This is my hotspot of the trip, the most popular time is in Autumn. You need to do the email bidding to see if you can get the admission. Not easy but just see how lucky you are. Beautiful scene and with the reflection hits the spot there. Before the end you can take a chance to wait for the tea ceremony. The theme brings you the most quiet moment and sip the tea. Never miss this chance if you plan to come Kyoto especially in Autumn!
I don’t think Rurikoin Temple offers good value for its admission fee. Saihō-ji only costs 4,100 yen, yet it boasts a vast garden and enforces visitor capacity limits. In contrast, Rurikoin imposes no restrictions on the number of guests, leading to a mediocre visiting experience. Visitors are only allowed inside the buildings with no access to the outdoor grounds, which severely limits photography opportunities.
*visited 7 July 2025 *
Oh my god, breathtaking place! It really looks like the pictures, off the typical tourist path just a short walk away from the Main Street along the river. Can get a pit crowded, but the staff is very good at managing the rooms so that not too many people are in one room at once, they also check so that people don’t stay too long in the photo spots. Super relaxing and calming atmosphere surrounded by nature, it’s a sensory experience. It is pricey for Japan I must say, but if you consider it’s not a museum it’s an artist hub and this is how they support the artists working there.
The place was quite crowded, and the line to check tickets took a long time even though I had already bought tickets in advance. Even with a pre-purchased ticket, you don’t really enter at your selected time slot — people who arrive earlier just line up first, while some guests with 11:00 or 12:00 tickets showed up much later and still joined the queue.
If you haven’t bought a ticket beforehand, there’s a separate line. After all online-ticket visitors enter, they let the walk-in line in to purchase tickets.
I visited in late November, but the leaves hadn’t fully changed yet, so the background inside the temple was still mostly green. There isn’t much storytelling or historical explanation about the site, but if you’re coming to enjoy the scenery and stroll around the temple, it’s quite beautiful and worth a visit.
Inside the temple it was surprisingly cold even in autumn — almost as cold as outside because all the doors were open and the wooden floor keeps the chill.
The location is a bit far from the city center - almost 1 hour by bus, and it’s hard to combine this spot with other attractions on the same route. However, you can pair the visit with the Eizan Railway — the train ride itself is beautiful during autumn, with colorful foliage visible along the way to the temple.
A nice visit if you plan your trip around it, but not the most convenient location.
I agree that the view and the garden there is beautiful, but the whole experience is quite terrible, and it’s in a bit overrated from my perspective.
Brunch of people gather at the corner of room, waiting in lines behind the table in order to take a photo of reflection. After that, follow the signs walking around the whole building once, you might also take a little break sitting inside, enjoying the garden view, and that’s all.
Visiting once is enough for me, it’s definitely not somewhere I’d consider to come again, when it costs 2000yen for admission.
