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Kyoto Temples: Golden Pavilion & Ninnaji Tour
5.0
9 Ratings
Kyoto
Explore Kyoto’s UNESCO temples: Kinkakuji’s golden splendor and Ninnaji’s imperial serenity. Join a monk-led chanting session and discover Buddhist traditions.
Explore Kyoto’s UNESCO temples: Kinkakuji’s golden splendor and Ninnaji’s imperial serenity. Join a monk-led chanting session and discover Buddhist traditions.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Kinkakuji Temple - Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, Japan. Initially constructed as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, it was later transformed into a temple. The upper floors are adorned with gold leaf, creating a breathtaking reflection in the adjacent pond. It is…
- Kinkakuji Temple - Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, Japan. Initially constructed as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, it was later transformed into a temple. The upper floors are adorned with gold leaf, creating a breathtaking reflection in the adjacent pond. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors can explore Shariden, Karamon Gate, Rikushu-no-taki, Anmintaku, Hakujanotsuka, Yukatei Teahouse, and Fudo Hall.
- Ninna-ji Temple - Ninna-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, established in 888 by Emperor Uda. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated for its five-story pagoda, beautiful gardens, and Omuro cherry trees. The temple serves as the headquarters of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism and boasts a rich history as a spiritual hub.
What's Included
- Exclusive access to Golden Hall (National treasure) and Sutra Hall
- Admission Fee (Kinkaku-ji and Ninna-ji)
- Transportation fee from Kinkaku-ji to Ninna-ji (taxi)
- Chanting session by a monk
- Local Guide
- Q&A session and photo with a monk
- Exclusive access to Golden Hall (National treasure) and Sutra Hall
- Admission Fee (Kinkaku-ji and Ninna-ji)
- Transportation fee from Kinkaku-ji to Ninna-ji (taxi)
- Chanting session by a monk
- Local Guide
- Q&A session and photo with a monk
Additional Information
Discover the contrast between two UNESCO World Heritage temples in Kyoto: the opulent Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji), constructed by a samurai, and the serene Ninnaji Temple, rich in imperial legacy. Immerse yourself in Japan’s history and culture as your guide highlights the importance of Buddhist temples, exploring themes of power, prestige, and…
Discover the contrast between two UNESCO World Heritage temples in Kyoto: the opulent Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji), constructed by a samurai, and the serene Ninnaji Temple, rich in imperial legacy. Immerse yourself in Japan’s history and culture as your guide highlights the importance of Buddhist temples, exploring themes of power, prestige, and devotion.
Marvel at the shining golden exterior of Kinkakuji and wander through its scenic gardens, uncovering the history behind its creation.
At Ninnaji Temple, enter the seldom-opened Main Hall for a sacred chanting session led by a monk. Participate in an enlightening Q&A with the monk and gain insights into Buddhism’s spiritual traditions. Visit the Sutra Hall to observe and engage with the rotating sutra shelf, a ritual filled with deep significance.
Take a memorable photo with the monk before exploring the graceful Imperial Residence. End your journey in this peaceful setting, absorbing the timeless beauty and imperial allure of Kyoto.
- *The details of the itinerary at Ninna-ji Temple may be subject to change due to the temple’s circumstances.
Location
Yamazaki-an
Meet at a shop located in front of the Kinkaku-ji Temple gate.
The guide has a green board of "Japan Wonder Travel"
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(9 Ratings)
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983teachera
Apr 30, 2025
Up close and personal - Amazing tour with behind the scenes look at Buddhist life and artifacts. Great explanations about Japanese religions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kataokak2023
Apr 10, 2025
Inspiring tour！ - 5 Stars! It cannot be less.
It was a wonderful tour. Our guide was just perfect: kind, passionate, well prepared, wel informed and with great English speaking skills. You could feel she is a professional. I happened to be in Golden Pavilion before but still there were many things I discoverd thanks to the tour. But the best part for me was Ninnaji. I had never been there before, and it turned out to be very beautiful and interesting place. Meeting and speaking with the monk was unusual experience, and entering usually closed buildings was something I will definitely remember. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
貴裕安
Apr 10, 2025
Authentic experience! - Great tour! Authentic tour! We visited two world heritage sites for three hours. Golden Pavilion was awesome. The borrowed landscape garden makes the Golden Pavilion outstanding. More impressive is Ninnaji Temple. Our guide Ellie was very good. She gave us clear explanation of Buddhism and Shintoism. The highlight of Ninnaji Temple is to get inside two building which are not open to the public. Those are Kondo Hall, main hall, and Kyozo, sutra hall. We saw some parts of the essence of Buddhism. We'll visit Ninnaji Temple during cherry blossom season again.
Taka
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Jacqueskyo
Apr 9, 2025
A great experience in an easy way - This was an exceptional guided tour in Kyoto! The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is simply breathtaking, and our guide shared its history in such a fascinating way.
Thanks to Eriko who was a passionnate guide!
The highlight was our visit to Ninna-ji temple, where we had the incredible privilege of accessing private areas. The interaction with a Buddhist monk was a unique and enriching experience.
This tour truly offers an extraordinary experience, far from typical tourist routes. If you're looking to discover the authentic Kyoto and its hidden treasures, I highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Douglashy4429rv
Apr 4, 2025
highly recommend it! - I loved the tour at Kinkaku-ji and Ninnaji. The Japanese guide, Ellie, is very friendly, fun, and has a lot of knowledge about Japan. I highly recommend it!
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646kazumis
Apr 4, 2025
It was a very satisfying tour! - Ninna-ji Temple is located in a little inconvenient place, but on this tour, the guide brought us to Ninnaji Temple from Kinkakuji Temple by taxi, which was comfortable, and though the temple is one of the World Heritage Sites and is a wonderful, historic temple, because of inconvenience location, there were much fewer visitors in the temple and it was very nice. Also, on this tour, a monk guided us inside buildings of Ninna-ji Temple that are not open to the public, which was a very special and wonderful experience. And the guide explained various things about Buddhism, Japanese history, gardens, etc. through two different temples, and answered our questions, so I think it will be a much more enjoyable and valuable experience than sightseeing without guiding especially for foreign tourists.
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Renatatailor
Apr 3, 2025
Insider access - What a great experience! It was not an ordinary tour, but we received many insights and the personal interaction with the monk in Ninnaji temple was great. Of course everyone can visit Kinkakuji, but without background information it is only a beautiful temple. Our guide was really nice, friendly and knowledgeable, we learnt a lot about Buddhism and the culture of Kyoto. Thank you so much!
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Guide16935861873
Apr 3, 2025
A woundafle tour - I had a wonderful day. Kinkakuji Temple has a beautiful garden and is well-balanced overall. Our guide, Eri, told us many interesting stories and it was fun. At Ninnaji Temple, we were able to enter the Kondo Hall, which is not open to the public, and we had a special experience listening to a talk by a monk.
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Jefferym422
Apr 3, 2025
Culturally immersive experience - I did a special tour of Kinkakuji and Ninnaji with Japan Wonder Travel in January 2025. This 3-hour tour succinctly covered a long and rich history of the 2 temples, each with distinct atmospheres. I thoroughly enjoyed the explanation given by our amazing guide, Ellie-san. She answered all our questions very well, not just those of the temples we were visiting. Although I have been to Kinkakuji before, getting to know the history and the details of buildings in the temple complex made me appreciate more of this Japanese cultural heritage. Ninnaji temple visit was a highlight for me. A monk guided us to the main Buddha hall and the archive which are not normally accessible to the public. The garden was very peaceful and truly gave the experience of a Zen garden. I spent some more time alone in the garden after the tour. All in all, I highly recommend the tour to people who would like to know more about the rich cultural heritage of Kyoto.
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