Just a couple of metres away from the large wooden gate of Nanzen-ji, there’s a small door that leads to one of the most stunning gardens in Kyoto – Tenju-an. The garden is part of a small Zen sub-temple from the 17th century. The first part of the garden is a rock garden, with rocks being set into the shapes of waves, while the second part is a pond garden with koi fish, bridges over water, maple trees and bamboo. The best time to visit the garden is in autumn, during the second half of November. I visited during the first weekend of December and it was a bit too late, but nevertheless, it’s a beautiful place.
Tenju-an is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and tickets cost 300 yen.