10 Best Temples in Kyoto

One of the best things to see and do in Kyoto is to visit its magnificent temples, where you can learn about the most traditional Japanese culture, the rich symbolism in each of the buildings, its wonderful gardens and ponds and contemplate its ancient religious rites.

Japanese temples are sacred sites that lend themselves to contemplation, ideal for a quiet walk in nature and to meet some of the most impressive representatives of ancient Japanese architecture. Here you will find a list of the best temples in Kyoto.

Kiyomizudera Temple or Temple of Pure Water is one of the most important temples in Japan and Kyoto. It is located on one of the hills of the Higashiyama district, in a beautiful natural environment. Its name, which means "of pure water", alludes to the waters of the Otawa waterfalls, which fall into a pond at the top of the temple.

Although you can not enter inside, you can walk along its famous balcony with reddish wooden columns and enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the city. You can also see the statue of the 11-armed, thousand-faced goddess Kannon. It is not to be missed when the cherry blossoms appear in April.

During your visit, you can drink from one of the three jets of the pond, as is the tradition, to receive love, health or abundance. But remember that you can only drink from one, otherwise its effect will be nullified. Around the temple there are some 34 temples, pagodas and halls that you can also visit.

More information about the temple

• Location: 1 Chome-294 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm in January, February, March and December; from July to August until 6:30 pm and from September to November until 9:00 pm.
• Entrance fee: about 3€ per person. Entrance to the other temples or buildings on the site may cost extra.
• How to get there: from Kyoto station you can take a bus to Gojozaka or Kiyomizu-muchi stops, or a train to Kiyomizu-muchi station.

Kinkakuji Temple means Temple of the Golden Pavilion. It is located in an area of evergreen forests, lakes and unmissable springs. The temple is a 3-story tower and its 2 upper floors are covered with very thin sheets of gold (gold leaf), from which it derives its name.

Its golden reflection in the Kyokochi pond is one of the most beautiful postcards of Kyoto. Kinkakuji stands out for the wonderful Zen gardens ideal for a stroll. Also near the exit there is a tea house, where you can participate in the ceremony. In addition, there are other temples and shrines nearby.

Although you can not enter the temple, when you open the windows you can see the statues of Buddha and Yoshimitsu inside, especially in spring and summer. Also in autumn and winter it has its charm, when the leaves change color or the forest is covered with snow.

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• Location: 1 Kinkakujicho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, Japan.
• Hours: daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Admission fee: about €4 per person.
• How to get there: from Kyoto Station, you can take a bus to the Kinkakuji-cho stop.

Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto temple that began construction in 656, where Susano'o no Mikoto, the god of storms and the sea, is worshipped along with his wife Kushiinada-hime and Yahashira no Mikogami, their eight children. It is one of the temples that you can not leave out of a tour of Kyoto.

The temple is located in the Gion district, which is located in the heart of the city, in a lively area known as the geisha district. The two-story entrance gate to the compound, which has become an emblem of the Gion district and a favorite place to take photos, is very striking. As in most temples, it is not possible to enter the main shrine, which is only accessible to the faithful.

There are other temples in its surroundings, or subtemples, such as Utsukushii Gozen-sha, a shrine where the faithful take a few drops of water from a fountain, which would have the property of beautifying them. In addition, the street that leads to the temple is known to be representative of the most traditional of Japan, with its kimono stores, fans and sweets, so you can not miss on your visit of at least 3 days in Kyoto.

More information about Kyoto

• Location: 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: Open all day.
• Admission fee: free although booking a tour of Higashiyama in Kyoto starts at 119€.
• How to get there: from Kyoto station you can take a bus to Keihan Gion Shijo station, which is 5 minutes from the temple.

Kodaiji Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple located on one of the hills in the Gion district. Founded in 1605, it was built at the request of Kita no Mandokoro in memory of her late husband who participated in the wars of unification of Japan. Portraits of both are inside the temple, as well as other pieces of cultural importance.

The compound is noted for its beautiful Zen sand garden with hundreds of cherry trees, bamboo grove and ponds surrounded by maples. It is a beautiful place to stroll both during the day and at night, when the illumination makes it a magical stop. Booking a tour of Higashiyama in Kyoto when the cherry blossoms are in bloom is one of the best ways to see it.

During your visit, you can also visit the Entokuin Temple, the Palm Art Museum and one of its tea houses, where you can participate in a tea ceremony. One of these houses was designed by the renowned tea master, Sen no Rikyu.

More information

• Location: 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (last admission at 4:30 pm).
• Admission fee: entrance to the main hall is free.
• How to get there: the bus leaves you about 7 minutes walk from the Higashiyama Yasui stop, and the train about 15 minutes from Keihan Gion Shijo station.

The Toji Temple or East Temple is the tallest wooden tower in Japan with almost 55 meters high and 5 floors. It was built in 826 and is considered an emblem of the city.

During your visit you can visit the Kondo Hall, the Kodo Hall, the Fear Hall and the Jikido Hall. Its first floor is only open during exhibitions and special dates, which you can check on the temple's website. Near the temple are the Higashi Honganji and Nishi Honganji temples, which you can reach on foot.

During cherry blossom or Hanami you can also visit the temple at night, when it is illuminated in a special way. And if you visit the temple on the 21st of the month, you can stroll through the Kobo-san flea market, where you can see traditional clothing and all kinds of collectibles, as well as sample traditional foods that are often part of Kyoto's best food tours.

More information

• Location: 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (last entrance at 4:30 pm).
• Admission fee: free for Kondo, Kodo, Fear and Jikido Halls.
• How to get there: from Kyoto station, you can take the Kintetsu line and get off at the next station, Tōji station.

Sanjusangendo Temple is known as the Temple of a Thousand Statues because of the large number of statues housed in its main hall: 1,001 statues of the goddess Kannon, 28 of guardian gods and 2 statues of Raijin, the Shinto god of wind and Fujin, the Shinto god of thunder and lightning.

It was founded in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori and is the longest wooden structure in Japan, 120 meters long. Its austere appearance contrasts with the fabulous statues inside. Among these is the central statue of Kannon, 3.3 meters high. The statues are made of Hinoki wood and covered with thin gold leaf.

Around the temple there are beautiful gardens, two small ponds, a stone monument dedicated to the founder of the Buddhist sect Jodo, a temizu where the purification of hands and mouth with water is performed and the Kuse Inari Shinto center.

More information

• Location: 657 Sanjusangendomawari, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: from April to mid-November from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and from November to March from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (last admission half an hour before closing).
• Entrance fee: about 4€ per person. There is a discount for groups of 25 people.
• How to get there: 7 minutes walk from Shichijo Station or 10 minutes from JR Tennoji Station.

Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple is known as the Temple of a Thousand Gates because of the number of orange torii gates leading to the top of the mountain. It is one of the main Shinto temples and one of the oldest temples, dating back to the 8th century.

FushimiInari is mainly dedicated to Inari, the deity of crops, especially rice, who receives thousands of offerings from those who wish to succeed in business. These offerings are the torii gates that we can see on the road leading to the temple, which in reality are already about 10,000.

The temple is located on the mountain Inariyama, also known as Inari. It is a very nice place to walk along its paths surrounded by nature that lead to other smaller shrines. You can see this temple on your own or in company by booking a Higashiyama tour in Kyoto

More information about Higashiyama

• Location: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: Open 24 hours.
• Admission fee: free of charge.
• How to get there: take a train from Kyoto Station to Inara Station, which is 5 minutes from the temple.

Heian Shrine or Heian Jingu is located in the Higashiyama district so it may also be included when booking a Higashiyama tour in Kyoto. It is known for the giant torii at the entrance, about 24.2 meters high.

The temple is consecrated to Emperor Kammu, the founder of the city, and Emperor Kōmei, who would have laid the foundations of modern Japan. The most important festival celebrated at the temple is the Jidai Matsuri, which is notable for the grand procession from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the temple. This festival is held in the month of October in Kyoto, on the 22nd.

The main shrine is surrounded by 4 gardens of different styles located in the 4 cardinal directions. These gardens, which occupy about 33 thousand square meters, represent a different period in the history of Japan. There are flowers in all seasons of the year, even in winter in Kyoto.

More information about the gardens

• Location: 97 Okazaki Nishitennocho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: 6:00 am to 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm, depending on the time of year. The gardens are open from 8:00 am to 4:30 or 5:30 pm. The last entrance is half an hour before closing time.
• Admission fee: it is free, except for the entrance to the gardens which costs about 4€ per person.
• How to get there: it is located 10 minutes from Higashi-yama station.

It is a subtemple of Shokokuji Temple, whose name is Higashiyama Jishoji, although it is known as Gingakuki which means Temple of the Silver Pavilion. It is a Buddhist temple located in the mountains east of Kyoto, in the Higashiyama district.

Although the shōgun wanted to cover the temple with silver sheets (with the same technique as the Kinkakuji temple), he could not realize it, but the original name was kept. The main building, the Kannonden, is one of the few buildings that has survived fires and earthquakes and therefore has not been rebuilt.

Also the Togudo hall is a structure that has remained intact over time. This hall is recognized as a model for traditional tea rooms, which are one of Kyoto's main cultural experiences. The temple's white sand garden is one of the most photographed in the city. There is also a moss garden where you can take a nice walk in nature.

More information about Kyoto

• Location: 2 Ginkakujicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
• Hours: from March to November from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and from December to February from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
• Admission fee: about 4 € per person.
• How to get there: from Kyoto station you can get there by bus in about 40 minutes.

Nishi Honganji and Higashi Honganji temples are Buddhist temples located north of Kyoto Station, in the southern part of the city. They are some of the main temples of the Jodo Shinshu branch of Buddhism, which is one of the most important in the country. The construction of the temples dates back to the 16th century.

These temples are within walking distance of each other, so it is usual to visit them on the same day. The main one is the Nishi Honganji, the first to be built, on whose main altar is the Statue of the Founder of the Jodo Shinshu Sect. The Higashi Honganji temple was built 11 years later and was inspired by the first one. Its Goeido or Founder's Hall is considered the largest made of wood in the world.

These temples are not lacking in colossal gates of 30 meters, towers, fountains for ablution or temizu, centennial trees, Japanese style gardens and the interesting symbolism present in all temples in Japan. The 400-year-old Gingko tree at Nishi Honganji Temple is a must-see if you visit Kyoto in autumn.

Nishi Honganji Temple

• Location: Hanayacho-sagaru, Horikawa-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto.
• Hours: from November to February from 5:30 am to 5:00 pm; in March, April, September and October it closes half an hour later, and from May to August it closes at 6:00 pm. The gardens are open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• Admission fee: free, except for the gardens, which cost about €4 per person.
• How to get there: it is a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station.

Higashi Honganji Temple

• Location: Karasuma Shichijo-agaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto.
• Hours: from March to October from 5:50 am to 5:30 pm, and from November to February from 6:20 am to 4:30 pm.
• Admission fee: free.
• How to get there: 5 minutes walk from Gojo subway station.