We visited in the second week of March and not everything was blossomed. However, the garden is still beautiful and fresh with new growth and early blooms. You will get to see the gardeners working and learn a thing or two about their upkeeps. The environment can be peaceful and calm even with many visitors walking around. We loved our visit.
This UNESCO site is perfect if you’re into Japanese gardens, landscaping, and architecture. However, if you’re not one to sit quietly and soak in the ambiance, this might not be the best spot for you. After going there 3 times (spring, summer, autumn), autumn is my favorite time!
There are two types of tickets: garden and building. If you can only choose one, I’d recommend the garden ticket—it offers much more to explore and is ideal for those who appreciate serene outdoor spaces. The building ticket mainly gives access to a space where you can relax and enjoy the views, which I personally found enjoyable.
When I visited in December, one of the main halls was closed, so there wasn’t as much to see as I’d hoped. Additionally, the site can be incredibly crowded, with plenty of tour groups coming through, so expect some chaos and noise, which detracts from the overall tranquility.
While I found it amazing, thanks to my love for Japanese aesthetics, I’d suggest managing your expectations if you’re not deeply interested in these aspects. It’s worth visiting for the cultural significance, but the crowds and limited access might make it less enjoyable for some.
The world heritage temple that is also located next to the “Arashiyama Bamboo Forest” - another great landmark like this one! You can either buy tickets for the garden alone or the garden plus the temple. I chose the garden as I’m not interested in Japanese history but if you are, you definitely should! It’s a one-way trip around the garden, once you leave, you can’t go back in. At the north exit, the entrance to the bamboo forest lies there and it is free to the public and can be accessed without the ticket to the garden / temple. I was there around 3pm and it was a big crowd so especially during traveling season.
World heritage temple that is next to the equally famous bamboo forest. Visitors Amy either buy tickets for entry to the garden only or to the temple + garden. We did the latter. The temple was beautiful and sparse, but we get to walk into the various rooms. You first need to enter the temple, then visit the garden after that. It is a one-way trip from there (i.e. once you leave the garden, you can't get back in). From there we exited to the north gate, which leads to the bamboo forest, which is free and can be accessed without paying for the temple visit. The forest lovely but was very busy. But we were there just around 2 pm, so that's expected. The forest is on paved surface and wheelchair/pram accessible. Parking is available in the temple ground for ¥1000 for whole day (till 5 pm). I'd suggest to park here and visit the nearby shops and restaurants as it is good value for money. Car must leave the temple parking by 5 pm or there's an additional charge of ¥2000.
A template which you can pay an entrance fee to see the garden and/or house. We did the garden and it was beautiful. It’s not too long of a walk through the area and you can see a big lake next to the house. Very scenic even in the winter. The exit is right next to the bamboo forest.
