Uji, Kyoto · Things to do
Things to Do in Uji: 9 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
9 things to do · checked October 22, 2026
9 things to do in Uji, from Byodo-in outward
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 22, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Byodo-in平等院
Temple, garden and museum · Byodoin Omotesando
A temple founded in 1052, best known for its Phoenix Hall, which enshrines a gold-leafed Amida Buddha and carries two phoenixes on its roof. The Hoshokan museum is in the grounds; the inside of the Phoenix Hall is shown on short timed visits for an extra fee.
- Access
- Keihan puts it about 10 minutes on foot south of Keihan Uji Station. From Kyoto Station, the JR Nara Line Miyakoji Rapid reaches JR Uji in 17 minutes; Keihan Uji is about 15 minutes from Chushojima on the Keihan Uji Line. Address: 116 Uji Renge, Uji. The temple has no car park.
- Hours
- Garden 8:45–17:30 (last entry 17:15); Hoshokan 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:45); Phoenix Hall interior 9:30–16:10, every 20 minutes
- Closed on
- Open every day. The Tobira-e Room in the Hoshokan is closed 2–27 November 2026.
- Price
- Adults ¥700; junior high and high school ¥400; elementary ¥300. Phoenix Hall interior ¥300 extra, up to 35 people per visit, tickets at the reception in the garden.
2Taiho-an municipal tea house宇治市営茶室 対鳳庵
Tea house and tea ceremony experience · Byodoin Omotesando
A tea room run by Uji City to introduce Uji tea, named for facing Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall. A bowl of thin matcha with a seasonal sweet takes 20–30 minutes; the booked tea ceremony experience has you watch a demonstration and then whisk your own bowl.
- Access
- Reserved tickets are exchanged on the day at the Uji City Tourism Center directly in front of Taiho-an.
- Hours
- 10:00–16:00
- Closed on
- Open 10 January to 20 December. Closed on the last day of each month (the last weekday when that falls on a weekend or holiday).
- Price
- Thin matcha with a sweet ¥1,500. Matcha or sencha experience ¥3,600 (about 40 and 80 minutes; book at least 3 days ahead).
3Uji Bridge宇治橋
Historic bridge and riverside walk · Uji River
The main bridge over the Uji River, said to have first been built around 646 and counted among the three oldest bridges in Japan. The present bridge dates from 1996, in a traditional design of Japanese cypress with bronze details, and the bridge appears in The Tale of Genji.
- Access
- The east end faces Keihan Uji Station. JNTO puts the bridge 5–10 minutes on foot from JR Uji Station.
- Price
- Free
4Chazuna (Uji tea and town history park)お茶と宇治のまち歴史公園 茶づな
Tea museum and tea experiences · Keihan Uji Station
A park and visitor building with a museum on the history of Uji tea and the town, and tea experience programmes indoors and outdoors.
- Access
- About 4 minutes on foot from Keihan Uji Station; about 12 minutes on foot from the south exit of JR Uji Station.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (museum last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Open all year; may close for inspections or bad weather
5The Tale of Genji Museum宇治市源氏物語ミュージアム
Museum · Uji Higashiuchi
Uji City's own museum on The Tale of Genji, the 11th-century novel in which Uji Bridge appears.
- Access
- About 8 minutes on foot from Keihan Uji Station; about 15 minutes on foot from JR Uji Station.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Mondays (the next day when Monday is a public holiday); year-end and New Year
- Price
- Adults ¥600; children ¥300
6Ujigami Shrine宇治上神社
Shinto shrine (World Heritage) · Uji Yamada
A shrine listed as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage site. Its oldest buildings have been dated to 1060, and JNTO describes it as the oldest original Shinto shrine building in Japan.
- Access
- Keihan puts it about 10 minutes on foot southeast of Keihan Uji Station, and 5 minutes on foot from the Tale of Genji Museum. Address: 59 Uji Yamada, Uji.
- Hours
- 9:00–16:30 (as published by Keihan)
7Uji River cormorant fishing宇治川の鵜飼
Summer evening boat ride · Uji River
Fishing with trained cormorants on the Uji River around Nakanoshima, watched from shared boats on summer evenings. The 2026 season ran 1 July to 30 September; dates for 2027 had not been published when this was checked.
Summer only. The 2026 season ran 1 July–30 September; 2027 dates not yet published.
- Access
- Boats board at Kisen Bridge (喜撰橋) on the Uji River.
- Hours
- July–August: boarding 18:30, departure 19:00. September: boarding 18:00, departure 18:30. Reception from about 17:30.
- Closed on
- Wednesdays; cancelled in bad weather or when dam releases raise the river
- Price
- Shared boat: adults ¥2,700; elementary school children ¥1,200. Same-day only, no reservations.
8Mimuroto-ji三室戸寺
Temple and flower gardens · Mimurodo
A temple with gardens of weeping plum, Kurume and Hirado azaleas, lotus and hydrangeas. The hydrangea garden holds about 20,000 plants among cedars; the 2027 hydrangea season is set for 29 May to 4 July.
- Access
- About 15 minutes on foot from Keihan Mimurodo Station.From JR Uji the temple suggests a taxi.
- Hours
- 8:30–15:10
- Closed on
- 11–17 August; 29–31 December; also when a weather warning is in force
- Price
- Adults ¥1,000; children ¥500
9Manpuku-ji黄檗山 萬福寺
Zen temple · Obaku
The head temple of the Obaku school of Zen, founded in 1661 by the Chinese monk Ingen. It serves fucha ryori, the vegetarian temple cuisine Ingen brought from China, and is holding a night viewing from 10 October 2026 to 21 February 2027.
- Access
- About 5 minutes on foot from Obaku Station, on both the JR Nara Line and the Keihan Uji Line.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (reception until 16:30)
- Price
- Adults, university and high school ¥500; junior high and elementary ¥300
Good to know
Most of Uji is a walk between two stations. Byodo-in, Taiho-an and the Byodoin Omotesando shops are on one side of the Uji River; Uji Bridge leads across to Keihan Uji Station, Chazuna, the Tale of Genji Museum and Ujigami Shrine. From Kyoto Station the JR Nara Line Miyakoji Rapid reaches JR Uji in 17 minutes. From central Kyoto, take Keihan and change at Chushojima for the Keihan Uji Line, about 15 minutes from there.
The Phoenix Hall interior is shown on visits every 20 minutes from 9:30 to 16:10, up to 35 people each and ¥300 on top of entry. The Tale of Genji Museum closes on Mondays. Mimuroto-ji, 15 minutes on foot from Keihan Mimurodo Station, takes visitors only until 15:10.
Dates to plan around: the Hoshokan's Tobira-e Room at Byodo-in is closed 2–27 November 2026, and Taiho-an is shut from 21 December to 9 January. Cormorant fishing runs only in summer; the 2026 season ended on 30 September. Mimuroto-ji's 2027 hydrangea season is 29 May–4 July.
In depth
Central Uji, or the temples a station away
Where each place is, what it costs to get in and when the last entry is. Adult prices; other prices are on each card above.
| Where | Getting there | Entry (adult) | Last entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byodo-in and Taiho-an | About 10 min on foot south of Keihan Uji; JR Uji is 17 min from Kyoto Station by Miyakoji Rapid | Byodo-in ¥700 (+¥300 Phoenix Hall interior) · Taiho-an matcha ¥1,500 | Garden 17:15 · Phoenix Hall 16:10 · Taiho-an closes 16:00 |
| Keihan Uji side: Chazuna, Tale of Genji Museum, Ujigami Shrine | Chazuna 4 min, Genji Museum 8 min, Ujigami about 10 min on foot from Keihan Uji | Genji Museum ¥600 · Chazuna museum fee not checked here | Genji Museum 16:30 · Chazuna museum 16:30 · Ujigami closes 16:30 |
| Mimuroto-ji | About 15 min on foot from Keihan Mimurodo | ¥1,000 | 15:10 |
| Manpuku-ji | About 5 min on foot from Obaku (JR Nara Line and Keihan Uji Line) | ¥500 | 16:30 |
| Cormorant fishing (summer) | Boats board at Kisen Bridge on the Uji River | Shared boat ¥2,700 | Departs 19:00 (Jul–Aug), 18:30 (Sep) |
By kind of trip
First trip, half a day
Byodo-in, a bowl of matcha at Taiho-an, then across Uji Bridge. The Phoenix Hall interior visits run every 20 minutes until 16:10 and fill at 35 people.
Tea, hands on
Taiho-an's ¥3,600 experience lets you whisk your own bowl after a demonstration; book at least 3 days ahead. Chazuna runs tea programmes and has a museum on Uji tea.
Taiho-an municipal tea house · Chazuna (Uji tea and town history park)
Rain
The Tale of Genji Museum (closed Mondays), the Chazuna museum and Byodo-in's Hoshokan are indoors.
The Tale of Genji Museum · Chazuna (Uji tea and town history park) · Byodo-in
Summer
Cormorant fishing runs July–September, Wednesdays off, same-day shared boats only. Mimuroto-ji's hydrangea garden opens for the season from late May.
Quieter temples a station away
Manpuku-ji is 5 minutes from Obaku Station and holds a night viewing until 21 February 2027. Mimuroto-ji is 15 minutes from Keihan Mimurodo.
Questions
How do I get to Uji from Kyoto?
From Kyoto Station, the JR Nara Line Miyakoji Rapid reaches JR Uji in 17 minutes. From Gion-Shijo or Sanjo, take Keihan and change at Chushojima for the Keihan Uji Line to Keihan Uji, about 15 minutes from Chushojima. The two Uji stations are on opposite sides of the river, joined by Uji Bridge.
Can I go inside the Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in?
Yes, on timed visits every 20 minutes from 9:30 to 16:10, up to 35 people each, for ¥300 on top of the ¥700 entry. Tickets are sold at the reception inside the garden, and it can stop selling early once the day's visits are full.
Where can I try a tea ceremony in Uji?
Taiho-an, the city-run tea house, serves thin matcha with a seasonal sweet for ¥1,500 and runs a ¥3,600 matcha or sencha experience that needs booking at least 3 days ahead. It is open 10:00–16:00 from 10 January to 20 December.
When is cormorant fishing on the Uji River?
In summer only. The 2026 season ran 1 July–30 September, closed Wednesdays, with shared boats from Kisen Bridge at ¥2,700 for adults, same day only. The 2027 dates had not been published on 22 October 2026.
Can I visit Uji from Nara?
Yes. JR Uji is on the JR Nara Line between Nara and Kyoto. The Miyakoji Rapid takes about 44 minutes from Nara to Kyoto and stops at Uji, 17 minutes before Kyoto.