Kyoto Zen Meditation: Garden Tour at Tofukuji Temple

Discover Zen at Tofukuji Temple: Meditate, explore serene gardens, and savor a traditional lunch. Immerse in Kyoto’s rich Zen heritage.

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 15-chōme-795 Honmachi - Discover the art of Zen meditation at one of Kyoto’s five prominent Zen temples. Gain valuable insights into the practice of zazen or Zen meditation with guidance from a local expert. Delight in the serene Zen garden (dry landscape garden) accompanied by a guide’s informative commentary. Savor a traditional Buddhist meal, a…
What's Included
  • 4.5 hrs with a local guide
  • Lunch
  • Entrance fee of all venues we will visit
  • Zazen Meditation Experience (1 hour)
  • Photos during a tour
  • Shojin traditional meal (Dashi-fish broth is used for some dishes, a bit of dairy for a dish)
Additional Information

What comes to mind when you think of Zen? Before engaging in Zen meditation, a local guide will lead you to a garden where you can immerse yourself in the essence of Zen.
“Zen” is an inherently esoteric Buddhist concept, even for the Japanese. While the word “Zen” may conjure thoughts of Zen meditation, this tour will initially guide you to a garden…

Location
FamilyMart Nakai Tofukuji
Outside of Tofukuji Station EXIT 2, Next to the Family Mart [From Kyoto stn. to Tofukuji stn.] JR line:You can use both rapid trains and local trains. [From Shijyo keihan to Tofukuji station] Keihan line : You can use sub-express, semi express and local trains. Please DO NOT USE express trains.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(318 Ratings)
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Darrenlh2692cz
Sep 30, 2025
Enlightening - I enjoyed this experience with Yutaka, as it is not something I usually do. However, Yutaka made the experience fun, whilst explaining Zen mediation and Japanese traditions very clearly. It was an interesting experience that has opened up the possibility of exploring Zen mediation in the future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
20ranjitk
Sep 30, 2025
Excellent Tour and Great Guide. - Our guide, Yutaka, was brilliant and created a truly memorable experience. He explained the etiquette and meanings of the temples with great clarity. The setting in the Zen garden was beautiful, and the meditation practice with the monk was highly recommended — a unique experience that helped me connect more deeply with myself!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J3584yrmarcusd
Sep 30, 2025
Calming and informative - This tour helped me to deepen my appreciation for Japan’s spiritual practices and how to implement them in day to day life. Yutaka was highly knowledgeable, passionate and very enthusiastic as a guide which definitely made the experience more enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O6326ymmariop
Sep 29, 2025
Lovely intro to Zezen meditation - Very nice tour of kyoto temples and introduction to zenzen meditation. Yutaka's english was fluent and he was very accomodating. Lunch was delicious and a nice way to end the tour. Thanks, Yutaka.
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Escape35263472685
Sep 28, 2025
Memorial experience in temples and meditation - 😀 The tour guide is highly cheerful and informative. She can speak English quite well. She explains the traditions of Japanese temples in interesting way. The vegetarian food is nice and delicious. I highly recommend this tour to foreigners who visit Japan for the first time.
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Birnar_nb2023
Sep 27, 2025
Calming and Informative experience - What a lovely experience. Our guide Yutaka was very informative and kind. He answered every question we had. The food was good too. Recommended.
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J3409tudanah
Sep 27, 2025
A highlight of our visit to Japan! - Our tour with Yutaka was excellent! We learned so much about zen gardens, experienced Rinzai Zen meditation at Tofukuji temple with English translation and had a delicious vegetarian kaiseki lunch with explanation about the various dishes. I highly recommend this tour and guide! This tour was one of the highlights of our time in Japan.
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Daydream568805
Sep 27, 2025
Excellent tour! - A great tour! The guide, Yutaka, was kind, patient and knowledgeable. The meditation training was very useful and having the opportunity to ask questions to the monk was very worthwhile. The lunch was also excellent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lianeq2019
Sep 27, 2025
Highly recommend this meditation - Yutulka taught us so much about Zen meditation, guiding us with clarity and kindness. We even had the wonderful opportunity to speak with the monk who led the meditation, which made the experience even more meaningful. It was a lovely day filled with peace, learning, and inspiration
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N3689vjsamw
Sep 27, 2025
TALKED TO A MONK! - The tour was great. Yutaka even made some time for us to talk to a monk and ask questions, which was really cool. Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $97
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).