FebruaryBaikasai (Plum Blossom Festival)
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Every year on February 25 (outdoor tea ceremony 10:00–15:00)
Every year on February 25 (Feb 25 in 2027)
Autumn Leaves · Kansai
Shinnyodo Temple
Kyoto CityTemple🍁 Typical peak: Mid Nov – Early Dec
Overview
Overview
A temple in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, known for the view of its three-story pagoda wrapped in autumn leaves. You can enjoy the autumn leaves in a relatively calm atmosphere.
- Address
- 82 Jodoji Shinnyo-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
- Official website
- https://shin-nyo-do.jp/
Tours & tickets for this areaPR
Peak Time
When to See the Leaves
Typical peakUsually mid-November to early December
September
October
November
December
Varies with each year’s temperatures. Check the official website or the Kyoto City Official Travel Guide’s autumn leaves reports for the latest colors
Peak times are typical guides. The timing shifts with each year’s temperatures.
Highlights
Highlights
Highlights are the autumn leaves surrounding the three-story pagoda and the fallen leaves behind the main hall. You can also see Nehan-no-Niwa, a dry landscape garden that borrows the Higashiyama hills as its backdrop.
📷 Best views
Three-story pagoda
The signature view of the pagoda surrounded by autumn leaves
Behind the main hall
At the end of the peak, fallen leaves carpet the ground
Nehan-no-Niwa
A dry landscape garden borrowing the Higashiyama hills as its backdrop
Hours
Opening hours
Visiting hours9:00–16:00
Entry until 15:45. May change for events
Hours can change by season and for events. Check the official website before you go.
Admission
Admission
Regular seasonAdults ¥500, high school students ¥300
Junior high school students and younger free
Autumn leaves seasonEntry fee ¥500 + hall admission ¥500
High school students pay the ¥500 entry fee only
Prices may change. Check the official website before you go.
Tips
Tips for travelers
- ✓Tripods are not allowed, so be ready to shoot handheld
Access
Getting there
- Nearest station / bus stop
- Shinnyodo-mae or Kinrin Shako-mae (city bus stop)About 8 min walk
- By car & parking
- The temple parking lot cannot be used. Coin parking in front of the gate
Crowds
Crowds & best times
- Busiest
- On weekends at the peak, people gather along the approach and around the three-story pagoda
- Quieter times
- Weekday mornings
Weather
Temperature & what to wear
- Typical temperatures
- November normals for Kyoto: high 17.3°C, low 8.4°C (Japan Meteorological Agency)
- What to wear & bring
- Mornings and evenings are cold, so bring a light down jacket, a coat or another layer
Rules
Photography & visitor rules
- !No photography with tripods, cosplay or commercial photography
- !Groups should refrain from eating and drinking
Where to Stay · Agoda
Places to Stay near Shinnyodo TemplePR
PR9.4クロスホテル京都 (ORIX HOTELS & RESORTS)
★★★★Check rates on Agoda10,416 reviews2.3 km from center
PR9.1ホテルグレイスリー京都三条
★★★★Check rates on Agoda8,981 reviews2.5 km from center
PR9.2ソラリア西鉄ホテル京都プレミア 三条鴨川
★★★★Check rates on Agoda7,988 reviews2.1 km from center
PR9.3ホテルフォルツァ京都四条河原町
★★★★Check rates on Agoda6,933 reviews3.0 km from center
PR9.3ピースホステル三条
★★Check rates on Agoda6,395 reviews2.7 km from center
PR8.7ホテル グランエムズ 京都
★★★Check rates on Agoda9,756 reviews2.3 km from center
Prices and availability are shown on Agoda.
Events
Events & festivals in Kyoto City
February
MayAoi Matsuri
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Every year on May 15 (postponed to the 16th if it rains; if it also rains on the 16th, the procession is canceled). Preliminary rites such as Yabusame horseback archery (May 3) and the Saio-dai purification ceremony (May 4) are held in early May
2027: May 15 (held every year on May 15; postponed to the 16th if it rains)
May–OctoberNoryo Yuka / Kawadoko (Kamogawa & Kibune)
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Kamogawa Noryo Yuka usually runs May 1 – October 15, and Kibune Kawadoko usually runs May 1 – September 30 (season and hours vary by restaurant). In 2026, Kamogawa Noryo Yuka runs until October 15
JulyGion Matsuri
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Usually July 1–31 (Yamahoko procession: Saki Matsuri July 17, Ato Matsuri July 24; Yoiyama eves: Saki Matsuri July 14–16, Ato Matsuri July 21–23)
AugustGozan Okuribi (Kyoto Five Mountains Bonfires)
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Every year on August 16 (from 20:00)
2027: Aug 16 (Mon)
OctoberJidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
Every year on October 22 (postponed to the 23rd if it rains)
2026: Oct 22 (Thu). Postponed to Oct 23 if it rains
Attractions
Attractions in Kyoto City
AquariumKyoto Aquarium
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
An inland aquarium in Umekoji Park, within walking distance of Kyoto Station. Its exhibits explore Kyoto's waterside nature and how it connects, from the "Kyoto River" to the "Kyoto Sea." With a dolphin stadium and jellyfish displays, it's an easy stop between Kyoto sightseeing spots.
ZooKyoto City Zoo
Kansai ・ Okazaki, Kyoto
A city-run zoo inside Okazaki Park, home to Heian Shrine and several art museums. In its compact grounds you can see elephants, gorillas, and wild animals from Kyoto's forests. Admission is free for junior high students and younger, and just ¥750 for adults.
ExperienceNintendo Museum
Kansai ・ Uji
A museum in Uji, Kyoto, that displays Nintendo's products through the years and lets you play hands-on exhibits. Tickets are date- and time-specific and must be reserved in advance, through a monthly lottery or first-come, first-served sales of slots that open up. If you want to include it in your itinerary, applying from the lottery 3 months before your visit is the surest way.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendlyAdvance, date-specific tickets required
Theme parkUZUMASA KYOTO VILLAGE
Kansai ・ Uzumasa
Toei Kyoto Studio Park, a samurai-drama theme park that opened in 1975, reopened on March 28, 2026 as UZUMASA KYOTO VILLAGE after the first phase of its renewal. It is now an immersive park for adults built around the concept of wandering into Kyoto in the Edo period, with the second phase scheduled to open in spring 2027. It stays open until 21:00.
Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves in Kansai
Park🍁 Typical peak
Temple
Temple
Park
Shrine
Temple
Temple
TempleHogon-in Temple (Arashiyama)
Kansai ・ Arashiyama, Kyoto
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Nov – Late Nov
✦ IlluminationNow on
Temple
Temple
Temple
ShrineKitano Tenmangu Shrine Momiji-en
Kansai ・ Kyoto City
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Nov – Early Dec
✦ Illumination
Temple
Park
Temple
Shrine
TemplePeak periods, hours, prices and access are based on official sources such as the spot’s own website, local governments and tourism associations. Colors and event details can change, so check the official website before you go.
Last checked: 2026-10-05
