A Luxurious Time to Savor Kyoto's Famous Sites

JR Central has launched the "Spring Dawn: Kyoto's World Heritage Early Bird Tour," designed to let participants enjoy the serene atmosphere unique to Kyoto in the morning, under the theme of "Spring Dawn."

With the increase in international tourists, popular attractions are inevitably crowded. This tour allows participants to visit popular temples at their leisure and enjoy photography by starting before the general opening hours.

Three distinct plans are offered.



The first plan is: "Approaching the Site of the 'Heisei Grand Restoration' Protecting a World Heritage Site!"

This tour visits two World Heritage temples by bus: Kiyomizu-dera, which has been undergoing restoration since 2008 aiming to recreate its original layout, and Byōdō-in, where restoration focused on re-tiling the roof and repainting the exterior was completed in 2014. Participants will have exclusive access to areas normally closed to the public and can visit places that are usually bustling with visitors during the day.



The second plan is: "A Tour of Ryōan-ji, a Zen Temple Loved Worldwide, and Ninna-ji, Home to the Five Great Wisdom Kings Murals."

This tour visits Ryōan-ji, famous for its rock garden, and Ninna-ji, which featured the "Five Great Wisdom Kings Murals" that were briefly opened to the public in the autumn of 2018 to great acclaim.
Participants will have exclusive access to these sites before the general public viewing hours begin.
This is a tour for exclusive viewing by participants.



And the third plan is: "Dawn of a Thousand-Year Capital: Early Morning Special Viewing at To-ji Temple, a World Heritage Site."

This tour allows participants to enjoy the temple grounds, illuminated as if for a night viewing while it is still dark, and then appreciate the atmosphere of the grounds as dawn breaks.
With a separate application, an early morning special viewing of the first floor of the five-story pagoda, the Golden Hall, and the Lecture Hall is available from 7:00 AM.

Each plan offers various valuable experiences that make waking up early worthwhile, including special viewings and private access exclusively for tour participants. We encourage you to join.

Spring Dawn: Kyoto's World Heritage Early Bird Tour

【Approaching the Site of the "Heisei Grand Restoration" Protecting a World Heritage Site!】
Departure Date | Sunday, March 3, 2019
Departure Time | 4:30 AM (Meet at 4:20 AM)
Itinerary | Kyoto Station → Kiyomizu-dera → Byōdō-in → Kyoto Station
Note: Participants will not enter the actual construction sites at either temple.
Note: Depending on the tour's progress and other factors, the sites may not be visible as depicted in the photos above.
・Kiyomizu-dera
Chant sutras with a monk in the main hall, view the night scenery from the West Gate, visit the Sutra Hall
Note: The West Gate and Sutra Hall are normally not open to the public.
・Byōdō-in
Visit the garden and the Hōshōkan museum, listen to the head priest's talk at the tea house
Note: On Sunday, March 3rd, instead of the head priest's talk at the tea house, participants will view the interior of the Phoenix Hall.
Minimum number of participants | 1
Price | ¥3,500

【A Tour of Ryōan-ji, a Zen Temple Loved Worldwide, and Ninna-ji, Home to the Five Great Wisdom Kings Murals】
Departure Date | Sunday, March 10, 2019
Departure Time | 7:20 AM (Meet at 7:10 AM)
Itinerary | Kyoto Station → Ryōan-ji → Ninna-ji → Kyoto Station
・Ryōan-ji
After viewing the dry landscape rock garden, a special viewing of the West Garden and the Buddha Hall (both normally closed to the public).
・Ninna-ji
Special viewing of the Five Great Wisdom Kings murals behind the Main Hall, which were first revealed in the autumn of 2018, and the Sutra Repository (normally closed to the public).
Special viewing
Minimum number of participants | 1
Price | ¥3,500

【Dawn of a Thousand-Year Capital: Early Morning Special Viewing at To-ji Temple, a World Heritage Site】
Departure Dates | Sunday, March 24, Saturday, March 30, Sunday, March 31, 2019
Meeting Time | 5:50 AM
Itinerary | Meet at location → To-ji Temple → Disperse from location
Minimum number of participants | 1
Price | ¥2,500 (tax included)

Note: For all plans, registration may close before the application deadline if capacity is reached. Also, the sunrise may not be visible depending on the weather.
Note: All photos of temples and shrines are for illustrative purposes only.