Kyoto Imperial Palace

Such a wonderful and cultural experience. The palace grounds are beautiful! I think everyone who goes to Kyoto should visit. Just make sure you allot half a day in your schedule. Unlike other tourist attractions - the palace grounds are free to enter. You will just be touring the grounds and you won’t be able to get in the palace. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and make sure you bring water. Enjoy!

A true masterpiece in gardening and woodworking. Entering is free but limited to a certain time and while carrying a badge. From the entry, a tour guided by signs shows you around the palace. None of the houses were accessible, but you can admire the outside and the truly amazing gardens. Small man made bridges and path ways are incorporated perfectly in the nature. With small wooden sticks the trees are formed until the resemble symmetry.

We got tickets at the door early in the morning and it wasn't too crowded. Interesting history and really beautiful grounds. You can't go inside any of the buildings but you can see in at some spots. The gardens were stunning.

The garden surrounding the palace and the zen gardens inside were very appeasing. The only thing is that you can’t see any room or building from inside as it’s not open for public. So you just enter roam around see some of the ceremonial rooms from outside( one or two will be open to see from outside. If you want to see the inside architecture and rooms go to nijo castle .it is more better then imperial palace in my opinion.

Huge parking lot space. They offer free tour guide ( check picture ), which we missed. However, staff available every where for info and very friendly. Available audio guide for download for visitor too. Absolutely beautiful gardens and architectural. Highly recommended

An amazing location that contains a lot of Japanese history. You can download a free audio guide that helps you to navigate through the grounds. We arrived at 3.45pm and last entry was 4.20. You need a good 40 minutes to be able to move through all sections at a good pace. Gravel road and paths leading in and around the palace. It rained while we were there but didn’t really deter from the experience.

Huge ancient palace complex in the center of Kyoto. Entrance is free and crowds are manageable due to the sheer size of the area. Unfortunately the interior is completely inaccessible so you can only admire the buildings from the outside. Well maintained with lockers and audio guide available free of charge.

One of my favourite places I visited while in Kyoto. It was free and there was a lot to see! My favourite part of the entire palace was the garden, which was absolutely stunning!! I definitely recommend going here and spending some time walking through the palace and the surrounding areas!

Such a wonderful and cultural experience. The palace grounds are beautiful! I think everyone who goes to Kyoto should visit. Just make sure you allot half a day in your schedule. Unlike other tourist attractions - the palace grounds are free to enter. You will just be touring the grounds and you won’t be able to get in the palace. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and make sure you bring water. Enjoy!

A true masterpiece in gardening and woodworking. Entering is free but limited to a certain time and while carrying a badge. From the entry, a tour guided by signs shows you around the palace. None of the houses were accessible, but you can admire the outside and the truly amazing gardens. Small man made bridges and path ways are incorporated perfectly in the nature. With small wooden sticks the trees are formed until the resemble symmetry.

We got tickets at the door early in the morning and it wasn't too crowded. Interesting history and really beautiful grounds. You can't go inside any of the buildings but you can see in at some spots. The gardens were stunning.

The garden surrounding the palace and the zen gardens inside were very appeasing. The only thing is that you can’t see any room or building from inside as it’s not open for public. So you just enter roam around see some of the ceremonial rooms from outside( one or two will be open to see from outside. If you want to see the inside architecture and rooms go to nijo castle .it is more better then imperial palace in my opinion.

Huge parking lot space. They offer free tour guide ( check picture ), which we missed. However, staff available every where for info and very friendly. Available audio guide for download for visitor too. Absolutely beautiful gardens and architectural. Highly recommended

An amazing location that contains a lot of Japanese history. You can download a free audio guide that helps you to navigate through the grounds. We arrived at 3.45pm and last entry was 4.20. You need a good 40 minutes to be able to move through all sections at a good pace. Gravel road and paths leading in and around the palace. It rained while we were there but didn’t really deter from the experience.

Huge ancient palace complex in the center of Kyoto. Entrance is free and crowds are manageable due to the sheer size of the area. Unfortunately the interior is completely inaccessible so you can only admire the buildings from the outside. Well maintained with lockers and audio guide available free of charge.

One of my favourite places I visited while in Kyoto. It was free and there was a lot to see! My favourite part of the entire palace was the garden, which was absolutely stunning!! I definitely recommend going here and spending some time walking through the palace and the surrounding areas!

Lovely place so long as the main palace is open. Main park is a great open area where kids can run and it seems suitable for a nice picnic when the weather is nice. There's a kids park near one of the exterior corner of the main palace. The palace itself is absolutely gorgeous with a nice mix of interior and exterior (e.g., gardens). One minor issue: no photos allowed at many of the nicest interior areas. Worth combining a visit here with a visit to Nijo Castle (medium walk or short cab ride away).

Awesome experience. Download the imperial palace app for an audio walkthrough in multiple languages. Very affordable and easy walk to get to it.

Walked in 20mim to 11. Saw this line at this gate, turned out it's the walk in (no reservation) line for the limited daily tickets to see Sento Gosho, where the emperor/ress reside if at Kyoto. Registration opens at 11 for a ticket for 1 of 3 tour times 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and its first come first choice. Foolishly I said 3:30 thinking I'd explore the rest of the grounds then go do the botanical gardens, then golden pavilion, then back here for the tour and then swing back over to Arashiyama for the fading light among the bamboo stalks. So the whole place is like a national park. Park is too small. National forest too big. Giant gravel walkways everywhere. I walked all the way south to this corner for a dragonfly pond from the map?.....fenced off densely forested area. Then went over to see this pond and a residence and a tea room...serene. Absolutely serene..until out of the corner of my eye I see this stream of green white and I hear this splatter.....yeah...a heron dumped on me. Or next to me but the splatter hit both my pants and that ship dries so fast I could facial wipe it off!!! Nuuu my se7ens! Anyways made my way back up north...to the imperial palace...which is free...with a lanyard and a bag inspection. Guided path with guards. Ginormous magnificent structures, half of em under construction. I could see tho if there was snow how pretty the garden would look. It's still pretty nice tho with the fall colors. Everything is just so massive and far apart I swear I was exhausted by the time I headed back to the gate....annnnd it's literally almost 1.....should've picked the 1:30 tour, didn't realize it would take me so long to walk through the entire gr

Kyoto gosho is so peaceful, not as many tourists as other places in Kyoto, nice place to come for afternoon stroll. Too bad that gosho was closed when I visited but I still enjoyed walking their garden. I hope to come back when gosho is open to public. This place used to be the emperor's residence. Looking forward to my next visit to Kyoto

I recommend checking out the Kyoto Imperial Palace if you're in the area. It's a very simple self-guided tour and the routes are very well-organized (something I noticed during my trip here in Japan, the Japanese are very organized, which I like!) First off, the location itself is HUGE, and you can enter the park from either sides, but you'll need to walk up a bit north in order to enter the palace for the tour. Admission is free and we didn't need to mail in a permission permit to check out the palace. Some of the areas are still under construction, but from what we saw, we really enjoyed seeing the architecture and there's a small Japanese garden that was really nice. Restrooms are available on-site and there's a common sitting area for you to rest with free wifi. One thing to note is that you'll do a lot of walking here and the ground is pretty much gravel stones - bring comfortable shoes!

Gorgeous palace. Historically significant. Free to enter. Hard to go wrong at Kyoto Imperial Palace, which used to house the emperor before the capital was re-established a bit to the east in Tokyo. The gardens are stunning. The grounds are expansive. There's even a huge park that surrounds it. You can get there right off the subway and it's nearby plenty of other attractions. Don't miss it if you're in the area!

This palace was the residence of the Japanese Emperor's until 1869 when the capital was moved to Tokyo during theMeiji restoration. We walked through lots of gates so the outside of the carriage porch, the waiting rooms, a new carriage porch, halls for state ceremonies, where the emperors throne would be and photographs of it and very pretty gardens. It was free and interesting and close to the subway station.

The Kyoto imperial palace is a very grand and beautiful palace. Unfortunately only parts of the palace grounds were open during our visit. Came to Kyoto for the first time to view the sights and look at the cherry blossoms. We arrived mid morning And lucky for us they were running a heritage week and so admission was free. Definitely can't complain about free! The palace grounds is huge but only one quarter of it was open, just the Imperial Palace. There was a small booth renting audio tour guides for small fee. The self-guided tour of the palace was very interesting it took us about an hour to get through it. They exhibited all the rooms in the palace of the different sections and the signs were written in Japanese and English so that us tourists could understand. There was also a traditional dance show in the courtyard of the palace, the dancers and performers where wearing traditional Imperial Japanese clothing and doing routines signifying the edo period. The artwork on the walls were amazing, too bad they are not the originals rather replicas. And the only complaint I have was that all the rooms are empty so it's really hard to tell which room service what purpose, it would've been nice if they were furnished. Overall a great visit and we caught the tail end of the Cherry Blossoming.

We traveled to Japan to follow the blooming of the cherry blossoms. We visited 8 cities and each city displayed the blossoms in different stages of blooms. If you are unable or unwilling to do that, come to this park surrounding this palace and you can enjoy the Sakura in many different stages of blooms in one area. We canceled our plans for a day and just spend the afternoon walking these beautiful grounds. Plenty of benches to sit and take in the views. As for inside the Imperial Palace... The grounds are clean and well maintained. There was a small festival at the front gates with samples of sake, wine and food. The entrance was free. There were tourists, but it wasn't over-crowded when we stopped in the late afternoon. There isn't much to see inside except the massive structures and traditional architecture. There really isn't any rooms that we found that we could venture inside. It's more of an outdoors viewing walk. The zen garden inside the palace is gorgeous, but separated by a fence, so you can't really hang out there and enjoy it. But you could take some amazing photos of it. My suggestion is if you don't have much time, skip the inside of the palace and just enjoy your time in the park.

One of those sites you have to go in Kyoto, because of the history and significance. However, don't expect too much here. While the grounds are well-maintained and the buildings are beautiful, you can't see much inside. Additionally, you can't see the throne room but from a long distance. Unless you brought binoculars, you can't see anything inside, as it's dark in there. While you probably should go to this very important site, there are more interesting historical spots in Kyoto.

Amazing, free and a nice walk! Lots to see here dont pass it up! There is a lot to see and do nearby as well. I saw cherry blossoms early in the season, which was nice and unexpected. Check it out if you're nearby!

This was one of my favorite places to visit, and best of all, it was FREE!!!!! I don't know why, but I was happy. You get to walk around part of the palace and think of what it was like for the people who once walked the same roads. The garden area took my breath away, almost shed a tear. Call me a sensitive, it was to me that beautiful.

" Huge Imperial Palace Park Grounds Very Interesting" My family went to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Park grounds last week. The beautiful Cherry trees blossoms can be seen all through the park. The Kyoto Imperial Palace used to be the palace of Japan's Imperial Family until the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868. The Palace is located in the Kyoto Imperial Park where you will see some local people who are playing, exercising, and walking around. This park is very big and pretty relaxing as you walk around looking at all the sites. The Palace and park is located in the center of the city of Kyoto. Definitely a must see when you visit Kyoto Japan.

Can I be honest? I mean really brutally honest? We made the effort to reserve our Kyoto Imperial Palace tickets months in advance of our trip and were excited as the day approached. Now that we've gone? It was kinda, well, not something we'd do again. Granted, we are here in summer...it's sticky, wet, colorless. I imagine that in the Fall when the leaves are changing or in April when it is cherry blossom time, it would at least add some color. But when you quickly realize that all of the structures have been rebuilt a dozen times over, that the buildings are very simple compared to the temples and shrines you see throughout the region, that the tour is limited to the exteriors of the buildings and they all sort of blend together, and that the very faint amplification of the voice of the tour guide is no match against the sound of 100 feet dragging on the rocky ground in the rain (and thus you can't hear a single thing on the tour at all), you start to long for the exit. And there's no way out: you can't ditch the tour early or make your way through on your own. It's also a bit of a food desert immediately surrounding the palace, so if you were thinking of getting in a bowl of ramen before the lunch crowd, unless you book it seriously fast back to the station to head elsewhere, it's going to be a long wait wherever you go by the time you get there. If you only have a couple of days in Kyoto, I would go to the Saga Arashiyama district and the Eastern district temples and shrines before taking a morning on the Kyoto Imperial Palace. There, I said it. I'd rather see the monkeys and go have an awesome meal than go see the new replica of a carriage house where the emperor once lived. I think you should too.

Kyoto Imperial Palace is a must on any visit to Kyoto especially during Cherry Blossom season. The grounds are meticulously maintained and the gardens surrounding the palace are a great respite from the hustle and bustle of some of Kyoto's temples that are more popular with the tourists. I would highly recommend going in the early morning before there is the risk of it getting too crowded

The Kyoto Imperial Palace used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. It is located in the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park, an attractive park in the center of the city. The Imperial Palace is enclosed by long walls and consists of several gates, halls and gardens. The enthronement ceremonies of Emperors Taisho and Showa were still held in the palace's main hall. Tokyo Imperial Palace is now used for enthronement ceremonies.

No need for an appointment here! Hopefully you visit this beautiful palace after your visit to Sento Imperial Palace which is right next door. The main reason I like this palace better than Sento is you don't have to spend so much time here. You can go in, take pics, then peace out! At Sento I felt as if the tour was too long. You couldn't go ahead and if you fell behind you got yelled at. Kyoto Imperial Palace was absolutely gorgeous and the best part about it.....it was free!! I saved my Yen and blew it on street food. YAAAAAS! TAKOYAKI! Just follow the signs which leads you to the exit. The Japanese are pretty darn efficient. Don't miss out on this beautiful palace.

Download the app to your iPhone for the tour. It's called Imperial Palaces Guide and covers this palace and the one in Tokyo. Very easy, convenient and cheap. The palace grounds are large and pretty. And the palace itself is easy to navigate with the app.

It's ok nothing spectacular especially when you buy a taxi to come all the way to see the gardens and they tell you it's closed

Looking for a way to learn about imperial times in Kyoto? This place is great to spend an entire afternoon (and I mean an entire afternoon). The palace is located in a big park and you'll want at least two hours of you want to venture all parts of the park. I would recommend renting a bike if you can. As for the palace, there are daily guided tours (English and non English). Make sure to make online reservations in case they book out. I was lucky to grab the last set of walk in tickets for the 2pm tour at 1pm. The folks behind me had to wait until 3:30 for their tour to start. It's a guided tour that will take you one hour from the start time. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Japanese style gardens. Although it's a guided tour, you'll have plenty of time to take in the scenery and take as many photos as you'd like. The group I was with was about 100 people so props to the tour guide for keeping is all together.

It is hard to say you don't need to go here when in Kyoto, i think is is more mandatory when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, otherwise the Kyoto castle is fairly interchangeable. Don't skip it if you have the time, but if you are pressed, I would go with the castle based on the amount of time it takes to take the site in.

This was one of our quick tourist stops in Kyoto. It's basically just to visit the palace. It's fairly bare within the palace grounds however, I believe there was a wedding there during our visit and it was cool to watch.

Sad to see that kids under 12 years old are not accepted but it's not mentioned anywhere on the website ..

Kyoto's full of history and wonder, but I enjoyed touring the Imperial Palace because you get to tour this place (for free) and see just how immense this place truly is. I don't need to recommend it because it's already a huge tourist hotspot. I will say that when you go there, you should get the feeling that you are in a place that is ripe with history, even if it doesn't seem like it. It's a shame that we couldn't go inside the palace itself, but it is beautiful on the outside and there are plenty of great photo ops.

Kyoto Imperial Palace used to be the palace of Japan's Imperial Family till the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868. It is located in the capacious "京都御苑" Kyoto Imperial Park. This park is pretty incredible and located in the center of the Kyoto city. Since my university is placed in front of Kyoto Imperial Palace, in spring I often dropped into here with my friends in our spare time for the view of cherry blossom. In addition of that, you can enjoy their ancient atmosphere. If you go there, you will see some local people who are playing, exercising, walking around, killing their time and other. This place is not only sightseeing spots.

A must see in Japan full of history and see the grandeur of Japan. Will see this place when I come back to Kyoto. The staff are all wonderful and tourist friendly.