Nanzen-ji

The central grounds of this big Zen temple are free to walk, with separate fees only for the halls and subtemples, so you can wander without a ticket in hand. The massive Sanmon gate rises above the treetops, and a red-brick Meiji-era aqueduct, built for the canal from Lake Biwa, cuts straight through the precincts and photographs beautifully when nobody is under its arches. When the halls open at 8:40, skip the main crowd and pay the small fee for Nanzen-in, a subtemple with a pond garden that is at its best in autumn.