hours: 8:45–17:00 (last admission to the castle grounds at 16:00). The site closes around the year-end holidays, and the palaces have additional closure days. The dates and admission arrangements for spring evening events vary each year.
💴 Admission: Standard admission to the castle grounds is 800 yen for adults. Prices for elementary, junior high, and high school students and details of tickets that include palace admission are explained in the next ticket section.
⏱ Suggested visit time: Allow about 1 hour and 30 minutes for Ninomaru Palace and the gardens, or about 2–3 hours if you also visit Honmaru Palace.
⚠️ Visit times vary depending on crowds and the areas you choose to see.

Tickets for Nijō Castle

Choose a ticket according to the palace you wish to visit.

Ticket types and prices

Visiting area	Adults	Junior and senior high school students	Elementary school students
Castle admission only	800 yen	400 yen	300 yen
Castle admission + Ninomaru Palace	1,300 yen	400 yen	300 yen
Honmaru Palace viewing ticket	1,000 yen	300 yen	200 yen

Admission is free for children below elementary school age. The admission fee to the castle is not included in the Honmaru Palace viewing ticket. To visit Honmaru Palace, you need a castle admission ticket in addition to the Honmaru Palace viewing ticket. If you also wish to visit Ninomaru Palace, purchase the “castle admission + Ninomaru Palace” combination ticket instead of a castle admission ticket.

Purchase and Reservation Notes

Ninomaru Palace: No reservation is required. The “admission + Ninomaru Palace” ticket can be purchased online or at the ticket office beside the East Main Gate.
Honmaru Palace: Advance reservations are required. Tickets to visit Honmaru Palace can be purchased online from 30 days before the date of your visit.
Changes and cancellations: After purchasing or reserving a visit to Honmaru Palace, changes, cancellations, and refunds are not possible.
Getting around on the day: If you are late for your reserved time, you may not be allowed to visit. It takes approximately 15–20 minutes to get from the East Main Gate to Honmaru Palace.

Special Tickets, Such as for Illuminations

Special events such as the nighttime illumination require a separate ticket from regular admission. “NAKED meets Nijo Castle 2026” in autumn 2026 has separate daytime and nighttime admission; the nighttime event runs from October 23 to December 5, 2026, from 18:00 to 22:00 (last admission at 21:00).

Autumn illumination 2026	Monday–Thursday	Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays
Early-bird discount (through October 22)	1,600 yen	2,000 yen
Regular price (from October 23)	2,000 yen	2,400 yen

The duration, viewing area, prices, and sales outlets for special events vary by event. A regular admission ticket or annual pass may not be valid for a special event, so check the dedicated ticket requirements in the official information for the event you plan to visit.