Hotels near Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle is the 1603 Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Ninomaru Palace contains 33 rooms with painted gold-leaf walls by the Kano school - including the audience hall where the last shogun resigned in 1867, ending 700 years of feudal rule. The famous 'nightingale floors' chirp under footsteps as a security measure against assassins.

Entry is JPY 1,300 (timed-entry tickets in April and November - book 1-2 weeks ahead). The castle includes the Honmaru Palace (currently under restoration), the Seiryu-en garden, and the moat ramparts. UNESCO inscribed Nijo Castle in 1994. Allow 2 hours.

Pro Tip: Buy the audio guide (JPY 600) - the Ninomaru Palace's room-by-room story makes it twice as interesting. Closed every Tuesday in January, July, August, and December. Cherry blossom illuminations in April are the prettiest in Kyoto - separate evening ticket required.