Kyoto Itinerary | One-Day Tour on the Tozai Subway Line | Daigoji Temple, Nijo Castle, and Eikan-do Temple at Night

#京都之旅 Although Daigoji Temple, Nijo Castle, and Eikan-do Temple are located in different areas of Kyoto, they are all on the Kyoto subway "Tozai Line", so public transportation is quite convenient. You can also purchase a one-day subway pass (800 yen for adults) to save the trouble of buying tickets every time. In the morning, take the subway to Daigo Station, and walk 12 minutes to Daigoji Temple. Come here in autumn and you will see the garden full of red leaves, which is a beautiful sight. As you enter Nioumon, you'll see red leaves on both sides of the approach like a corridor. We walked to the "Rinsen" in front of the trailhead, which is one of the best spots to view the red leaves at Daigoji Temple. The area around the pond in the lecture hall is covered with red leaves. Don’t forget to visit the Sanboin Gardens designed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, where the autumn leaves complement the scenery perfectly. Daigoji Temple is open from 9:00 to 16:30 (from the day after the first Sunday in December to the end of February). At noon, you can return to downtown Kyoto for lunch. In the afternoon, take the subway to Nijojo-mae Station. Cross the street from Exit 1 and you will find Nijo Castle, a must-visit place in Kyoto. Nijo Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 and is a representative building of the early Edo Shogunate. Precious relics such as Ninomaru Palace, Karamon Gate, and Ninomaru Gardens fully demonstrate the beauty of architecture and design from the early Edo period. Please note that photography is prohibited inside Ninomaru Palace when visiting. Nijo Castle is open from 8:45 to 16:00. When night falls, go to Keage Station and walk for 12 minutes to Eikan-do (Zenrin-ji Temple). As a thousand-year-old temple in Kyoto, Eikan-do is also a great place to view maple leaves. Every year from mid-November to early December, the temple will hold a nighttime red leaf lighting event from 17:30 to 21:00. As the area will be cleared in the evening, visitors who want to enjoy the night maple viewing need to purchase tickets separately.