# Heijo Palace, Nara > The Heijo Palace Site is where the imperial palace of the ancient capital stood in 710–784. Today it's a free historical park with a rebuilt Imperial Audience Hall, the Suzakumon gate and Toin Garden. The pavilions open 9:00–16:30 and close on Mondays. It's about 20 minutes on foot from Yamato-Saidaiji station. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/heijo-palace - City: [Nara](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara), Japan - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Pavilions 9:00–16:30, last entry 16:00; closed Mondays; grounds open - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — all pavilions - Pavilion hours: 9:00–16:30, last entry 16:00 - Closed: Mondays; 29 December–3 January - Highlights: Daigokuden, Suzakumon gate, Toin Garden - Time needed: 1.5–2 hours, lots of walking - Getting there: 20 minutes on foot from Yamato-Saidaiji, or bus - Coordinates: 34.69111, 135.79556 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **710–784** — the years the capital Heijo-kyo stood here (source: en.wikipedia) - **74 years** — the Nara period — the flowering of Tempyo culture (source: heijo-park.jp) - **2010** — the year the Imperial Audience Hall was rebuilt (source: en.wikipedia) - **Free** — all the park's pavilions (source: heijo-park.jp) - **UNESCO** — Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (source: en.wikipedia) - **50,000+** — swallows roost in the park in summer (source: heijo-park.jp) - **Monday** — closing day for most pavilions (source: heijo-park.jp) - **20 minutes** — on foot from Yamato-Saidaiji station (source: heijo-park.jp) ## What is the Heijo Palace Site? **Heijo-kyo** was Japan's capital in **710–784**, during the Nara period. According to the park's official site, in those 74 years the state took shape under the ritsuryo codes and Tempyo culture flourished. At the centre of the city stood the **imperial palace, Heijo-kyu**, with ceremonial halls, government buildings and gardens. Today the palace site is a vast open field, a **national historical park**. The foundations survive underground, and based on excavations some buildings have been rebuilt at full size: the **Former Imperial Audience Hall, Daigokuden** (2010), the vermilion **Suzakumon gate**, the Daigokumon gate and **Toin Garden**. The site is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. > **Mondays and sun** Most pavilions — the Daigokuden, Suzakumon, Toin Garden and the museum — close on Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday). The grounds are an open field with almost no shade: in summer bring water and a hat. There's a lot of walking between buildings — renting a bicycle helps. ## Hours and entry According to the official site, **all pavilions are free**. The Daigokuden, Suzakumon, Toin Garden, the excavation hall and the museum open **9:00 to 16:30**, with last entry at 16:00; they close on Mondays and from 29 December to 3 January. The Izanaikan pavilion by the Suzakumon gate, which explains the ancient capital, opens 9:00 to 17:00 and closes only on the second Monday of February, April, July and November. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are lent free in the park. ## What to see - **The Former Imperial Audience Hall, Daigokuden** — rebuilt in 2010. - **The Suzakumon gate** — the palace's vermilion main entrance. - **The Daigokumon gate** and the east tower. - **Toin Garden** — a rebuilt 8th-century garden. - **The excavation hall** — foundations under a roof. - **The palace museum** — finds from the digs. ## How to get to the Heijo Palace Site 1. **From Yamato-Saidaiji** — Kintetsu, south exit, about 20 minutes on foot to Suzakumon Plaza. 2. **Bus from Kintetsu-Nara** — to the Suzakumon-hiroba-mae stop, about 16 minutes. 3. **Bus from JR Nara** — to the same stop, about 10 minutes. 4. **Bus from Yamato-Saidaiji** — about 6 minutes. 5. **Bicycle** — rentals by the stations and in the park. ## Heijo Palace or the Imperial Palace in Tokyo | | Heijo Palace | Tokyo palace | | --- | --- | --- | | Era | 8th century, ancient capital | The current residence | | What you see | Reconstructions and a field | Walls, gardens, bridges | | Entry | Free | East Gardens free | | Time | 1.5–2 hours | 1–2 hours | ## How long do you need? Allow **1.5–2 hours** for the park: the grounds are huge, it's about 10 minutes' walk from the Suzakumon gate to the Daigokuden, and Toin Garden is at the far edge. With the museum and excavation hall, it takes longer. The palace pairs easily with **Yakushi-ji** temple, a couple of stops from Yamato-Saidaiji. In spring the cherry trees bloom, in summer tens of thousands of swallows roost here, and in autumn the field turns golden with tall ogi grass. ## Is the Heijo Palace Site worth visiting? Yes, if you're interested in history: it's the only place to grasp the scale of Japan's ancient capital, and it's all free. The YesGo take: without an interest in history the park can look like a big field with a few new buildings. If you have one day in Nara, stay with Todai-ji and the deer. With two days, add the palace together with Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji. Inside the rebuilt Daigokuden stands a replica of the Takamikura imperial throne, and the ceiling and columns are painted to 8th-century patterns. It shows how colourful the palaces of the ancient capital were — nothing like the austere later temples. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Not a Monday - [ ] Water and a hat - [ ] Comfortable shoes or a bicycle - [ ] Pavilions — last entry 16:00 - [ ] Yakushi-ji on the route ## Palaces and castles: compare and choose Palaces and castles rated by YesGo. - [Heijo Palace Site](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/heijo-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Western Nara in half a day The pagodas of Yakushi-ji in the morning, then the Heijo Palace site, and Todai-ji's Great Buddha after lunch. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Yakushi-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/yakushi-ji) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥1,000 2. [Heijo Palace Site](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/heijo-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free 3. [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 ## Good to know Heijo-kyo was the whole ancient capital, while Heijo-kyu was its imperial palace, the subject of this page. The park is also called the Nara Palace Site Historical Park. ## Tips - Everything is free. - Pavilions close on Mondays. - Almost no shade — bring water. - Rent a bicycle. - Nearby: [Yakushi-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/yakushi-ji). ## Questions ### Is there an entry fee for the Heijo Palace Site? No, all the pavilions are free. ### What are the opening hours? Pavilions 9:00–16:30, last entry 16:00; closed on Mondays. ### What survives? Foundations; the Daigokuden, Suzakumon gate and Toin Garden have been rebuilt. ### When was the capital here? In 710–784. ### How do I get there? 20 minutes on foot from Yamato-Saidaiji station, or a bus from Nara. ### How long do you need? 1.5–2 hours. ### Is there shade? Hardly any — the grounds are open. ### What's nearby? Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji temples. ## How we checked Entry, hours, closing days, access and the park's nature are from the park's official site. The capital's years, the Daigokuden reconstruction and UNESCO are from Wikipedia. The throne and paintwork are from the official site and guides. Time needed is the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - Park official site (heijo-park.jp) — free entry, pavilion hours and closing days, access, swallows (checked 09.11.2026) - English Wikipedia: Heijō Palace — years of the capital, Daigokuden reconstruction, UNESCO - Wikidata Q211585 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.