When we talk about fun on autumn nights, we mean autumn leaf light-up events.
In Kyoto during the autumn leaf season, many temples and shrines have special night openings, and you can enjoy bright red leaves shining in the dark.

This time, we asked Kyoto sightseeing pros – taxi drivers who work for MK Taxi – to answer a survey and tell us their recommended autumn leaf light-up spots in Kyoto.
We will show these spots as a ranking, from the ones with the most votes.

The list has many kinds of places: super famous spots that appear in school textbooks, and also small temples that even many people in Kyoto do not know.

Kyoto Autumn Leaves Light-Up Ranking

No. 1 Eikando Zenrinji Temple (Sakyo Ward)

The best autumn leaves in Kyoto, day and night

The No. 1 autumn-leaf light-up spot in Kyoto recommended by MK Taxi is Eikando Temple.
The light-up of the autumn leaves at Eikando Temple received very strong support.
In the free-comment part of the survey, many people wrote things like “Kyoto’s No.1 autumn leaves spot,” “Kyoto’s most popular place,” and “You should see it at least once.”

For a long time, people have said, “In autumn, for red leaves, go to Eikando,” and it is a famous autumn-leaf spot in Kyoto with steady, strong popularity.
Even people who do not know Kyoto very well have probably seen the name Eikando Temple on TV or in magazines.

In a 2020 survey of MK Taxi drivers, used to write the article “Kyoto Autumn Leaves Ranking: Top 15 Spots Recommended by Taxi Drivers,” Eikando Temple also won first place.
It is an autumn-leaf spot strongly recommended by Kyoto sightseeing professionals.

The autumn leaves light-up at Eikando Temple is so popular that there are long lines every year.
Before the gate opens for the light-up, a big zigzag line of people forms.
The temple grounds are wide, so people do move, but there are so many visitors that it takes a long time to get in.
On weekends, it is normal to wait 1–2 hours before entering.

The reason is simple: at Eikando Temple you can see the whole temple grounds covered with autumn leaves.
There are about 3,000 maple trees.
It is one of the best spots in Kyoto City to enjoy a powerful, close-up view of the autumn leaves light-up.

It is the most popular autumn leaves light-up in Kyoto and is always very crowded,
but I can confidently say it is worth going, even if you have to wait in line for a long time.

Near Eikando Temple, there are many spots to enjoy autumn leaves, such as Nanzenji Temple, Tenjuan Temple, and the well-known Philosopher’s Path.
If you want to enjoy the autumn leaves light-up at Eikando Temple smoothly, it is good to walk around the area while it is still light, and then join the waiting line about 30 minutes before night admission starts.
On weekends in the peak autumn season, even 30 minutes before can already be a bit late.
Also, please note that the waiting place for entering during the light-up is different from the daytime entrance reception.

Recommended points of the autumn leaves light-up at Eikando Zenrinji Temple

• The autumn leaves are amazingly bright and beautiful every year.
• A yellow “carpet” of ginkgo leaves on the ground, with red maple leaves.
• About 3,000 maple trees – really impressive, and the leaves reflected in the pond are also great.
• The autumn leaves reflected in the pond during the light-up are something you must not miss.
• The autumn leaves look like a picture in the daytime and at night during the light-up.
• The large number of maple trees is very powerful.
• A friend who lives far away even came to Kyoto just to see the light-up at Eikando Temple.
• When you are surrounded by autumn leaves, you feel as if you are in paradise.
• Because there are so many maple trees, the view has a strong impact.
• The colors change a little each year, but the autumn leaves at Eikando Temple are always beautiful and never disappoint.
• It is the most beautiful light-up in Kyoto.
• There are many autumn leaves, and they are very pretty.
• It is carefully maintained as a “temple of autumn leaves.”
• It is a super classic autumn leaves spot, so the scenery is very impressive.
• The autumn leaves that are prepared just for this one month of the year are stunning.
• The color gradation of the leaves under the light-up is wonderful.

No. 2 Kodaiji Temple (Higashiyama Ward)

Kodaiji Temple: a leading, modern-style autumn leaves light-up

From No. 2 onward, autumn leaves spots in the Higashiyama area, like Eikando Temple, continue to appear in the ranking.
The No. 2 autumn leaves light-up spot in Kyoto chosen by MK Taxi is Kodaiji Temple.

Kodaiji Temple is famous as the temple where Nene, the legal wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi,
spent her later years while praying for Hideyoshi after his death.
Because of Nene, the small street from in front of Kodaiji Temple to Maruyama Park
is called “Nene no Michi (Nene’s Path),” and it is a popular walking route.

Surprisingly, in the 2020 Kyoto autumn leaves survey,
which was not limited only to light-up events, Kodaiji Temple did not make the top 15.

However, for the theme of autumn leaves light-up, Kodaiji Temple is rated very highly in Kyoto
(its daytime autumn leaves are also very nice).

In the survey, many people said, “You should see the light-up rather than the daytime view.”

At Kodaiji Temple, not only are the autumn leaves lit up, but there is also projection mapping, which is a special feature.
The temple grounds are filled with dreamy lights, so you can enjoy not only the leaves but also very photogenic scenes.
After sunset, the mood in the temple is excellent, so it is a great autumn leaves light-up spot for a date in Kyoto.

A nice point of the autumn leaves light-up at Kodaiji Temple is that there is no “day–night change.”

If you visit in the late afternoon while it is still light, you can enjoy both the leaves in the sunset and the light-up at night.

It is also fun to compare how the autumn leaves look in the daytime and how they look at night with the lights. This is one special way to enjoy Kodaiji Temple. The light-up starts from late October, which is one of the earliest in Kyoto.

If you want to see the light-up but really dislike heavy crowds, it is a good idea to aim for late October or early November, when the leaves have just started to change color, before the most crowded season.

The night visit fee is the same as the normal daytime fee, which makes it easy to visit and is one reason for its popularity.
If you go to Kodaiji Temple while it is still light, you can fully enjoy the time as it changes from evening to the autumn leaves light-up at night.
Because it is a temple in the Higashiyama area, it can be crowded, but if you visit Kyoto in autumn, you really should try to go.

Recommended points of the autumn leaves light-up at Kodaiji Temple

• The autumn leaves reflected in Garyu Pond are amazing – truly a breathtaking view.
• The light-up at Kodaiji Temple uses projection mapping very well, and the show is so strong that you almost forget it is a temple. It makes the autumn leaves light-up even more exciting.
• It is nice that there is no need to clear people out between daytime and night-time visits.
• The light-up gives a strong “Kyoto” atmosphere.
• It is a classic view, but the autumn leaves light-up reflected in Garyu Pond is really overwhelming.
• The light-up makes good use of the height differences in the temple grounds, so it is enjoyable even when the leaves are not fully colored yet.
• Looking across the pond at the slope covered in lighted autumn leaves is the best view.
• Not only the autumn leaves but also the detailed projection mapping show every year is wonderful.
• The grounds of Kodaiji Temple are wide, so it does not feel too crowded.

No. 3 Kiyomizu-dera Temple (Higashiyama Ward)

At Kiyomizu-dera Temple, beyond a “sea” of autumn leaves, you can see the famous stage and the night view of Kyoto.

Following Kodaiji Temple, another sightseeing spot in the Higashiyama area appears in the ranking.
No. 3 is the classic Kyoto sightseeing spot, Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

When people think of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, they think of the Kiyomizu Stage looking out over the city of Kyoto –
it is a view almost everyone has seen at least once in a school textbook.

When you say “Kyoto,” the three big temple names are Kinkakuji Temple, Ginkakuji Temple, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple,
but the only one that has an autumn leaves light-up is Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

As you can see in photos, Kiyomizu-dera Temple stands on the slope of the Higashiyama mountains,
built in the middle of Mt. Kiyomizu, so the whole temple area is full of nature.

In a Kyoto autumn leaves survey held in 2020,
which was not limited only to light-up events, Kiyomizu-dera Temple ranked 15th.
The autumn leaves at Kiyomizu-dera Temple are beautiful in the daytime,
but the night light-up is even more amazing, so it is a very highly rated spot.

Also, in the 2021 ranking of recommended cherry blossom spots in Kyoto,
Kiyomizu-dera Temple ranked 19th.
Only Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Toji Temple appeared in both
the autumn leaves light-up ranking and the cherry blossom ranking.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is wonderful in spring and autumn, in the daytime and at night – it is great at any time of year.

In addition, in the 2022 list of “5 most Instagrammable autumn leaves spots in Kyoto,”
Kiyomizu-dera Temple also made the top 5.

In autumn, Mt. Kiyomizu behind Kiyomizu-dera Temple turns colorful and shows a strong autumn feeling.
Visiting in the daytime is also nice, but if you come to Kyoto in autumn, the night light-up is especially recommended.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a very popular spot in the Higashiyama area,
so many people visit even on weekdays.
However, the temple grounds are wide, so you don’t feel too crowded and can enjoy the autumn leaves light-up slowly and comfortably.

That said, it is Kiyomizu-dera Temple, so the popular light-up viewing areas are of course very crowded.

The viewing spot that looks out over the Kiyomizu Stage is especially busy,
and many people gather there.

When the autumn leaves are at their best, you can see the Kiyomizu Stage
standing in leaves that look like burning flames.

Let’s enjoy the autumn leaves at Kiyomizu-dera Temple pleasantly,
while being considerate and giving space to each other.

Everyone knows the view of the autumn leaves light-up from the Kiyomizu Stage is amazing,
but even after you go down below the stage, there are still many things to see.

The view looking up at the stage from around Otowa Waterfall is also wonderful,
and the scene of the three-story pagoda and autumn leaves reflected in the pond is really beautiful.

You can enjoy the autumn leaves light-up from the beginning to the very end.

The autumn leaves light-up at Kiyomizu-dera Temple is shorter than at other spots in Kyoto and ends in November, so please be careful.
If you plan to visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple at night during autumn in Kyoto, make sure to check the light-up dates in advance.

On autumn nights when the autumn leaves light-up is held,
the souvenir streets of Higashiyama, which are usually quiet early, become lively.

Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka (Sanneizaka) are brightly lit
and warmly welcome visitors coming to Kiyomizu-dera Temple at night.

One special thing about the Kiyomizu-dera Temple autumn leaves light-up
is that you can buy snacks at the souvenir shops and enjoy eating while you walk.

If you want to feel a festival mood in Kyoto in autumn,
the autumn leaves light-up at Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a great choice.

Recommended points of the autumn leaves light-up at Kiyomizu-dera Temple

• The autumn leaves light-up at Kiyomizu-dera Temple is very busy and lively, so it is good for people who enjoy an active autumn night.
• The whole temple area is beautifully lit, and the Kiyomizu Stage and the three-story pagoda floating in the dark stand out strongly.
• Adults can enter for only 500 yen, so it is cheaper than many other light-up events.
• The main highlight is the autumn leaves light-up, but I love that you can also enjoy the night view from the hill.
• Even near the end of the autumn leaves season, it is worth going because you can still enjoy the temple itself.
• The beauty of the grounds, the city lights below, and the light-up of the leaves seen from the stage are wonderful.
• The view of the stage with the autumn leaves light-up is truly stunning.
• During the cherry blossom season, the special night opening also lets you enjoy a different side of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is exciting.
• The burning-red autumn leaves seen from the stage are simply amazing.

For sightseeing in Kyoto, leave it to MK’s chartered sightseeing taxi.
Your private driver is a Kyoto expert who handles both transport and guiding.