In most years the maples across central Kyoto peak between the middle and the end of November. In Takao (高雄), northwest of the city, the turn comes earlier — Jingo-ji from the first ten days of the month.
The Japan Weather Association's first 2026 forecast, published October 1, puts peak color in Kyoto (Arashiyama) from around November 13, about the same as last year.
As of September 18, four places have published firm start dates for evening viewing: Kodai-ji (高台寺) from October 23, To-ji (東寺) from October 31, Eikando (永観堂) from November 20 and Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) from November 21. Kitano Tenmangu (北野天満宮) opens its maple garden on October 31, but that is the daytime opening; its evening illumination starts November 13 (the sources disagreed in September, and we confirmed the date on the shrine's own page on October 9). Tenryu-ji (天龍寺) has set its early-morning garden hours.
Be careful with dates you find elsewhere. Some temples still have last year's notice sitting on their homepage, so a date you copy may turn out to be from 2025. Everything below reflects official announcements as of September 18, 2026, with several entries — Ruriko-in and Kitano Tenmangu among them — re-checked on September 19.
Build the trip around the nights that already have dates: Kodai-ji (October 23 – December 13), To-ji (October 31 – December 13), Eikando (November 20 – December 6) and Kiyomizu-dera (November 21–30). Note that when Kodai-ji and To-ji open in late October the maples have barely turned. Higashiyama and Arashiyama get temporary traffic restrictions on November 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29. Arashiyama's Nagatsuji-dori is already one-way at weekends and on public holidays year-round, and in mid-to-late November that extends to weekdays too. Plan that stretch around trains.
Typical Peak Dates by Spot
The averages below come from Kyoto City's official tourism site, spot by spot.
Note that the same page also lists event dates, and as of September 18 those were still the 2025 edition — it shows Kiyomizu-dera as November 22 to December 7. Check dates against each temple's own site.
Spot | Typical peak |
Jingo-ji 神護寺 (Takao) | early to late November |
Saimyo-ji 西明寺 (Takao) | around November 10 |
Kosan-ji 高山寺 (Takao) | mid to late November |
Sanzen-in 三千院 (Ohara) | early November to early December |
Ruriko-in 瑠璃光院 (Yase) | late November to early December |
Tenryu-ji 天龍寺, Jojakko-ji 常寂光寺 (Sagano, Arashiyama) | mid to late November |
Eikando 永観堂, Nanzen-ji 南禅寺 (Philosopher's Path, Okazaki) | mid to late November |
Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺, Tofuku-ji 東福寺, To-ji 東寺 (Higashiyama, Kyoto Station area) | mid to late November |
Even within Takao, the three don't turn at the same time: Jingo-ji from early November, Saimyo-ji around November 10, Kosan-ji from mid-month onward. If your dates are stuck in the first ten days of November, build around Jingo-ji specifically — Saimyo-ji turns around November 10 and Kosan-ji not until mid-month. From mid-month onward, build around Arashiyama and the city centre.
The experience differs too. At Tofuku-ji you stand on a bridge and look down into a maple-filled ravine; Arashiyama pairs a temple garden with the bamboo grove in one walk; Takao is a climb up a mountain approach. If you only have half a day, Higashiyama and Arashiyama involve the least moving around.
Takao: Three Temples, Three Bus Stops
The three Takao temples use three different bus stops: Yamashiro-Takao for Jingo-ji, Makinoo for Saimyo-ji, Toganoo for Kosan-ji. All three sit inside the flat-fare JR bus zone between Kyoto Station and Toganoo, so one Subway & Bus One-day Pass (see below) covers the ride to each. The pass covers fares only — admission is separate.
Kosan-ji is open 8:30–17:00 and charges ¥1,000 for Sekisui-in. Its site also lists a separate ¥500 autumn entry fee without saying which dates it covers, so budget ¥1,500 for a foliage-season visit. Its parking lot charges a fee in November only.
Jingo-ji is the awkward one. Its own website was still unreachable when we checked on September 18. Kyoto City's tourism listing does give hours — 9:00 to 16:00 — but no admission price. It's 40 to 50 minutes from Kyoto Station by bus, then another 20 minutes on foot from the Yamashiro-Takao stop, called simply Takao on city buses — not a half-day stop. Call ahead for the price (075-861-1769) before you commit a morning to it.
Official sites (Japanese): 京都市公式の「紅葉だより」では、京都の紅葉名所を定番から穴場まで、現在の色づき状況をお届け！京都観光に役立つライトアップ・特別公開などの情報もご案内します。 アクセス│世界遺産 栂尾山 高山寺は、京都市右京区の栂尾（とがのお）にある古刹である。建永元年（1206）明恵上人が後鳥羽上皇よりその寺域を賜り、名を高山寺として再興し、鳥獣人物戯画、日本最古の茶園として知られる。 観光スポット・サービス情報。京都にある観光情報をカテゴリ別にご用意しました。行きたいスポットへは、エリアで検索できる機能が便利です。 関西・北陸と各地を結ぶ高速バスのご予約、のりば等のご案内。高速バス・夜行バスなら安全・安心、のりばが駅スグで便利な西日本JRバスで！
紅葉だより｜【京都市公式】京都観光Navi
アクセス│世界遺産 栂尾山 高山寺 公式ホームページ
神護寺｜【京都市公式】京都観光Navi
京都市内 | 西日本JRバス（高速バス・夜行バス・定期観光バス・バスツアー・一般路線バス・貸切バス）
To-ji: Evenings from October 31, 6:00–9:30 p.m., but Peak Color Is Mid-November
To-ji's 2026 admission page lists an autumn illumination and evening opening of the Kondo and Kodo halls from October 31 to December 13. Admission is ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for high school students, with no group discount and no combination ticket for the evening. The evening ticket covers those two halls only, not the five-story pagoda.
The start date is not the peak. In an average year central Kyoto has barely begun to turn at the end of October. The run lasts about six weeks, so if the leaves are the point, aim for mid-November or later.
The times have since been published: the evening session runs 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with last entry at 9:00 p.m., and it runs every day of the period. There is no published evening rate for children of junior high age and under, although the daytime ticket has one at ¥500.
If To-ji is the main event, To-ji Temple Autumn Illumination 2026 covers how the night ticket differs from the daytime pagoda opening.
Official sites (Japanese): 真言宗総本山 東寺〔教王護国寺〕の公式サイトです。境内・歴史の紹介、特別公開のお知らせ。法要や拝観のご案内。 真言宗総本山 東寺〔教王護国寺〕の公式サイトです。境内・歴史の紹介、特別公開のお知らせ。法要や拝観のご案内。
東寺 – 世界遺産 真言宗総本山 教王護国寺
東寺 – 世界遺産 真言宗総本山 教王護国寺
Eikando Zenrin-ji: Illumination from November 20, Separate Day and Night Tickets
Admission | Dates, hours, price |
Autumn Treasures Exhibition | November 11 – December 6, 2026 / ticket office 9:00–16:00, gates close 17:00 / ¥1,500 adults, ¥1,000 university and vocational students, ¥800 junior and senior high |
Illumination | November 20 – December 6, 2026 / ticket office 17:30–20:30, gates close 21:00 / ¥1,000 junior high and up |
For the overlap between November 20 and December 6, the temple runs the two as separate sessions and says you can't stay through from one into the other. So an afternoon ticket won't carry you into the evening.
The evening is a second ¥1,000 ticket. Neither the exhibition nor the illumination lists a rate for elementary-age children; outside the autumn season they pay ¥200.
Monopods and tripods are banned anywhere on the grounds. Selfie sticks are barred indoors, and the temple asks you to put them away outside too when it's busy. You also can't photograph the cultural properties inside the halls, and eating, smoking and pets are prohibited across the site.
Eikando also says private cars and tour buses (minibuses excepted) are not admitted "during the period." It doesn't say which dates that covers, so assume you'll need public transport from November 11, when the exhibition opens, through December 6.
Eikando Autumn Illumination 2026 goes deeper on the session split and the camera rules.
Official sites (Japanese): 京都永観堂禅林寺HP 京都永観堂禅林寺HPお知らせ(What's new)
拝観のご案内(Guide to Eikando)
Kiyomizu-dera: Evening Opening November 21–30
Kiyomizu-dera's published 2026 gate schedule marks November 21 to 30 as the autumn evening viewing, with the gate opening at 6:00 and closing at 21:30 (last entry 21:00). Through November 20 and again in December the gate closes at 18:00, so those ten days are the exception.
No booking is needed. The temple's events page says so outright. What it doesn't give is the evening price or how much of the grounds you can reach after dark. It also doesn't spell out whether the day and evening are separate sessions; the official wording is "gate hours extended to 21:30."
Watch the dates. Kiyomizu-dera's news section still carries the 2025 notice (November 22 – December 7), which contradicts the November 21–30 on its events page and gate schedule. The latter is the 2026 run.
Kiyomizu-dera Autumn Illumination 2026 covers how to plan the day and the evening.
Official sites (Japanese): 京都府京都市。「清水の舞台」で知られる寺院。北法相宗の本山（一寺一宗）。縁起、年中行事、境内案内。 京都府京都市。「清水の舞台」で知られる寺院。北法相宗の本山（一寺一宗）。縁起、年中行事、境内案内。
夜間特別拝観 | 行事 | 音羽山 清水寺
交通 | 音羽山 清水寺
What Has Been Announced Since August, and What Hasn't
Four of the events that were blank in August have moved: Kodai-ji, Kitano Tenmangu, Kiyomizu-dera's Joju-in garden and Enko-ji. Kodai-ji, Joju-in and Enko-ji have firm dates, and Kitano Tenmangu has now fixed its evening illumination as well as its daytime dates. Ruriko-in runs on its own calendar, so it comes after those four.
Kodai-ji runs its autumn evening viewing from October 23 to December 13 — the earliest of Kyoto's major night openings. The lights come on at 17:00, the ticket office closes at 21:30 and the gates at 22:00. Day and evening are one continuous opening rather than separate sessions, but once you leave through the exit your ticket won't get you back in. Admission is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for junior and senior high school students, the same day or night. Whether the ¥1,200 combination ticket with Entoku-in is valid at night isn't stated.
As with To-ji, the opening date is not the peak. Higashiyama has barely turned in late October, so if the leaves are the point, pick a date from mid-November onward.
Kitano Tenmangu opens its Odoi maple garden from October 31 to December 6. The shrine gives the regular hours as 9:00–16:00, with last entry at 15:40. Entry is ¥1,500 for adults — which here means junior high age and up — ¥700 for elementary-school children, and free below school age.
Kyoto City and the prefecture both note that the paid tickets include tea and a sweet; Kyoto City adds that the free under-school-age entry does not. The shrine's own 2026 price list — the ¥1,500 and ¥700 one — doesn't mention it.
The evening is the part to watch. October 31 is the daytime opening. The illumination runs from Friday, November 13 to Sunday, December 6, dusk until 20:00 with last entry at 19:40. The shrine's own page lists those dates as of October 9.
In September the sources disagreed: the shrine's dated block said only "mid-November," while Kyoto City's tourism site and the prefectural tourism federation listed November 7. November 7 to 12 falls outside the shrine's dates, so if you are going for the lights, go on the 13th or later.
During the illumination period (November 13 to December 6), the shrine lists the entry hours as 9:00 to 20:00, with last entry at 19:40. It says nothing about clearing the garden between the day and evening sessions.
Kiyomizu-dera's Joju-in garden opens on the same November 21–30 window as the evening viewing, in two blocks: 10:00–16:00 and 18:00–20:30. No booking needed. The events page doesn't list a price.
Enko-ji has published too. Its autumn opening runs November 10 to December 10, 9:00 to 17:00 — a daytime visit, with no evening session.
The whole period is timed-entry and reservation-only, and bookings open at 9:00 on October 20. The temple doesn't say whether same-day slots are available. Admission is ¥1,500 for adults and ¥800 for students from elementary through high school.
After you book, you get a confirmation email; show it, or a printout, at reception. The temple closes its car park for the whole period, so drivers need a nearby coin-operated lot. Questions go to the temple on 075-781-8025.
Ruriko-in opens for its autumn viewing from October 1 to December 13, 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30; during the November 13 to December 6 reservation weeks the hours are 9:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30. Admission is ¥2,000, or ¥1,000 for junior and senior high school students on production of a student card. There are no closing days during the period, though the temple notes it may shut in the event of a disaster.
A reservation is required only from November 13 to December 6. Outside those dates you can simply turn up. Within them, places go by lottery, not first-come — and that window sits squarely on the peak.
Applications for that lottery went in by return-reply postcard and closed with an August 20 postmark. Winners were mailed their reply cards around September 25, and there is no same-day booking. If you're planning now, go by November 12 or from December 7, when no reservation is needed.
There is no car park, and the temple asks visitors to come by public transport and not to use nearby convenience-store parking. Tours booked through travel agencies and group bookings are not accepted. For evening visits, the temple directs enquiries to JR Tokai Tours. Rurikoin Autumn 2026 has the detail.
Three events still had nothing for 2026 when we checked on September 19. None of them has announced a cancellation, so this is an announcement that hasn't come — not an event that isn't happening.
- Daigo-ji evening viewing. The 2025 notice, November 22 – December 7, is still sitting on the homepage, so don't read those dates as this year's. In 2025 the notice went up on November 22 — the opening day itself
- Kifune Shrine evening illumination. The Kibune Momiji Lantern event along the approach road is run by the Kibune tourism association, not the shrine
- Eizan Railway maple tunnel illumination and autumn timetable. In 2025 the release came out in October
The Higashiyama and Arashiyama Hanatouro lantern walks are a separate case. They ended after the fiscal 2021 season, and the organizers now only lend lanterns to other events. If Hanatouro appears on an itinerary you're reading for autumn 2026, that itinerary is out of date.
Reservations and Bad Weather
Kiyomizu-dera states outright that no booking is needed, both for the November 21–30 evening viewing and for the Joju-in garden. Kodai-ji (October 23 – December 13), To-ji (October 31 – December 13) and Eikando (November 20 – December 6) simply don't mention advance booking or timed tickets at all — which is not the same as saying none is needed, so check close to your date if you're counting on walking up.
Kitano Tenmangu's maple garden doesn't mention booking either.
Two places involve bookings. Ruriko-in is reservation-only from November 13 to December 6, by lottery, and open to walk-ups on every other day. Enko-ji is timed-entry and reservation-only again in 2026, with bookings opening at 9:00 on October 20.
Ruriko-in's November 13 to December 6 lottery closed on August 20, so only winners get in on those dates. Enko-ji is timed-entry by reservation and says nothing about same-day slots, so book once reservations open on October 20. Read the section above before you fix your dates.
Ruriko-in says it may close in the event of a disaster. None of the others says anything about bad weather.
Tenryu-ji: Early Entry November 14–30, Garden Only
From November 14 to 30, 2026, Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama opens the Sogenchi garden (曹源池) early. Entry starts at 7:30, an hour before the usual gate time.
Only the garden takes visitors that early, and only through the garden entrance. The north gate on the bamboo-grove side doesn't open until 8:30.
The Cloud Dragon painting in the Dharma hall, or Hatto (法堂), is on view from September 19 to December 6, 2026, on weekdays as well as the usual weekends and holidays. The painting is closed all day on October 28 and 29, and until about 12:45 on October 30. It costs ¥500 on top of garden admission and is shown 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:20), so it is shut during the early-morning slot.
Garden admission is ¥500 for high school and up, ¥300 for elementary and junior high.
Official site (Japanese): 臨済宗大本山「天龍寺」の公式ホームページです。天龍寺の参拝・交通案内、境内・山内案内、行事案内などを掲載しています。天龍寺は京都屈指の観光地、嵯峨嵐山に建つ臨済宗の禅刹。曹源池庭園は、国の史跡・特別名勝第一号に指定され、1994年世界文化遺産に登録されてます。参拝・交通案内：世界遺産｜京都 嵯峨嵐山 臨済宗大本山 天龍寺 公式ホームページ
Kyoto Tourism Comfort Map: Crowd Forecasts by Time of Day
Kyoto City and the Kyoto City Tourism Association run the Kyoto Tourism Comfort Map, which forecasts crowding by time of day across seven areas, including Sagano-Arashiyama and Gion-Kiyomizu. It also carries live camera feeds and points visitors toward quieter districts such as Keihoku, Ohara and Takao.
How far ahead the forecast runs isn't stated on the page, which was last updated on September 15, 2026. Open it and see whether November has appeared yet.
Shift the hour or shift the district — first thing in the morning, or out to Takao and Ohara. On a day built around Eikando's evening opening, spend the daylight hours in a different part of the city.
Official site (Japanese): ビッグデータをもとに予測したエリア別の混雑情報を発信しています。ライブカメラの映像や、おすすめスポット記事も参考に、混雑する時間や場所を上手に避けながら、快適な京都観光をお楽しみください。
混雑回避に役立つ京都観光快適度マップ｜【京都市公式】京都観光Navi
Admission Fees and Opening Hours
Four of the six sites below — Nanzen-ji, Kodai-ji, Jojakko-ji and Sanzen-in — have everything through December settled, evenings included. Daigo-ji's daytime hours are fixed but its closing time will move once it announces an evening viewing (it ran November 22 – December 7 in 2025), and Kifune Shrine still hasn't published hours past November 30.
Tenryu-ji has its own section above, and Tofuku-ji one below.
At Nanzen-ji you pay separately for three places — the Hojo garden, the Sanmon gate and Nanzen-in — instead of one temple-wide fee. In the Admission column, a slash means a separate ticket, not a price tier.
Temple / Shrine | Hours | Admission |
Nanzen-ji 南禅寺 | 8:40–17:00 through November 30 / 8:40–16:30 from December 1 (last entry 20 minutes before) | Hojo garden ¥600 / Sanmon gate ¥600 / Nanzen-in ¥500 |
Kodai-ji 高台寺 | 9:00–22:00 from October 23 to December 13 (last entry 21:30, lights on at 17:00) / otherwise 9:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00) | ¥800 adults, ¥400 junior and senior high, same day or night / ¥1,200 combination ticket with Entoku-in |
Jojakko-ji 常寂光寺 | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) | ¥600 |
Sanzen-in 三千院 | 8:45–16:45 in November / 9:00–16:30 from December | ¥700 adults, ¥400 junior high and high school, ¥150 elementary school and under |
Daigo-ji 醍醐寺 | 9:00–17:00 through December 6 / 9:00–16:30 from December 7 (last entry 30 minutes before) | Three-site ticket ¥1,500 adults, or ¥600 for a single site |
Kifune Shrine 貴船神社 | Main shrine 6:00–20:00 through November 30 | Free |
Ruriko-in runs on its own schedule and is covered in the section above. The Sanzen-in figures come from Kyoto City's tourism listing rather than the temple's own site. Nanzen-ji closes from December 28 to 31.
December closing times are easy to miss. Nanzen-ji and Daigo-ji close 30 minutes earlier, and Sanzen-in moves both ends by 15 minutes. Ohara and Yase can still hold color into early December, so work back from the closing time if you're going in the afternoon.
Official sites (Japanese): 臨済宗大本山 南禅寺 公式サイト 紅葉の名所・日蓮宗の寺院 世界遺産醍醐寺。真言宗醍醐派總本山。京都市伏見区。国宝五重塔をはじめ数々の国宝・重要文化財を蔵する醍醐寺の境内、行事、略縁起などを紹介。 貴船神社は万物の命の源である水の神を祀る、全国二千社を数える水神の総本宮です。
｜寺院概要｜臨済宗大本山 南禅寺
鷲峰山 高台寺：拝観
アクセス – 常寂光寺 JOJAKKO-JI
拝観時間 / 料金｜朱印・拝観案内｜世界遺産 京都 醍醐寺
貴布禰総本宮 貴船神社 | 参拝のご案内
Tofuku-ji: Higher Fee from November 1, No Combination Ticket in Autumn
Tofuku-ji (東福寺) announced a price change on July 1, 2026. Adult admission to the Hojo garden goes from ¥500 to ¥600 on November 1, 2026. Outside the autumn season, Tsutenkyo Bridge (通天橋) and Kaisando (開山堂) cost ¥600 for adults and the combination ticket is ¥1,000.
The autumn season runs November 14 to December 6. You may also find "November 10–30" quoted around the web; that comes from a 2020 post still sitting on the temple's own site and does not match the current admission page. Go by the admission page.
In the autumn season the pricing works differently. Only Tsutenkyo and Kaisando cost more, at ¥1,000 for adults, and no combination ticket is sold. The Hojo garden has no separate autumn rate, so the ¥600 that applies from November 1 appears to carry through. Budget ¥1,600 for adults if you're doing both.
Child fares vary by place and season rather than contradicting each other: Tsutenkyo and Kaisando are ¥300 normally and ¥500 in the autumn season. The Hojo garden's autumn column is blank, so it appears to stay at ¥300.
Hours change too. From November 1 to 13 everything runs 9:00–16:00, and Tsutenkyo's 8:30 opening starts on November 14. In the autumn season Tsutenkyo runs 8:30–16:00 and the Hojo garden 9:00–16:00, with gates closing at 16:30 and the ticket office at 16:00.
From December 7 to March 31 the hours are 9:00–15:30, with the ticket office closing at 15:30 and the gates at 16:00. If you're combining Ohara or Yase with Tofuku-ji in early December, do Tofuku-ji first. The same page notes that autumn dates and hours change every year, so confirm from October onward.
During the autumn opening, you may be asked not to take photos on the Tsutenkyo and Gaunkyo bridges. It's not a blanket ban, but between November 14 and December 6 don't count on setting up on either bridge for long.
The temple also asks you not to eat on the grounds or set up a tripod. There's no re-entry, so decide your route before you go in.
Tofuku-ji Autumn Leaves 2026 goes into the peak timing and the bridge photo rules.
Official sites (Japanese): 拝観時間 拝観料金 境内図 パンフレット 拝観時の注意事項 拝観時間 期間 拝観時間 拝観受付終了 閉門時間 4月1日～10月31日まで 9:00～16:00 16:00 16:30 11月1日～11月 13日まで […] 臨済宗大本山 東福寺 -日本最古の最大級の伽藍
拝観案内 - 臨済宗大本山 東福寺
お知らせ アーカイブ - 臨済宗大本山 東福寺
Bus One-day Pass Withdrawn: What Replaced It, at ¥1,100
Kyoto City stopped selling the Bus One-day Pass at the end of September 2023 and stopped accepting it at the end of March 2024. Older guidebooks still print it.
The current ticket is the Subway & Bus One-day Pass (地下鉄・バス一日券) at ¥1,100 for adults. It covers the whole subway network and all city buses, plus Kyoto Bus as far as Ohara, Iwakura Muromatsu, Iwakura Jissoin, Ichihara, Daikaku-ji, Kiyotaki and Kokedera. Seasonal special routes are excluded.
The JR bus between Kyoto Station and Toganoo runs inside the flat-fare zone, so one ticket gets you to all three Takao temples. The EX100 and EX101 sightseeing express buses run on weekends and holidays and normally cost ¥500 for adults; the pass covers them at no extra charge.
It doesn't cover the Eizan Railway, which is how you reach both Ruriko-in in Yase and Kibune, or Kyoto Bus route 33 on to Kifune Shrine. Budget separate fares for those two.
Getting Around Kyoto in Autumn 2026 sets out which lines to use when the buses jam.
Official sites (Japanese): 
京都市交通局：地下鉄・バス1日券
京都市バス・地下鉄ガイド：観光特急バス
Traffic Restrictions in Higashiyama and Arashiyama: November 21–23, 28 and 29
Kyoto City published its autumn 2026 measures on September 17, and the Higashiyama and Arashiyama restrictions are now dated.
Higashiyama and Arashiyama get temporary traffic restrictions on five days: November 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29 — two weekends plus Labour Thanksgiving Day.
In Higashiyama, northbound traffic on Higashioji-dori loses the right turn onto Kodaiji Minamimon-dori, and southbound Higashioji traffic and westbound Gojo-dori traffic can no longer turn toward the municipal Kiyomizu-zaka parking area. The taxi stand in front of Otani Hombyo closes. If you were planning to reach Kiyomizu-dera by taxi, assume you'll be dropped somewhere else.
The 2026 document doesn't give hours for Higashiyama either. Last year the turn bans ran 10:00–19:00 and 12:00–19:00, and the taxi stand was shut from 07:00 to 19:00 — early enough to catch a morning arrival.
Nagatsuji-dori is the street to watch in Arashiyama. It runs one-way northbound from 10:00 to 17:00 every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday, all year round (Kyoto City; two-wheelers and light vehicles are exempt). That is not limited to the five days, so it applies just as much to a weekend drive in October or December.
In autumn the one-way extends into weekdays as well, on November 16–20 and November 24–27. On the five restriction days the street also becomes pedestrian-only: last year it was one-way from 10:00 to 13:00 and pedestrian-only from 13:00 to 17:00. Saga-kaido goes one-way southbound, and Togetsukyo Bridge separates pedestrians from vehicles.
The September 17 document doesn't give the hours for the pedestrian-only closure. Last year it ran 13:00 to 17:00 and covered every vehicle, bicycles included — but the area-by-area notice carrying those times was still that same previous edition when we checked on September 19. If you plan to drive, check again from October.
Parking changes too. Arashiyama's municipal car park changes its private-car rates on October 1, and from October 7 to December 10 the peak rate applies: ¥1,500 on weekdays and ¥2,000 at weekends and on holidays (off-peak is ¥1,000 and ¥1,500). Kiyomizu-zaka keeps its booking-only system for tour coaches over the same October 7 – December 10 window. Don't build a plan around parking a car there. Kyoto City announced on July 7, 2026 that private cars cannot park there at any hour from October 7 to December 10.
Kibune and Kurama are handled separately. The prefectural police close the prefectural roads there — including the Kamikuroda-Kibune line between Kibuneguchi and the Okumiya — to large vehicles from October 1 to November 23, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 10:00 to 17:00 (scheduled bus services excepted). "Large" means 8 tonnes gross, 5 tonnes payload, or 11 or more seats. Ordinary passenger cars are not affected. If you are chartering a minibus to Kifune Shrine, check first.
These decisions come from Kyoto City and the prefectural police, not from the temples. The city transport bureau hasn't yet published its separate autumn plan for bus crowding and for extra services and route changes on the sightseeing express; in 2025 that came on October 20, with peak days on November 22–24 and 29–30.
Official sites (Japanese): 京都市：市民生活と観光の調和・両立の推進〜令和8年秋の取組及び令和8年春の取組結果〜
京都府警察／臨時交通規制・観光地周辺交通規制情報
Lodging Tax: Revised March 2026
Kyoto City's lodging tax changed for stays on or after March 1, 2026 — which means every autumn 2026 booking inside the city. It's charged per person per night, not per room, and it's based on the room-only rate, excluding meals and consumption tax.
Room-only rate per person per night | Tax |
Under ¥6,000 | ¥200 |
¥6,000 to under ¥20,000 | ¥400 |
¥20,000 to under ¥50,000 | ¥1,000 |
¥50,000 to under ¥100,000 | ¥4,000 |
¥100,000 and above | ¥10,000 |
Where a rate is set per room, the city divides it by the number of guests. A ¥30,000 twin shared by two counts as ¥15,000 each, so the tax is ¥400 each per night, or ¥800 for the room. Applying the ¥30,000 room rate directly would push you into the next bracket up — ¥1,000 a person instead of ¥400.
If you booked before the change, you pay the difference at the property, as long as the stay itself falls on or after March 1, 2026.
Official sites (Japanese): https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/gyozai/page/0000345893.html and 京都市：よくある質問：宿泊される方向け（税額改正（令和8年3月～）について）
京都市：よくある質問：宿泊施設を経営されている方向け（徴収について）
Still to Come
- October: 2026 dates for Daigo-ji, Kifune Shrine and the Eizan Railway
- October: the price for Kiyomizu-dera's November 21–30 evening viewing, and for the Joju-in garden
- October: the hours for the Higashiyama and Arashiyama restrictions, in the city's area-by-area notices — as of September 19 those still showed last year's edition
- Mid-to-late October: the city transport bureau's bus-crowding plan and the autumn extra services and route changes on the sightseeing express (2025's came on October 20)
- November: Daigo-ji's evening-viewing notice (in 2025 it appeared on opening day, November 22)
We'll update this article as each one lands.
Kyoto spot by spot:
- Arashiyama Autumn 2026: Book the Sagano Train Before It Sells Out
- Where to Stay in Kyoto 2026: Picking an Area, and the Lodging Tax from March
Pairing Kyoto with Tokyo? The Kanto side runs on its own schedule. Note that Mount Takao below is west of central Tokyo and unrelated to Kyoto's Takao.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
