3 museums Updated 16 September 2026

Museums in Kyoto

The collections worth an afternoon, and the days they shut

3 museums in Kyoto, with the closing days that catch people out and what each one charges now.

The brick Meiji-era Main Building of the Kyoto National MuseumIt depends

Kyoto National Museum

A 700 yen museum, closed Mondays, open late on Fridays, and dark for weeks at a time between shows. The one Kyoto museum you must check the calendar for.

¥700 9:30–17:00 Higashiyama
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

SanjusangendoKyoto City Kyocera Museum of ArtKyoto International Manga Museum
Open shelves of manga volumes lining a corridor of the Kyoto International Manga MuseumWorth it

Kyoto International Manga Museum

A converted primary school with fifty thousand manga on open shelves and no rule against reading all afternoon. Closed Wednesdays, which is the trap.

¥1,200 10:00–17:00 Karasuma Oike
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

Kyoto National MuseumDowntown and Nishiki MarketIs the JR Pass worth it?
The sunken glass entrance and tiled roof of the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of ArtWorth it

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art

A 1933 municipal art museum rebuilt by Aoki Jun, where the entrance hall, the roof terrace and the garden cost nothing at all.

¥730 10:00–18:00 Okazaki
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

The Philosopher’s PathJidai MatsuriKyoto National Museum

The rest of Kyoto

Every other collection in the city guide, with what is in it.

Sights 6 Districts 4 Restaurants 6 Bars 3 Where to stay 4 What to eat 4 Things to do 3 Walks 2 Events 2