What other travelers are saying about Heian Shrine
Wonderful landscaped garden and pond. I happened to be here during Christmas, they have beautiful illumination at night for winter and it is absolutely breathtaking with the temple music, vapor effects and animated light shows. It is quite magical during the day and transforms into a fairy tale fantasy paradise at night during the illumination event.
The entrance to the temple area is free but there is a 600 yen to see the garden and ponds. Came here during some special events; there were horses, old cars, and tons of people dressed up in old fashioned Japanese clothing and solders. Part of the temple was closed to avoid overcrowded. Garden seems to be in another world, not affected by the busy festival outside. The ponds are definitely beautiful. Lots of fish was and lotus flower. The tiny stream has tiny clams. I saw a kingfisher but it was too quick for me to take photos. There are long hallways and old buildings that they also reserved for weddings.
Pretty temple with different types of stunning traditional gardens and serene scenery.
A refreshing and calming escape amidst the bustling tourist areas!
Although you need to pay to access the gardens (temple access is free), I highly recommend visiting. Definitely worth the price. I was there from 2 to 4:30 PM, and the gardens were quiet with very few visitors.
This is my second visit, and I was so glad that I came back to see the garden with the stepping stones that were arranged like a dragon.
The leaves were starting to change colors. Plus I came after 4 pm around sunset so the garden was quiet. The overall feel was peaceful and relaxing. It served as a much needed break from touring the hectic city all day.
The shrine itself is beautiful, but what really stood out to me was the incredible garden. Even though we visited in the summer and missed the sakura blossoms, the garden was still breathtakingly beautiful. There’s something so peaceful and special about Japanese gardens, and this one did not disappoint. We had a lovely time feeding the fish and even spotted a heron—it was such a cute and serene moment. Highly recommend visiting the garden if you’re in the area!
