Beautiful and insightful visit!
The garden walk is absolutely stunning—peaceful, well-maintained, and full of seasonal beauty. I really appreciated the informative signs and readings throughout the park that brought the history to life. The main castle visit (requires an indoor ticket) was a highlight—beautiful architecture and fascinating interior details.
One note of caution: while the signage suggests that the indoor and outdoor areas are included in the combined entry ticket, several indoor exhibitions inside the park actually require additional payment, which wasn’t clearly communicated. Something to be aware of when budgeting your visit.
Still, overall a must-see historical site in Kyoto!
A must visit in Kyoto. This is not only an excellent and impressive display of stunning historical Japanese architecture (both exterior and interior), but also a place of historical significance -- power was handed over to the Emperor here, marking a new era in Japan. A slow walk around the grounds after completing a tour of the palace is recommended, but check the weather and come prepared if rain is expected.
This venue wasn't on our itinerary, but it was a most satisfying surprise! It is well run and efficient for ticketing, entry and shoe depositing. Many of the main castle artworks are reproductions, with the originals on display in the art museum, but I wouldn't have known unless advised by signage. Well worth the stop, even for a quick visit. No photos or video inside, but exterior and grounds are allowed. Many students on-site, in uniform and hurrying through. The signage is quite small for the amount of words used, so getting close enough to read it in a crowd is less fun than I like. Overall a nice place to add to your cultural Kyoto visit!
I will highly recommend Nijō Castle if you are interested in the Japanese heritage.
It is a great walk both inside (no shoes inside is great! ) and in the park outside.
The restrooms are fantastic to be in a public place like this. Clean, advanced with bidet! And easy accessible!
Beautiful inside and out! More like castle surrounded by nature. In case you missed it or planning to visit:Nijo-jo Castle was constructed in 1603 by Tokugawa leyasu, the first Shogun of the Edo Shogunate (1603 - 1867). In 1626, during the reign of the third Shogun Tokugawa lemitsu, the castle was greatly increased in size for the Imperial visit by Emperor Go-Mizuno-o. In addition, it was here at Nijo-jo Castle in 1867 that the fifteenth and last Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu decided to surrender his authority to rule the country to the Emperor, bringing 700 years of samurai rule to an end. From 1884, the castle was used as an occasional residence by the Imperial Family until 1939 when it was presented to Kyoto City. In 1994, the castle was registered as a World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
It’s interesting that this castle had everything from the castle to the garden to observatory deck to coffee shops and small open market for sake and spicy toward the exit gate as of when we visited on Thursday March 27,2025. And you have 2 different types of stamps;you just have to find them.. One of the castle that we really liked and enjoyed visiting!
Price is reasonable;you can buy it online or while there at the machine and pay with card.
