Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Koyasan
Koyasan, also known as Mount Koya, is a peaceful Buddhist pilgrimage site nestled in Wakayama prefecture. In this article, I share all my travel tips that I learned from visiting Koyasan twice, and I hope it can help you to plan your visit to this breathtaking destination in the Kansai Region.
You can also read my detailed one-day itinerary to explore Koyasan in my article “A memorable day trip to Koyasan from Osaka”.
Visiting Koyasan in One Day or Two? Pros and Cons
As you can see from my itinerary, it is definitively possible to visit the main attractions in Koyasan within a day, and have sufficient time to enjoy the temples, have an insight into Japanese Buddhism and walk through the cemetery, and even hike if you feel for it. While I preferred to walk, you can also take the public transports (cable car or bus) to get around the area easily. So if you have time or budget constraints, please know that it is possible to visit Koyasan as a day trip and enjoy it a lot as I did!
However, staying two days and one night is also a good option. If you spend a night in Koyasan, you can for instance visit the cemetery by night, which I am sure will add a lot of magic to the atmosphere, as guided tours are organized. If you are interested in knowing more about Japanese Buddhism, then staying overnight could be the opportunity to stay at a temple lodgings (called shukubo - 宿坊). Some of the them have onsens, and you can enjoy the Buddhist lifestyle for a night with a meditation session or spiritual practices like sutra copying or fire rituals (called Goma), a traditional vegetarian meal and an early morning praying ceremony (around 6am).
Based on reviews, I’d recommend Koyasan Shukubo Ekoin or Koyasan Shukubo Fudoin, both temples being highly rated for their warm hospitality and immersive spiritual atmosphere. If you're looking for more options, there are plenty of alternatives to explore—check out more accommodations in Koyasan here.
How to Get to Koyasan & Around?
It is easy to travel by train to Koyasan from Osaka. There are direct trains and other express trains that cost ¥1680 and take you to Koyasan in 1h18 minutes. I always try to take cheaper train options, which is why I chose to take a train on the Nankai-Koya Line (Express train to Hashimoto then changed to a local train to Gagurakubashi), taking about 1h35 minutes and costs ¥890.
There are some travel passes available to travel to and around Koyasan. You can purchase the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket, which includes a round-trip train fare, unlimited bus rides within Koyasan, and discounted admission to selected tourist attractions on up to two consecutive days. It was not worth it for my day trip as I knew I would walk a lot, but it might be interesting for people staying two days or who want to use the buses around Koyasan.
Here is a more detailed article regarding transportation to Koyasan I used to plan my trip by Japan Guide.
When to Go to Koyasan?
October-November is a great time of the year to enjoy the autumn leaves around Koyasan. When I went in mid-October, the temperature was around 10-15 degrees celsius, and the leaves had already started changing colors.
On my second visit to Koyasan, in mid-November 2023, the temperature had dropped to around 0 degree, but I was lucky to witness a magical mix of seasons! As the autumn leaves were fading, a surprise snowfall began to blanket the ancient temples and peaceful landscape. Snowflakes gently landed on the colorful leaves, adding to their beauty and hinting at the coming winter.
Nevertheless, you should be aware that the temperature drops during winter, and while I was considering whether or not to spend a night at Koyasan, I read several feedbacks from visitors that stayed overnight that in some temples the heating system was low or off in winter in the common areas and it could get very cold.
Summertime must also be quite agreeable as it will be comparatively cooler than other parts of Japan as it is in the mountains.
Hiking Around Koyasan: Things to Know About
I used this map I found online to guide me during my hikes in Koyasan. As you can see the women pilgrims' route is much longer than the part I did, so it could be another interesting option for hikers.
There are maps and signs along the hiking trails (in both Japanese and English), so you should not have any difficulty to find your way around.
One thing to keep in mind if you start hiking from Gakurakubashi is that you will see signs before the beginning of the hike warning of the possible presence of bears. As I was hiking alone, I was a bit nervous during the first section, but I talked to a monk at Nyonin-do who told me that as there were some deers in the area these days, it means there were no bears around. As it may be different when you visit, just in case, it's a good idea to bring along a bear bell to scare them off.
How to Enjoy the Best Okuno-in Cemetery
I definitively recommend you start the visit of Okuno-in cemetery from the first bridge (the extreme left of the main road) or at least if you prefer to start from the big parking lot on the opposite, consider walking the whole way to Okuno-in’s first bridge after visiting the main temple.
This part of the cemetery is less crowded and the tourist buses only seem to visit the second half of the cemetery when I came, so you are more likely to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and take nice pictures without the crowd in the first part of the cemetery. It is also where the oldest tombs are.
Other Online Resources I Used to Prepare for My Trip to Koyasan
To Conclude
I hope these travel tips will be useful to you when planning your trip to Koyasan! Koyasan has become one of my favorite destinations in Japan and one that I would highly recommend if you are staying in Osaka. Will you add Koyasan to your Japan travel bucket list?
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