Here are three suggested routes depending on how much time you have at Nijo-jo Castle.
Two-hour tour (recommended)
One-hour tour (for the time-pressed)
Two and a half-hour tour (for the enthusiast)
- Higashi Ote-mon Gate
- Bansho
- Tonan Sumi-yagura
- Kara-mon Gate
- Minami-mon Gate
- Ninomaru-goten Palace
- Ninomaru Garden
- Honmaru-goten Palace and Garden
- Base of the keep tower
- West Bridge
South route: - Plum grove
- Cherry grove
- Momoyama-mon Gate
- Naruko-mon Gate
- Waraku-an
- Seiryu-en Garden
- Koun-tei
- Nijo-jo Castle Painting Gallery
- Higashi Ote-mon Gate
After 9) Base of the keep tower, visitors can take either the north route or south route to Seiryu-en Garden. The south route is recommended during plum blossom season (mid-February to late March), and cherry blossom season (late March to early April), because it takes in the 10) Plum grove, 11) Cherry grove, Momoyama-mon Gate and Naruko-mon Gate before arriving at Waraku-an and Seiryu-en Garden.