Ginkaku-ji admission after the April 2026 price rise

Ginkaku-ji doubled its adult fee this year. The temple's notice of 18 January 2026 set the new rates from 1 April 2026:

Visitor Before 1 April 2026 From 1 April 2026
High school age and over ¥500 ¥1,000
Elementary and junior high ¥300 ¥500
Under elementary school age Free Free
Disability reduction ¥100 ¥100

Any price quoted before April 2026 is out of date, so budget from the right-hand column. There is no group discount. The access and visiting page says you can pay in cash or through the temple's cashless system, Omairi Pay; special-viewing fees and goshuin stamps are cash only.

Opening hours by season

The temple runs two seasonal timetables and is open every day of the year:

  • 1 March – 30 November: 8:30–17:00
  • 1 December – end of February: 9:00–16:30

The FAQ asks visitors to be out of the grounds by 17:20 in the summer schedule and 16:50 in winter, and estimates a visit at about 30 minutes. Hours can change for special exhibitions.

The 8:30 opening from March to November suits an early start before walking south along the Philosopher's Path; from December the gate opens half an hour later.

Autumn 2026 special viewing

On a regular ticket you see the gardens only. The Kannon-den, the Silver Pavilion itself, is never opened, and the Togudo, Hojo and Roseitei open only in the spring and autumn special viewings.

The autumn 2026 special viewing runs from 1 November to 5 December 2026. It shows the main hall (with reproductions of sliding-door paintings by Yosa Buson and Ike no Taiga), the National Treasure Togudo with the Dojinsai study, and the Roseitei incense room.

Detail 2026 rule
Tour times 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 (about 30 min)
Not running 15 November at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
Fee ¥2,000 per adult, on top of regular admission, with a Togudo paper-cut souvenir
Places About 20 per tour, first come on the day
How to sign up Write your name on the sheet in front of the main hall, put out about an hour before each tour; gather there 10 minutes before
Language Japanese-guided only
Not accepted Children below elementary school age; groups of 7 or more

For a non-Japanese speaker the tour still shows rooms closed the rest of the year, but you will not get the commentary. Decide whether ¥3,000 in total per adult is worth it for the interiors alone.

Kyoto, Japan

Getting to Ginkaku-ji

The temple lists two city bus stops. Each ride is a flat ¥230 for adults inside the city's flat-fare zone.

  • Ginkakuji-michi: routes 5, 7, 32, 102, 203 and 204.
  • Ginkakuji-mae: routes EX100 and 105.
  • From Kinkaku-ji: route 204 (the English page adds 102) from Kinkakuji-michi to Ginkakuji-michi, which makes the two pavilions an easy same-day pair. See our Kinkaku-ji guide for that end of the trip.

For fares, IC cards and day passes, see our Kyoto bus and subway fares guide.

Walking the Philosopher's Path from Ginkaku-ji

The Philosopher's Path begins near Ginkaku-ji and follows a canal south. Kyoto's tourism office describes it as running between Ginkaku-ji and Nyakuoji Bridge, known above all for its spring cherry blossoms. Japan's national tourism organisation says the southern end is about 100 m north of Eikando and that the walk takes about 30 minutes at a brisk pace, longer at a stroll.

That makes a natural half-day: Ginkaku-ji at 8:30, the path south, then Eikando. In late autumn, Eikando sells same-day tickets for its leaf season and night light-up; our Eikando guide has the 2026 dates and fees. For other evening options across the city, see Kyoto's autumn light-ups.

JNTO's own suggested route to the path from Kyoto Station is the Karasuma Line to Marutamachi, then bus 204 or 93 to Kinrinshako-mae and a five-minute walk.