Mt. Koya Sacred Sites Half-Day Tour with Licensed Guide

4.6 (36 reviews) 4–6 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

36 reviews

4.6

Mt. Koya Sacred Sites Half-Day Tour with Licensed Guide — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Mt. Koya Sacred Sites Half-Day Tour with Licensed Guide, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Our government-licensed and experienced multilingual guides will help you efficiently enjoy a one-day tour of UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, Mt. Koya. Go on a full-day guided walking tour of Mt. Koya and learn about the modern and traditional aspects of one of the world’s most sacred mountains!

If you would like to take some time out to enjoy some sights outside the big city, then this tour of Mount Koya is for you! Meet your guide at Koyasan station, your private guide will customize your full-day tour in detail according to your interests.

Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.

Note*2: National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Half-day Tours Bus Tours Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Cultural Tours Historical Tours Rail Tours Walking Tours

At a glance

Duration: 4–6 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–10
Guide: Japanese, English
Operated by: Japan Guide Agency

Ages: Infants (0–5 years) · Children (6–11 years) · Adults (12–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Meet up with guide on foot at Koyasan Station
Included: Customizable itinerary (4h: 2–3 sites, 6h: 3–4 sites)
Included: Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

Not included

Not included: Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
Not included: Private transportation
Not included: You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
Not included: Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Itinerary

Koyasan Okunoin

one hour Admission not included

The heart of Mt. Koya. Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered persons in the religious history of Japan, rests here. Also, many prominent personalities' graves line by the approach to Okunoin for several hundred meters through the forest. Your guide will explain interesting stories about those historical characters.
Kongobu-ji Temple

one hour

The main headquarters for the Shingon Sect, which has 4,000 temples throughout Japan and more than 10 million followers worldwide. Visitors can see religious artifact, fusuma sliding door paintings, as well as a beautiful rock garden representing two dragons flying amongst the clouds.
Koyasan Danjo Garan

30 min

One of the two most sacred sites in Mt. Koya. In the 9th century, Mt. Koya was founded on this very ground. At that time, Kobo Daishi held a groundbreaking ceremony and then dedicated his life to the construction of Danjo Garan. This sacred area consists of nearly twenty different structures including the magnificent Konpon Daito. Your guide will tell you the meaning of these structures.
Koyasan Reihokan Museum

30 min

The Reihokan Museum (霊宝館, Reihōkan) was built to house and preserve the religious and cultural treasures of Koyasan. The museum's entrance hall is styled after Byodoin Temple in Uji, and it has three exhibition halls for both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The museum's collection consists of thousands of religious works of art. The permanent exhibition displays statues, mandala (paintings representing metaphysical maps of the cosmos), and various other religious tools and paintings, the most notable of which is the scroll depicting the "Reclining Image of Sakyamuni Buddha on His Last Day". Additionally, a rotating temporary exhibition displays a seasonal selection chosen from the museum's collection.
Koyasan Daishi Kyokai

30 min

Daishi Kyokai (大師教会, Daishi Kyōkai) is the administrative center of Shingon Buddhism, and is responsible for spreading the teachings of Kobo Daishi, the sect's founder. The complex consists of two buildings: Henjoden, a traditional temple hall, that was built in 1915 and is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, and a modern building for administration, lectures and training. An English information desk is available in this building.

Visitors can participate in a few activities at Daishi Kyokai, such as receiving Buddhist precepts (jukai) or copying Buddhist scriptures (shakyo). No advance reservations are required.
Tokugawa's Mausoleum

30 min Admission not included

The Tokugawa Mausoleum (徳川家霊台, Tokugawa-ke Reidai) on Koyasan was built in 1643 by the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu in order for his family to have a mausoleum close to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum. It consists of two buildings which enshrine Iemitsu's grandfather Ieyasu and father Hidetada, the first two Tokugawa shogun.

The mausoleum's two identical buildings took twenty years to be completed and were built in the extravagant style of the early Edo Period with graceful sloping roofs, rich ornamentation, intricate carvings, lacquer and gold leaf. The two buildings stand side by side. The one on the right enshrines Ieyasu and the one on the left Hidetada.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

End point

Pickup points

This private tour is a walking day tour. A private vehicle is not available for this tour. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs.