Heian Jingu

平安神宮

Giant vermilion torii and a big shrine garden

⚠ Garden costs extra

Hours

Grounds from about 6:00; Shinen garden from 8:30 (closes roughly 16:30–17:30 by season)

Tickets

Grounds free; Shinen garden ¥600

Address

97 Okazaki Nishitenno-cho, Sakyo-ku

A vermilion torii 24 meters tall stands over the avenue out front. Inside, the gravel courtyard feels oversized because the buildings are an 1895 copy of the old Heian palace at roughly five-eighths scale. Round the back of the main hall is the Shinen garden: ponds, a covered bridge, weeping cherries. Walking the grounds is free; the garden is a separate ticket.