Eikando (永観堂), officially Zenrin-ji, has been called the "Temple of Maples" for centuries. Its reflecting pond ringed with momiji, backed by a pagoda on the hillside, is one of the scenes people picture when they think of autumn in Kyoto. In November the grounds open for a special daytime viewing and, from November 20, an evening illumination.
If you are planning a Kyoto autumn trip, the one thing to get right here is that the daytime and evening viewings require separate tickets. This guide covers the 2026 dates, prices, whether you need to reserve, and how to dodge the worst of the crowds.
At Eikando the daytime "Temple Treasures" viewing and the evening illumination (November 20 to December 6) run on separate tickets. A day ticket does not let you stay into the night.
For the wider picture, see our Kyoto Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Timing, Dates, and Getting Around.
2026 dates and hours
For 2026 the daytime and evening viewings run on different calendars. The daytime Autumn Temple Treasures viewing opens first, and the evening illumination starts nine days later, on November 20.
Viewing | Dates | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Autumn Temple Treasures (day) | Nov 11 (Wed) – Dec 6 (Sun) | 9:00–16:00 entry, closes 17:00 |
Evening viewing | Nov 20 (Fri) – Dec 6 (Sun) | 17:30–20:30 entry, closes 21:00 |
The date to remember is November 20. The daytime viewing is open from November 11, but there is no evening illumination until the 20th. If the maples are already turning and you show up hoping for the lit-up night scene before November 20, you will miss it.
Day and night: two separate tickets
Eikando clears the grounds between the two sessions. The temple states that the daytime viewing and the illumination can't be done on one continuous ticket, so if you want the illumination (November 20 to December 6), you exit after the daytime viewing, buy a night ticket, and go back in.
Admission is priced separately for day and night:
- Autumn Temple Treasures (day): ¥1,500 general, ¥1,000 university and vocational students, ¥800 elementary through high school
- Evening viewing: a flat ¥1,000 for junior-high students and older
The evening price list does not show a rate for elementary-school children. If you are visiting at night with a young child, confirm at the ticket desk on the day.
If you only have time for one, the evening viewing is Eikando's signature draw; doing both means two tickets and a break outside the gate in between.
Peak foliage: mid-to-late November
Eikando's maples usually look their best from mid-to-late November. The grounds have several maple varieties, including irohamomiji and ōmomiji, so they change color over several days rather than all at once.
A specific 2026 peak forecast had not been published as of late August 2026. Kyoto foliage forecasts start appearing around September each year, so check the latest prediction before you lock in dates. The illumination window, November 20 to December 6, is set to overlap the usual peak.
Reservations
For the evening viewing, Eikando's official site lists opening hours only, with no mention of advance booking, timed-entry tickets, or numbered passes. In practice it's a buy-on-the-day, walk-in setup, so there is probably nothing you need to reserve ahead of time. Because the temple does not spell this out, treat it as "no reservation announced" rather than a guarantee.
That said, Eikando is one of Kyoto's marquee foliage spots, and peak-season weekends and evenings get busy. To walk the grounds at a calmer pace:
- Arrive right at 17:30, when the evening viewing opens — the opening minutes are the quietest, and you can circle the pond before the crowd builds
- For the daytime maples, aim for opening at 9:00 or the last stretch before the 16:00 entry cutoff
- Weekdays are lighter than weekends
Getting there and what to wear
Come by public transport. The area is congested in foliage season and the temple does not offer its own parking, so leave the car behind.
- City Bus route 5 to the "Nanzenji-Eikando-michi" stop, then a 3-minute walk (direct from Kyoto Station)
- Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line to Keage Station, then a 15-minute walk
Evenings are cold. Kyoto's November lows average around 8°C (about 46°F), and the chill feels sharper once the sun is down, so bring a warm jacket if you are doing both the day and the evening viewing.
The "Nanzenji-Eikando-michi" bus stop is also the closest stop for Nanzen-ji, so it's easy to visit Nanzen-ji in the afternoon and Eikando in the evening. To build out a fuller Kyoto autumn route, our Kiyomizu-dera Autumn Leaves 2026: Day vs Evening Visits covers another temple that lights up.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
