Apr. 21, 2021 UPDATE

Kyoto Imperial Palace

- 京都御所 -
Traveler Friendly
Very informative tour in English
Information
Japanese, English, and Chinese
Languages spoken
Japanese and English
3655 94 9.7 1 reviews
Apr. 21, 2021 UPDATE

Kyoto Imperial Palace

- 京都御所 -
Traveler Friendly
Very informative tour in English
Information
Japanese, English, and Chinese
Languages spoken
Japanese and English
3655 94 9.7 1 reviews
Story & Recommendation
Free English tours at the Kyoto Imperial Palace
Many locals can be seen freely visiting the Kyoto Imperial Palace courtyard for a stroll or even for a picnic when the weather is nice. Originally the palace was home to the emperor when the capital of Japan was known as Heian-kyo, or present day Kyoto city. The palace consists of several different structures that display traditional architectural styles. Throughout history, these structures were destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. However, the palace still stands today because of the rebuild ordered by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1854, which made a speedy reconstruction of the palace possible. Today, English tours are offered at 10am and 2pm. Making a reservation online to reserve a spot is recommended. Your passport or residence card is required to enter.
  • Sharing Kyoto Staff
    Ami's Comment
User Reviews
9.7 Exceptional
experience9.0 access10.0 photogenic10.0
Mitaru07
Aug. 10, 2017
Details
Open Hours
September and March: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Entrance by 3:50 p.m.) October to February: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Entrance by 3:20 p.m.) April to August: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entrance by 4:20 p.m.) Guided tour starting times: Japanese: 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. English: 10:00 and 2:00 p.m. Chinese: 10:00 and 2:00 p.m. *Those wishing to take part in the guided tour should get to the visitor's room 10 minutes before tour starting time. *You don't need to apply for the free tour, but there may be changes if there are too many people. *Big groups should inquire beforehand about the tours. *The tour takes around 50 minutes.
Reservations
Accepted for tours
Closed
Mondays (If a national holiday falls on a Monday, the Palace is open on the holiday and closed the next day, Tuesday)、 January 28 - Jan 4.
Price range
Free tours
Credit cards
No fee is required
English and Japanese tours are available at different times. Check their website for details.
Page Top