Where is Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle, in Japanese Nijo-jo, stands in the Nakagyo ward in the middle of Kyoto. The nearest subway stop is Nijojo-mae on the Tozai line, right at the castle, and city buses 9 and 50 from Kyoto Station also stop there. Tokugawa Ieyasu had the castle built and it was finished in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of the shogun, so many people simply call it Kyoto's castle. It is a flat castle of moats and stone walls rather than a tall keep, and the main attraction is the palace inside. Visitors also write Nijo Jo Castle, Nijo Palace or Nijo-jo Castle Kyoto when they look for it.
The grounds cover 275,000 m², with an outer circuit of about 2 km, roughly 600 m from east to west and 400 m from north to south. Plan on one to one and a half hours for the Ninomaru Palace and the garden. More about the route is on the page on how to get to Nijo Castle.
Our picks: Nijo Castle and Kyoto tours
From a short ticketed visit to a private tour and a full coach day. With little time, the 90-minute tour with admission fits; for more of Kyoto, take a coach day.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Morning tour: Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle and Imperial Palace
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Admission fees and transport included
A morning that fits Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace together. It runs from both Osaka and Kyoto, each with its own meeting point.
Check availability →
Kyoto by coach: Nijo, Bamboo Grove and Fushimi Inari
- Spanish and English guide
- Transport from the meeting point
- Nijo and two more sights (if option selected)
A full day by coach that starts south of Kyoto Station and covers the main sights. Admissions are only included if you pick that option when booking.
Check availability →
Nijo Castle seasonal light-up with a guide
- Light-up event admission
- English-speaking guide
- Photography stops
A guided walk through Nijo Castle in the evening during the limited light-up season. Check that your date falls inside the event period before you book.
Check availability →
Nijo Castle World Heritage tour with admission
- Nijo Castle admission
- 1.5-hour guided tour
Castle admission and a 1.5-hour guided tour are included.
Check availability →
Guided visit to Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Public transport during the tour
- Entrance fees included
About two and a half hours covering Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace, with public transport between them included.
Check availability →
Nijo Castle and Ninomaru Palace in 60 minutes
- Higashi-Ote-mon and Kara-mon gates
- Ninomaru Palace commentary
- Ninomaru Garden
A one-hour guided walk from the gates through Ninomaru Palace and its garden. The castle admission fee is not included and is paid separately.
Check availability →Nijo Castle tours and tickets
Guided walks of the castle, tours that combine it with the Imperial Palace and full-day tours of Kyoto with a stop at Nijo. Check each card for whether the castle admission is included.
A UNESCO World Heritage castle
Since 1994 Nijo Castle has been part of the World Heritage site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities), listed under criteria (ii) and (iv). The site has 17 components, and Nijo is the one castle among them, owned by the city of Kyoto.
The castle also carries a famous chapter of Japanese history. In 1867 the 15th shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, announced in the Ohiroma hall of the Ninomaru Palace that he would return political power to the emperor. The story of the building, from the shogun's residence to an imperial villa and a city property, is told on the history page.
Ninomaru and Honmaru palaces
Two palaces, two separate visits.
The Ninomaru Palace is the part most visitors come for. It consists of six connected buildings in the shoin-zukuri style and is a National Treasure. Inside you walk along the nightingale floors, past wall paintings of the Kano school and through the reception rooms. The details are on the page about the Ninomaru Palace.
The Honmaru Palace in the inner castle area reopened on 1 September 2024 after 18 years. It needs its own ticket on top of the castle admission, and it is entered in timed groups. The Honmaru is not part of the Ninomaru ticket, so treat it as a separate booking. Everything about the rules is collected on the Honmaru Palace page.
Tickets and opening hours
The short version, with the details one click away.
The castle admits visitors from 08:45 to 16:00 and closes at 17:00. The Ninomaru Palace admits visitors until 16:10. All fees, the Honmaru timed tickets and the discount with a subway day pass are on the tickets page; the closing days are on the opening hours page.
Gardens and the seasonal light-up
Three gardens belong to the castle: the pond garden at the Ninomaru Palace, the lawn garden of the Honmaru and the Seiryu-en, laid out in 1965. About 300 cherry trees of 50 varieties bloom in spring, and the plum trees come first. In autumn the castle opens in the evening for a light-up. The 2026 autumn light-up runs from 23 October to 5 December and needs its own ticket. Read more in the guides to the gardens and to Nijo Castle at night.
Everything about Nijo Castle
All pages of this guide.
Nijo Castle tours
Official English guide, audio guide and tours with or without admission.
Tickets and entrance fees
Fees for 2026, Honmaru timed tickets and the day pass discount.
Opening hours and closing days
Entry times, closing days and the shortened day on 6 December 2026.
The Ninomaru Palace
Nightingale floors, Kano school paintings and the rooms.
The Honmaru Palace
Timed tickets, the walk from the gate and the rules inside.
Gardens and seasons
Ninomaru, Honmaru, Seiryu-en, blossoms and autumn colours.
Nijo Castle at night
The autumn light-up 2026 and the spring Sakura Matsuri.
Castle and Imperial Palace
Visiting both and what combined tours include.
Things to do nearby
Nishiki Market, Shinsen-en and day tours of Kyoto.
History of the castle
From Ieyasu to the imperial visit and the 1867 handover.
Best time to visit
Blossoms, autumn colours, summer heat and climate values.
How to get there
Subway, bus, Kansai Airport and parking.
Where to stay
Areas near Nijojo-mae, Karasuma and Kyoto Station.
Good to know
Practical points for 2026.
Shoes off, no photos inside
You take off your shoes in the palaces, and photos and videos are not allowed inside. Outdoors, snapshots on the visitor paths are fine.
Ninomaru Palace →Honmaru is booked separately
Honmaru tickets go on sale 30 days ahead with a time slot, and a small number of day tickets may be available at the information center. Do not count on a spontaneous slot.
Honmaru rules →Evening is a separate ticket
The daytime ticket does not cover the light-up in the evening. The evening visit has its own tariff and its own route.
Light-up →6 December 2026
On this day the last castle entry is at 12:00 and the Ninomaru at 12:10, with closing at 17:00, because of the procession marking 400 years since the imperial visit.
Opening hours →Nijo Castle fits well into a day with other sights. Kyoto's golden temple has its own guide at Kinkaku-ji, and the city as a whole is covered at Kyoto Prefecture.
Nijo Castle: frequently asked questions
How much does Nijo Castle cost?
The castle grounds cost 800 JPY for adults, and 1,300 JPY with the Ninomaru Palace. The Honmaru Palace is 1,000 JPY extra. Details are on the tickets page.
What are the opening hours?
Entry is from 08:45 to 16:00 and the castle closes at 17:00. The Ninomaru Palace admits visitors until 16:10. See the opening hours page for closing days.
Do I need a tour?
No, you can buy a ticket and walk the route yourself. A guide helps with the history and the paintings, and some tours include the admission. Compare them on the tours page.
Can I see the Honmaru Palace on the same ticket as the Ninomaru?
No. The Honmaru Palace is a separate ticket with a time slot, on top of the castle admission. No tour on this site includes a Honmaru visit.
How long should I plan?
About 30 minutes for the Ninomaru Palace alone, one to one and a half hours with the garden, and 2.5 to 3 hours if you add the Honmaru Palace and its garden.
Is nijo-castle.org the official website of the castle?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not run by Nijo Castle, the City of Kyoto or any administration.