Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide Discount Tickets

5.0
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 9 reviews |
location pin icon Kyoshi, Misaki, Sennan, Osaka, 599-0302, Japan
location pin icon Misaki
5.0 /5
9 reviews
View all Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide photos
View all Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide photos

Get your discount tickets for the Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide, save up to 9% !

Select your ticket

9% OFF Refundable
4hr Walking Tour (2–3 sites)
FROM

$38.59

REG. $42.35

Offer details

Duration: 4 hours Pickup included
9% OFF Refundable
6hr Walking Tour (3–4 sites)
FROM

$54.97

REG. $60.32

Offer details

Duration: 6 hours Pickup included

Overview

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

Pickup Information

This private tour is a walking day tour with meet up at Koyasan Station. A private vehicle is not included. 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.

Language Offered

Japanese-GUIDE

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. Koyasan Okunoin
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.
Duration: 90 mins
2. Kongobu-ji Temple
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.
Duration: 60 mins
3. Koyasan Danjo Garan
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.
Duration: 60 mins
4. Koyasan Reihokan Museum
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.
Duration: 30 mins
5. Koyasan Daishi Kyokai
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.
Duration: 60 mins
6. Tokugawa's Mausoleum
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.
Duration: 60 mins

Inclusion

Customizable itinerary (4h: 2–3 sites, 6h: 3–4 sites)

Meet up with guide on foot within at Koyasan station

Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

Exclusion

Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses

Private Vehicle

You cannot combine multiple tour groups.

Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Cancellation Policy

Check mark icon Refundable tickets

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

  • 100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
  • 0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

Supplied by Japan Guide Agency

Reviews

5.0

★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 9 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

5 stars
9
4 stars
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3 stars
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2 stars
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1 stars
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