Nijo Castle · Kyoto
Step into the palace at Nijo's inner heart
Behind the inner moat stands a palace of an imperial princely house, moved here in the 1890s and open again since 2024.
From €29 per adult, both tickets
See entry timesEach fare books two tickets per visitor: your Honmaru Palace time and castle entry with the Ninomaru Palace.
Fares for one visit
Pick a fare for each visitor, then a time
Every fare holds a 20-minute Honmaru Palace entry time and castle admission with the Ninomaru Palace, for the same date and the same visitor.
| Fare | What it covers | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most chosen Honmaru + castle entry · Adult Adults and university students: everyone past high school |
| €29per person | Select adult |
| Honmaru + castle entry · Junior high & high school Junior high and high school students, usually aged about 12 to 18 |
| €15per person | Select junior & high school |
| Honmaru + castle entry · Elementary school Elementary school pupils, usually aged about 6 to 12 |
| €14per person | Select elementary |
Worth knowing first
- Children below elementary-school age go in free with you; the castle sells no ticket for them.
- On Tuesdays in January, July, August and December the Ninomaru Palace is shut, so the adult fare isn't offered on those dates.
- The castle allows no changes, cancellations or refunds once tickets are bought, so check your date and party before you pay.
- Both tickets in one bookingHonmaru time and castle entry for each visitor
- Settled before you reach KyotoPaid in your currency at the figure on screen
- E-tickets by emailOne for the East Gate, one for the palace door
- A person repliesAsk us anything about Nijo, in plain English
Eighteen years behind the moat
A prince's palace, open to visitors again
Nijo Castle was finished in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun. In 1624 his grandson's government began enlarging it for a five-day visit by Emperor Go-Mizunoo in 1626, pushing the grounds west to make room for an inner ward, the Honmaru, ringed by its own moat and stone walls.
That first inner palace burned in the great fire of 1788, and the keep had already been lost to lightning in 1750. The Honmaru stayed largely empty until 1893 and 1894, when the castle, by then an imperial villa, received the main buildings of the Katsura-no-miya palace from beside the Kyoto Imperial Palace: an entrance hall, audience rooms, the two-storey living quarters, a kitchen and attendants' rooms. Emperor Meiji came to stay, and so did two future emperors as crown princes.
Today it is the only large Edo-period palace of an imperial family branch still standing. After full-scale repairs finished in March 2024, it opened to the public on 1 September 2024 for the first time in 18 years, with paintings by Kano Eigaku and Nakajima Raisho back on view in rooms you walk through in your socks.
- UNESCO
- World Heritage since 1994
- 1626
- Enlarged for an emperor's visit
- 18 years
- Honmaru Palace closed, until 2024
- 15
- Visitors let in at a time
The rooms take turns
To protect the original paintings, the Otsune-goten living quarters open a few rooms at a time on a published schedule.
- Until 15 Nov 2026The pine-and-crane room, the pheasant room and the storeroom
- 18 Nov 2026 – 14 Mar 2027The room of flowers of the four seasons, with the farming, bush-clover and dressing rooms
- 17 Mar – 18 Apr 2027The pine-and-crane room, the pheasant room and the storeroom again
How a 20-minute time works
From the East Gate to the palace door
Your time is when you go into the Honmaru Palace, not when you arrive at the castle. Here is how the castle asks you to plan it.
- 20 minutes before
Through the East Gate
Show your castle admission e-ticket at the Higashi Ote-mon. The castle asks you to be inside by now.
- 15 to 20 minutes
The walk inward
About 850 metres past the Kara-mon and the Ninomaru Palace, then over the inner moat.
- Your time
At the palace door
Staff take visitors in order of arrival, about fifteen at a time. Shoes and bags go into lockers.
- About 8 minutes
A short film
An introduction to the palace and the princely house that lived in it.
- About 40 minutes
At your own pace
In your socks, through the audience rooms and living quarters. No photos inside.
The way in
Two moats, two palaces, one walk
Everyone goes in by the East Gate. The Honmaru sits inside its own moat on the west side of the grounds, so the walk takes you past most of the castle on the way.
- 1Higashi Ote-mon, the East Gate
The main gate, rebuilt in 1662. Show your castle admission e-ticket here.
- 2Kara-mon Gate
The gilded gate of the Ninomaru, carved with cranes, pine, bamboo and plum.
- 3Ninomaru Palace
Six connected buildings and a National Treasure. About 30 minutes; last reception 16:10.
- 4Ninomaru Garden
A pond garden beside the Grand Hall, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
- 5Over the inner moat
The east bridge into the Honmaru, through a gate faced with copper plates.
- 6Honmaru Palace
Your booked time. Afterwards, climb the keep tower base for the view back over the palace.
Higashi Ote-mon, where every visit starts.
The Kara-mon, gateway to the Ninomaru Palace.
The Ninomaru Palace, home of the nightingale floors.
The Ninomaru Garden, beside the Grand Hall.
Before you go
Read up on the castle
Before you book
Questions visitors ask us most
What does a fare on this site include?
Two tickets for each visitor: a Honmaru Palace ticket for the date and 20-minute entry time you choose, and castle admission with the Ninomaru Palace. The Honmaru ticket on its own does not let you through the castle gate, so we always book both.
Do I need to book the Honmaru Palace in advance?
Yes. The castle runs the Honmaru Palace by reservation and caps the number of tickets it sells for each entry time, to protect the paintings and the narrow corridors. Only a handful of places are kept back for the day itself, so a booked time is the dependable way in.
How far ahead can I book?
The castle releases each day's Honmaru places 30 days before. Pick a date inside that window and we book it when you pay. For a later date, hold it with no payment and we come back to you once that day goes on sale.
How many people go in at once?
About fifteen. The palace was a home, not a museum, so its corridors are narrow and the castle limits numbers to protect the paintings. That is why the times sell and why the ticket count is capped.
When should I arrive?
Be through the East Gate at least 20 minutes before your Honmaru time. The palace is about 850 metres inside, a 15 to 20 minute walk. The castle may refuse late arrivals, and a missed time is not refunded.
How long is the Honmaru Palace visit?
About 40 minutes inside, after an introductory film of about 8 minutes. You follow the route at your own pace. There are no guided tours inside the Honmaru Palace.
Can I take photos inside?
No. Photos and video are not allowed inside the Honmaru Palace or the Ninomaru Palace. You can photograph the gates, gardens and palace exteriors, and the paintings in the Painting Gallery, without flash or a tripod.
Do I have to take my shoes off?
Yes. Shoes come off at the Honmaru Palace entrance and go into a locking shoe box. The castle asks everyone to wear socks inside, to protect the floors, so don't come barefoot or in sandals without them.
Which fare is right for my children?
Junior high and high school students take the junior and high school fare. Elementary school pupils take the elementary fare. Children below elementary-school age go in free with you; the castle sells no ticket for them.
Is the Ninomaru Palace always open?
No. It closes every Tuesday in January, July, August and December, and over New Year. On those Tuesdays we don't offer the adult fare, because its Ninomaru part could not be used. The Honmaru Palace keeps its own closed days.
Which days is the Honmaru Palace closed?
The third Monday of each month and the day after, unless either is a public holiday, plus 26 to 28 December and 1 to 3 January. The castle grounds close 29 to 31 December. Closed days are greyed out in our date picker.
Can I change or cancel my booking?
No. The castle does not allow changes, cancellations or refunds once tickets are bought, so please check your date, entry time and the ages in your party before you pay.
Are you the castle?
No. We are an independent booking service. We book the castle's own tickets for you, send them by email and answer your questions. Our service is included in the price you see.
Which rooms will I see in the Honmaru Palace?
The entrance hall, the Goshoin audience rooms and the Otsune-goten living quarters. The Otsune-goten rooms open in rotation to protect their original paintings: from 18 November 2026 to 14 March 2027 it shows the room of flowers of the four seasons, among others.
How long should I allow for the whole castle?
Two and a half to three hours if you see both palaces and the Honmaru garden. The Ninomaru Palace and its garden alone take one to one and a half hours, and the Ninomaru visit itself about 30 minutes.
Is the castle accessible by wheelchair?
Partly. You can visit both palaces by moving into a wheelchair provided for viewing, and the route to the Honmaru Palace has a step-free detour. Power-assist wheelchairs are lent free at the General Information Desk, first come.
Can I leave luggage?
Yes. There are paid coin lockers by the ticket office and in the main rest area, and a paid baggage room in the main rest area. Bags larger than 35 by 35 by 50 cm can't go into the Honmaru Palace lockers.
A few more
Can I bring a pet?
Only guide dogs and hearing dogs. No other animals are allowed in the castle.
Is there somewhere to eat?
Yes. The main rest area and the Waraku-an tea house serve drinks and light food. You can eat your own lunch in the main rest area only, and you take your rubbish home.
Can I leave and come back in?
No. Re-entry to the castle and to the palaces is not allowed, so plan to see everything in one go.
Is there a guided tour of the Honmaru Palace?
No. The castle runs guided tours of the grounds, but there are none inside the Honmaru Palace. You follow the route on your own after the introductory film.
Sources: Nijo Castle: fees · Nijo Castle: viewing the Honmaru-goten Palace · Nijo Castle: opening hours and closed days · Nijo Castle: FAQ · Nijo Castle: Honmaru-goten Palace and garden · Nijo Castle: access
Your day at Nijo
Pick the day, then the time
Places for each day go on sale 30 days before, and about fifteen people go in at a time. Choose your date and we'll show you which times are still open.
From €29 per adult, both tickets
See entry times