The castle itself is pretty amazing especially for the art inside. I took the audio guide which is very useful in taking you through a good route, was very informative and recommended for someone looking to take things slow and appreciate. However the gardens might be a skip depending on the weather and the season. Some of these gardens are only flowering during certain seasons so looking at them during other times makes it pretty dull.
A must see place in Kyoto, that has immense historical and cultural significance to Japan. It’s highly worth checking out in either spring with the cherry blossoms or fall with the golden leaf trees and red dragon maples.
We came during fall and it did not disappoint.
The only downside is if you get the ticket to tour the palace on the castle grounds you cannot take photos inside.
An extremely impressive castle dating back to the feudal era, with some considerable historical significance. The grounds are fairly large and the walls and other structures are very impressive to see. The castle itself is also very interesting to see the inside of, with an abundance of explanatory placards. Know that you will have to remove your shoes to walk around the inside in case that informs your footwear decision. Beautiful garden areas are also within the walls. Take your time and take it all in.
We bought the tickets to tour the Shogun palace. It was amazing. The grounds were beautiful. They don’t allow pictures inside the palaces, but the tapestry’s were stunning.
The floorboards creaked and sounded like birds in the forest, it was unintentional but was turned into part of the history of the castle.
Came on the last day of the light up during cherry blossom season in April. Bought the tickets ahead of time online. Line to get in was long and winding but moved fast. Once in, we walked around the property and admired the light shows sometimes accompanied by music. They have lanterns for kids to carry if they want. There were a lot of people, but most people moved with the flow of traffic. Lots of nice trees and colored lights. We enjoyed it overall.
