Kyoto Imperial Palace, Sento Palace and Katsura Villa (2026): Which Need Booking, and How
You've read that the imperial sites in Kyoto need a reservation, and you're not sure which ones. Only the villas do. The Kyoto Imperial Palace itself is free and open to walk-ins; Katsura, Sento and Shugakuin are guided tours you apply for online or join on the day.
All four are run by the Imperial Household Agency, and none can be booked through an agency or tour company: applications by proxy or travel agents are not accepted.
Some links on this page are affiliate links (eSIM, trains, other Kyoto experiences). Imperial site visits are only arranged through the Imperial Household Agency, and are free or ¥1,000.
Which Kyoto imperial sites need a reservation?
Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho)
Free, all year except closed days. Self-guided, or join a free guided tour: English at 10:00 and 14:00, Chinese at 10:00 and 14:00, about 50 minutes, no registration. You can't go inside the buildings.
Katsura Imperial Villa
Guided tour of about 60 minutes. English tours for foreign visitors at 9:20, 11:20, 13:20, 15:20 and 16:20 (no 16:20 tour from October to February). Walk-in tickets are for the Japanese tours only.
Sento Imperial Palace
Gardens of the retired emperors' palace, next to the Imperial Palace. Japanese tours at 9:30, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30, about 60 minutes. Free audio guides in English, Chinese, Korean and more, while they last.
Shugakuin Imperial Villa
Hillside gardens in north-east Kyoto. Japanese tours at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00, about 80 minutes. The walk is about 3 km with steep slopes.
When does booking open for Katsura, Sento and Shugakuin?
Online applications for any date open at 5:00 Japan time on the 1st of the month, three months before that date's month. They close at 23:59 three days before the visit.
If a day gets more applications than places, a lottery decides, and the result is emailed within three working days. So applying the minute it opens doesn't guarantee a place on a busy day.
How to apply online, step by step
- Open the Imperial Household Agency's Kyoto site and pick the villa. Each villa has a Visit page with a calendar and an online application link.
- Choose a date and a tour time. For Katsura, choose an English tour if you want English commentary. Then follow the on-screen steps.
- Enter the main applicant and up to three companions. Name, age and nationality for everyone; phone and email for the main applicant. Each group is at most four people.
- Wait for the email with your result. Within three working days. Bring the confirmation and every visitor's passport on the day.You'll want data on the day for the confirmation email and the walk from the station. A Japan eSIM is the easiest fix.Compare Japan eSIMs on Klook ↗
Fully booked? How same-day walk-in tickets work
Each villa keeps some places for the day, and adds any unfilled places from advance applications. Reception opens at 8:40 at the villa's entrance, and numbered tickets with a tour time are given out first come, first served until they run out.
Which one is worth your time?
If you visit only one, make it Katsura Imperial Villa. It's the only villa with English-language tours (the others are in Japanese, with audio guides while they last). Admission is ¥1,000 for adults, and you apply directly with the Agency.
The Imperial Palace is easy to add to any central Kyoto day, since it needs no booking. Sento sits right next to it, so the two pair well if you're 18 or over. Shugakuin is for garden lovers who don't mind a long walk in Japanese.
What the official pages said on Nov 6, 2026
The Kyoto Imperial Palace Visit page said no registration is needed, admission is free, bags are checked at Seishomon Gate, and listed the free guided tour times.
The application guidelines (PDF) for Katsura, Sento and Shugakuin gave the tour times, capacities, ages, fees, the "1st of the month, three months ahead" rule, the lottery, and the 8:40 walk-in reception.
The Agency's visitor information page gave the Imperial Palace's hours by season.
We haven't applied or visited yet; the steps above follow the official pages.
Things to know before you go
- Imperial Palace hours: 9:00–17:00 in April–August (last entry 16:20), to 16:30 in March and September (15:50), to 16:00 in October–February (15:20).
- Bring a passport for every visitor. The three villas check everyone's ID, and the palace checks bags.
- Age limits: Sento and Shugakuin are 18+, Katsura is 12+. No exceptions for babies or toddlers.
- Applications through agencies or proxies are refused, so ignore any tour that promises a "reserved" villa slot.
- Katsura takes cash, major credit cards and IC cards such as Suica and ICOCA. QR payments are not accepted.
- Paths at the villas have stepping stones and bridges without handrails. Wear good shoes.
- Any site can close at short notice for court events or bad weather.
Getting there
Kyoto's subway and buses take IC cards. Kyoto buses guide →
More of Kyoto that's worth booking
A tea ceremony
A tea ceremony is an easy add to a palace morning. Check the length on the booking page.
Affiliate linkKimono rental
If you want to walk the palace grounds or Higashiyama in kimono, compare rental plans first.
Shinkansen from Tokyo
If your Katsura slot is early in the morning, check the train times against your tour time before you book.
Affiliate linkDid you get a Katsura slot?
Tell us whether you applied online or walked in, and how early the walk-in places ran out. We add reader reports to this page with the date.