Inuyama Castle and town: Admission, Meitetsu package tickets and repairs

You can buy separate admission to Inuyama Castle (犬山城), or a Meitetsu Inuyama Castle Town Package Ticket (犬山城下町きっぷ). These are different products: the package already includes castle admission, a return train ticket and other discounts. Based on official information from the Inuyama Tourism Association and Meitetsu Railway (checked on 2026-10-28), this article covers prices, opening hours, package contents and restoration work scheduled for the keep in early 2027. For other Aichi attractions, see the Aichi travel guide, and for city and airport transport see Aichi transport.

Key points

• Inuyama Castle: adults 1,000 yen, elementary and junior high school students 200 yen; open 9:00 to 17:00, last admission 16:30
• Inuyama Castle Town Package Ticket: 1,950 yen from Meitetsu Nagoya; castle admission is already included; valid for 2 consecutive days from the start date
• The package is on sale from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027; not valid on 29 to 31 December or 26 January 2027
• From 4 January to 28 February 2027, restoration on the keep’s 4th floor allows access to only the eastern or western half; the other interior floors remain open

Inuyama Castle basics

Item	Official information
Admission	General 1,000 yen; elementary and junior high school students 200 yen; preschool children free (restoration announcement)
Opening hours	9:00 to 17:00, last admission 16:30; entry may be restricted during crowded periods
Closed	29 to 31 December
Walk	About 15 minutes from Meitetsu Inuyama-Yuen Station; about 20 minutes from the west exit of Meitetsu Inuyama Station
Features	The operator describes its keep as the oldest surviving in Japan, with a watchtower-style structure and much original timber; the top floor overlooks the Kiso River

Package ticket versus separate admission

Meitetsu official information (sales period 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027; purchase possible on the travel day):

Item	Details
Price (adult, by departure station)	Meitetsu Nagoya 1,950; Meitetsu Ichinomiya 1,950; Kanayama 2,050; Otagawa 2,590; Meitetsu Gifu 1,620; Chiryu 2,720; Higashi-Okazaki 3,080; Toyohashi 3,870 yen
Children	Official page states that no ticket category is offered for junior high school students or younger
Included	Discounted return Meitetsu rail ticket to Inuyama (Nagoya-direction passengers may travel to Inuyama-Yuen Station; Gifu-direction passengers to Inuyama Station); Inuyama Castle admission; Urakuen admission discount voucher (adult fare reduced from 1,500 to 1,100 yen); Inuyama Castle Town discount voucher (up to 3 shops, valid until 1 April 2027)
Validity	Train ticket, castle admission and Urakuen discount voucher valid for 2 consecutive days from the start date
Unavailable dates	29 to 31 December and 26 January 2027
Notes	The discount vouchers do not include food or drink and may only be used at designated shops; they cannot be used for admission to the castle or Urakuen; tickets are not sold at stations on the Seto Line, Inuyama Station or Inuyama-Yuen Station

How to compare: the package from Meitetsu Nagoya costs 1,950 yen and includes a 1,000 yen Inuyama Castle admission, leaving approximately 950 yen for the rail ticket and other discounts combined. The official pages do not list individual one-way fares from each station. To compare, check the return fare from your departure station and the discounts you will actually use (such as Urakuen or shop discounts), then compare that with 950 yen.

Restoration work on the keep

Official Inuyama City announcement (published 6 October 2026):

Item	Details
Period	4 January to 28 February 2027; subject to change depending on progress
Work area	Conservation repairs to railings and corridors on the 4th floor of the keep, affecting only the 4th floor
Visiting restrictions	The 4th floor is divided into visitor and work areas; follow staff instructions along a one-way arrow route; walking a complete circuit is not possible; only the eastern half or western half may be visited
Unchanged	Keep interior remains open; basement level 2 through floor 3 remain open as usual; admission unchanged; no exterior scaffolding and no major change to the appearance
Enquiries	Inuyama Castle Management Office 0568-61-1711 (9:00 to 17:00); City Board of Education History and Town Development Division 0568-44-0354

How to choose

Your situation	Suggestion
Only want the castle and not taking Meitetsu to get there	Buy separate admission for 1,000 yen
Departing from Meitetsu Nagoya and planning to visit the town and Urakuen	Compare the package with your own return fare plus discounts
Late December or 26 January	Package cannot be used; castle is also closed 29 to 31 December
January to February 2027	Only half of the 4th floor can be visited; other floors remain open

Notes

• Last admission at 16:30 is earlier than closing time
• Prices, package conditions, hours and restoration plans may change; check official sites before travelling

Further reading

• Aichi travel guide and Aichi transport
• Tokoname Pottery Footpath: Choosing Route A or B
• Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine: Planning historic sites