Hi there!
So you are off for a visit to Nijo Castle!
GREAT!
Kyoto station…
…to Nijo Castle!
Being a major tourist attraction in Kyoto, getting to Nijo Castle from Kyoto Station is relatively simple!
Nijo Castle bus
There’s a bus stop right in front of the entrance to Nijo Castle, so going by bus can be convenient.
Nijo Castle as part of a one day Kyoto itinerary
I made a visit to Nijo Castle with an unlimited one day Kyoto bus pass:
- Nijo Castle
- Kinkakuji Temple
- Ryoanji Temple
- Yasaka Shrine
- Gion to Kiyomizu-dera walk
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Kyoto station
So once you’re at Kyoto station, you’ll head to the bus area.
There’s an information sign board that you can look at to figure out where to wait for the bus to Nijo Castle.
There is also a section specific to top tourist attractions.
There are also people there who are there to help you, so you can ask them too!
So then you’ll head over to the platform for Nijo Castle, and then wait for the bus to arrive!
It will likely be the same bus headed to Kinkakuji Temple, which is another world heritage site in Kyoto along with Nijo Castle.
As a popular tourist spot, there is a chance that there could already be a long line which could also make for a crowded bus.
So just be mentally prepared. 😉
Depending on your timing, you may end up on a normal city bus, or you may end up on a tourist city bus. There’s not much of a difference either way, except for the way they look!
See more tips for getting around Kyoto by bus (even without a bus pass).
What about the bus timings?
Being a major tourist attraction, the bus timings are frequent enough.
This means that you don’t really need to be as concerned about specific bus timings, as you likely won’t have to wait too long for the next bus to come no matter when you show up to the bus station.
Can you get to Nijo Castle by bus with a JR pass?
Short answer: YES!
JR bus
There’s a JR bus in Kyoto, and this is the only bus that you can use your JR pass to get around Kyoto by bus.
The JR bus route is a bit more limiting, but the Nijo Castle IS one of the top attractions in Kyoto that you can get to, and you can get there from Kyoto station.
There is a platform for the JR bus at Kyoto Station.
Japan public transportation app for JR pass
Google Maps works well for getting around Kyoto if you’re not using a JR pass.
If you want to see what your options are for getting around using only a JR pass, check out the app JapanTravel Navitime. There’s an option there to filter “tourist pass” so that you can see the best way to get around using your JR pass.
Nijo Castle train?
There’s also a train station near Nijo Castle, called Nijo Station, and this is about a 10 minute walk from the castle.
Since this is a JR train, you can also get to Nijo Castle by train using your JR pass.
See more about where you can go by train in Kyoto using your JR pass.
How long does it take to get to Nijo Castle?
Whether you go by bus or train, it’ll likely take around 20-30 minutes.
So even if you end up on a crowded bus, it won’t be too long of a bus ride!
Be sure to stop by the teahouse at Nijo Castle!
HAPPY KYOTO STATION TO NIJO CASTLE JOURNEY!
Use this Kyoto tourist map to plan out your 5 days in Kyoto with Nijo Castle!
- Day 1: Top tourist spots with one day bus pass
- Day 2: Fushimi Inari Shrine hike through 1,000 torii gates
- Day 3: Philosopher’s Path walk
- Day 4: Arashiyama and Sagano
- Day 5: Kurama Kibune Ohara with one day pass