Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gyoen)

京都御所・京都御苑

Former imperial home inside a big gravel-path park

⚠ Closed Mondays

Hours

Apr–Aug 9:00–17:00, Oct–Feb 9:00–16:00; closed Mondays

Tickets

Free

Address

3 Kyoto Gyoen, Kamigyo-ku

A walled park fills a big stretch of central Kyoto, and inside it stands the former imperial residence in its Edo-era form. The park itself is gravel paths, pines, plum and cherry trees, and is pleasant by bike. The palace is seen on a free guided tour of about an hour, and you need your passport.