Tōfuku-ji
Zen temple · Higashiyama, Kyoto

Tōfuku-ji

Photo: PlusMinus · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

A large Zen temple complex in southeast Kyoto, best known for its maple valley viewed from the covered Tsūtenkyō bridge. Its abbot's quarters have striking modern rock and moss gardens with a checkerboard design. Outside autumn it is surprisingly peaceful.

On day 3 of Kyoto in 5 days

Good to know

Time to spend
1–1.5 hours
Tickets
Grounds free; paid entry for Tsūtenkyō and the gardens
Best time
Mid-to-late November for maples; go early
Getting there
JR or Keihan Tofukuji Station, 10 min walk

Itineraries with Tōfuku-ji

Day 3 of Kyoto in 5 days

Fushimi Inari and the south

How Tōfuku-ji fits into a day.
  1. 7:30Fushimi Inari-taishaFushimi
  2. 9:30Hike to the summit of Mount InariFushimi
  3. 13:30Tōfuku-jiHigashiyama
See all 5 days
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Tōfuku-ji questions

Can you take photos on Tsūtenkyō bridge?

Not during the autumn foliage season. The temple bans photography on the bridge then to keep crowds moving safely.

When is the autumn colour at Tōfuku-ji?

Usually mid-to-late November, when the valley fills with red maples and the temple is at its busiest.

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