Hi there!
If you’re in Arashiyama during a time when it’s the peak of fall foliage all over Kyoto, then you’ll likely find crowds all around. But, there is good reason for that! There are lots of fall colors to be seen at the temples in Arashiyama!
And if you want to escape the Arashiyama crowds a little bit, you can head to the Okochi Sanso Villa Gardens!
I was in Kyoto during what was generally considered to be the peak of fall foliage all around Kyoto, and in some ways I did feel like I was a little late in terms of fall colors at Okochi Sanso as it did feel like there was a good number of bare leafless trees around. Although there was still some color to be seen!
I was at Okochi Sanso in early December 2019.
So if you find that you’re in Kyoto early for fall foliage in most other parts of Kyoto, it might be perfect timing for the Okochi Sanso gardens!
But even if you’re late for autumn season, it can be worth a visit anyway for a quieter walk through Japanese gardens (there will still be some people though), and for a seating of traditional Japanese tea! Matcha green tea and a Japanese sweet at the Okochi Sanso teahouse is included with your entry fee!
How much does the Okochi Sanso Villa Garden entry fee cost?
The cost of the Okochi Sanso Villa Garden entry fee was 1,000 yen (US$9) when I went.
This is a little bit of a steep entry fee compared to other temples in the area.
But if you consider that ordering matcha green tea at a shop in Kyoto could reasonably cost around 800 yen, then it could easily be worth the cost if you were interested in trying the traditional matcha in Kyoto! (Kyoto is known for matcha green tea.)
🗾🍁
And now…
The fall foliage you might see with a walk around the Okochi Sanso Villa Gardens!
…aka photos to see koyo (fall foliage!) in Kyoto!
Okochi Sanso teahouse
You’ll see the teahouse almost immediately as you start the walk around the gardens. But it can be perfect to save your cup of tea for the end!
You’ll get a “green tea ticket” with your admissions ticket, and you’ll present that to redeem your free cup of matcha green tea.
There’s outdoor seating and indoor seating, and you can take a seat anywhere you like and the tea and small Japanese snack will be brought out to you.
With the outdoor seating you can enjoy your cup of tea surrounded by the fall colors, and with the indoor seating you can get views of bamboo trees!
And that’s a bit of what you might see around the peak of fall colors in Arashiyama at Okochi Sanso Villa Gardens!
And, see a bit more of what it’s like to visit Okochi Sanso when there’s a lot more GREEN! (aka photos of Okochi Sanso during a summer visit!)
And depending on the direction you’re coming from when you go to Okochi Sanso, next up might be the famous Kyoto bamboo forest (it’s basically right there) followed by the famous Tenryuji Temple.
Or you can continue on in the other direction to see some great fall colors at smaller temples, including Jojakkoji Temple, Niso-In Temple, and Hokyo-In Temple. And along the way, you can stop at small little udon noodles shop (Ogura chaya) to keep you energized for all the walking!
HAPPY SEEING AUTUMN COLORS IN ARASHIYAMA AT OKOCHI SANSO VILLA GARDENS!
