A 1000 year-old Buddhist temple, Shukubo Koya-san Eko-in offers Japanese-style accommodation, a beautiful garden and free WiFi.
Yasmin
Belgium
It’s an exceptional place to stay. With real monks that will take you into the Buddhist world. The food is great and we had a beautiful view on the temple and Sakura
Featuring 2-star accommodation, Guest House Suzumeno Kakurembo is set in Koyasan, 37 km from Tama Museum and 37 km from Kishi Station.
Connie
United Kingdom
Lovely comfortable room. Nice staff who really tried to help me with the Kohechi route, and found an English speaker on the phone to help me.
Nice shower and good WiFi, with little lounge area. Thank you
Koyasan Guesthouse Kokuu is situated in Koyasan, famous as the world headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar.
Pascale
France
Breakfast and dinner with extra charges are proposed during the check-in. Both were very good and tasteful.
清浄心院 is situated in Koyasan, 39 km from Kishi Station, 45 km from Matsushita Park, and 45 km from Itakiso Shrine. It is set 39 km from Tama Museum and features full-day security.
Gabriela
Brazil
Amazing experience!!! There is a heater in the room, so even if you are traveling during the cold season, you can sleep in a heated room. Great typical dinner, and excellent location.
Situated in Koyasan and only 39 km from Tama Museum, 高野山 真田坊 蓮華定院 -Koyasan Sanadabo Rengejoin- features accommodation with garden views, free WiFi and free private parking.
Elizabeth
United Kingdom
The whole experience was wonderful including the meditation in the evening and chanting in the morning with the monks.
Sojiin, located in the center of Mt. Koya, is a Japanese-style accommodation in a Buddhist temple located to the west of Sohonzan Kongobu-ji and in front of Danjo Garan.
Inaki
Switzerland
The possibility of attending the morning ceremony with the monks
This temple is very remote. The area is beautiful and the hiking was great. There is an extra tour option of the cemetery. I thought with the price we were paying that this tour should have been included.
A
Anonymous
United States
8.0
Scored 8.0
Pretty town, huge graveyard, worth exploring but just one...
Pretty town, huge graveyard, worth exploring but just one day needed - Either pay for the decent hotels and experience the true temple koyasan experience or book a lodging and explore the area. Our expensive (but cheapest temple room) felt super touristy and set up. Food was awful. - Its pretty long to get there from Osaka also.
Nicole
United Kingdom
10
Scored 10
I would definitely recommend the experience of staying one...
I would definitely recommend the experience of staying one night at any of the temples and also the Okonuin Night Tour is a real must! Apart from one person and the Guide (Nobu) the staff of Eko-in was somewhat arrogant and be prepared for an uncomfortable and short night, but a delicious and huge dinner and breakfast. The sights and nature are stunning and beautiful, really serene and perfect to contrast the buzz of every big City. We bought the digital Heritage Pass and tool the Limited Express Train to Koya, I would recommend! Apart from the Bus from the Cable Car to our Temple we walked to every sight by foot, since they are not far from each other and the whole town is a complex of a „Sight“. The Tokugawa Mausoleum was especially astonishing, since it’s full of Japanese history.
We will absolutely visit Koyasan again, but I would not choose a Templestay again.
Ivana
Austria
10
Scored 10
Okunoin Cemetery night tour is a must do activity.
Okunoin Cemetery night tour is a must do activity. So much of our understanding of Japanese Buddhism and Koyasan’s role in its history was informed by the monk who was our guide. We checked out Okunoin Temple and the cemetery the next day, too. It is a very special place.
Evelyn
Australia
10
Scored 10
It is imperative to stay in a temple - the vegetarian meals...
It is imperative to stay in a temple - the vegetarian meals at our temple were delicious and had many courses. The town has so many temples and good hiking opportunities, we could have stayed longer - but my husband was too much of a foreigner to stay in the temple for two nights. The wonderful Okunoin Cemetery and shrine with an ancient forest was a special treat - we spent an entire morning there, and it was a nice surprise that the buddhist monks take their stewardship of the natural environment so seriously that there is even a forestry department of the temple. Other temples were equally awe-inspiring.
Sarah
United States
10
Scored 10
Getting to Koyasan is complicated if you don’t have a car.
Getting to Koyasan is complicated if you don’t have a car. If you are coming from Kyoto, save your time and take the direct express bus (about 2.5 hours). Book your tickets online at Japan Bus Online. If you up for the challenge then the trains but plan ahead!! There are many transfers and if you get on a local train instead of an express/rapid, it could double the time it takes to get there. Also, go to the train station at least half an hour early to buy all your tickets including the cable car and local bus. There is a Koyasan Heritage ticket from Kansai train stations (cannot use JR pass) that includes roundtrip from Osaka to Koyasan plus 2 days of free local bus rides in Koyasan. For the Koyasan local bus, if you don’t have a bus pass, then have some cash to pay. Sometimes the credit card machine doesn’t work and you must pay with local currency (in coins). I think the easiest (not the cheapest) option from Osaka is to get on the Kansai (not JRtrain) train from Namba Station. Don’t take my word for it, double check! Once you get to Koyasan, enjoy the experience!
This is a Buddhist temple that has all the charm of the history and modern amenities like the bathroom and shower in the larger rooms. I was late to check in so I missed the dinner time but the staff was so kind and saved my dinner for me when I arrived so I could eat. It was amazing and such a wonderful hospitality that I will never forget! I was also ucky to be upgraded to a larger room with a private bathroom and a beautiful view of the garden. The meals provided are also delicious and made with such care. I was very impressed!
The monks and staff are kind and welcoming.
Things are explained clearly whether verbally or through the many notices and signs in English.
Meals and morning prayers start on time.
If you are respectful and punctual this is an excellent and worthwhile experience.
It's important to remember it's not a hotel, it's accommodation within a working monastery / temple.
Sekisho-in is very close to the Okunoin cemetery - just a few steps from the entrance. So a great choice for being close to that key attraction of Koyasan.
We really liked the guest house hachi hachi. The host is extremely nice and gave us great information about the temples and hiking tours. The rooms are large and the mattresses are comfortable. Everything in the house is very well maintained and clean. The bus stop is only 100 meters from the guest house. It is easy to explore Koyasan on foot from the guest house. It is only about 5 minutes to the Famili Mart.
An excellent property that is very modern and clean. Everything is explained as soon as you check in. The English spoken here is exceptional - which is amazing for international travellers. I would say that communication here is better than a lot of other large cities in Japan.
The vegetarian food was plentiful for dinner and breakfast. The grounds were also beautiful within the property and in Koyasan.
We are so happy we chose this temple for our stay in Koyasan. It was quiet and peaceful and the staff was very kind. The morning ceremonies were definitely an important part of the experience. The place felt much less crowded compared to the other temple stays that we passed by in town, which we really appreciated. It has a nice garden and a relaxing indoor onsen, available for guests in the evenings.
Staying at Saizen-in in Koyasan was such a nice and interesting experience. We got to try the monks' vegetarian cuisine for dinner in our bedroom (can't say my western taste buds enjoyed much of it, but it's all about the experience) and for breakfast (served at 7:30 after the morning prayer, which we were able to attend). I can't explain why, but I had such a profound night's sleep.
Amazing location around 15 minutes walk from the centre of Koyasan, delicious breakfast and dinner composed of many different vegan small dishes (called shojin ryori), a possibility to attend the afternoon meditation and morning chanting prayer. We stayed at a comfortable Japanese style room (washitsu). The bath is common and it is a typical Japanese experience.
Amazing Dinner Buddhist vegetarian in a traditional very wonderful setting. Private bath tub in Juinior Suite with view to tres and forest. Morning Prayer and Meditation in temple 7-8 am. Second visit after 7 years - still fascinating and I would return again. It seems to be the most stylish option for temple stay in Koyasan.
Both the temple and Koyasan itself are beautiful and peaceful, offering an escape from the modern world. While it is rather pricey compared to usual accomodation in Japan, it is a temple and as such offers an experience, not just accomodation. In my opinion this justifies the price.
A lovely buddhist ryokan style lodge. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The room was large and the futon beds were very comfy. Amazing veggie 7-course dinner was laid out for us in the evening as well as breakfast. The monk ceremony in the morning was also great to experience.
The hosts Tommy-san and his lovely wife were very friendly and accommodating. It’s seldom you find hosts who seem genuinely interested in your welfare. Also, the toilet and bath areas were brand new. This venue is right smack near the Koyasan main avenue.
It’s very hard to read this property because you cannot really compare it to a normal hotel experience. It is not a luxury experience in that sense. But it is a very nice lodging within a temple of Buddhist monks. The experience is extremely interesting.
an amazing experience all round. traditional ryokan style accommodation in temple lodgings. exceptional meals all served in traditional style. brilliant location right next to the
main multi temple complex.
Very comfortable, warm heated room and friendly staff. restaurant was pretty good too :) thanks for having me. I really enjoyed my time here in koyasan. nice change from staying in a temple the night before
Thank you so much Nori for a great experience. We will miss the guesthouse and Koyasan. I will definitely come back again the next time I am visiting Koyasan.
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