Kiyomizu-dera opening hours in 2026
The temple publishes one table for the year on its Japanese access page. The gates open at 6:00 on every date; only closing time moves (checked 19 October 2026):
| Dates (2026) | Closes |
|---|---|
| 1 January – 26 March | 18:00 |
| 27 March – 5 April (spring night viewing) | 21:30, last entry 21:00 |
| 6 April – 30 June | 18:00 |
| 1 July – 13 August | 18:30 |
| 14–16 August (Sennichi-mairi, summer night viewing) | 21:30, last entry 21:00 |
| 17–31 August | 18:30 |
| 1 September – 20 November | 18:00 |
| 21–30 November (autumn night viewing) | 21:30, last entry 21:00 |
| 1–31 December | 18:00 |
The temple's opening-hours notice adds two details: night-viewing periods change every year, and the amulet and goshuin counters open from around 8:00, not at 6:00. If you are collecting stamps, our goshuin guide covers how to ask and what the book should look like.
When to go: early, late or at night
The 6:00 opening is Kiyomizu-dera's biggest advantage. The FAQ notes that the street in front of the main gate is closed to traffic from 8:00 to 19:00, which tells you when the slopes fill with people on foot. Arrive before 8:00 and you reach the stage ahead of that daytime flow, with the city still in morning light below.
Evening is the other window. On ordinary days the gates close at 18:00, so in autumn and winter you can catch dusk from the stage before closing. For the illuminated version, the event schedule lists the autumn night viewing from 21 to 30 November 2026, open until 21:30 with last entry at 21:00. The same dates bring a special viewing of the Jojuin garden, a sub-temple garden, from 10:00 to 16:00 and 18:00 to 20:30 (last entry times). Neither page gives the night-viewing fee in text.
What does Kiyomizu-dera cost?
We could not confirm the regular admission fee. Neither the English visitor guide nor the Japanese access and hours pages showed it in their text on 19 October 2026, and none of them lists accepted payment methods. Plan to pay at the gate and carry yen cash. Do not buy an advance "ticket" from a reseller: the temple's pages describe no advance or timed ticket for ordinary daytime visits.
Two concessions are stated in the FAQ. There are no group discounts. A visitor who shows a physical or intellectual disability handbook, pass or card enters free with one companion.
How to get to Kiyomizu-dera
The visitor guide gives these routes (checked 19 October 2026):
| From | Route | Then walk |
|---|---|---|
| JR Kyoto Station | City Bus 206 or 100 to Gojozaka (Kyoto Bus 18 on Saturdays and holidays) | About 10 min east |
| Keihan Gion-Shijo or Hankyu Kyoto-Kawaramachi | City Bus 207 to Kiyomizu-michi, or Keihan Bus 83, 85, 87 or 88 to Kiyomizu-michi or Gojozaka | About 10 min |
| Keihan Shichijo | City Bus 206 or 100 to Gojozaka | About 10 min east |
| Keihan Kiyomizu-gojo | On foot | About 25 min |
The bus is the simpler choice from Kyoto Station. For a 6:00 start, the 25-minute walk from Kiyomizu-gojo avoids depending on early bus times, which the temple does not publish. City buses charge a flat fare; our Kyoto bus and subway fares guide has the price, the day-pass maths and the weekend sightseeing express that stops at Gojo-zaka.
There is no temple car park, and the FAQ strongly recommends public transport or taxis because nearby city lots fill in busy seasons. Cyclists must come up Chawan-zaka to the bicycle parking by the restroom at that entrance.
If you are also visiting shrines on the same day, our guide to visiting a Kyoto shrine and how a temple differs explains what changes at the gate and the purification basin.