Koyasan itinerary: a comprehensive guide to 2 days in Japan’s sacred mountain town

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If you’re wondering whether Koyasan deserves a place in your Japan itinerary, my answer is absolutely yes. Spending one night here was one of the highlights of our entire three-week trip through Japan.

Koyasan had been on my list for quite some time, and when we visited Japan (17 years after my first trip!) we knew we had to include this magical mountain town in our itinerary. Japan has been experiencing a tourism boom in recent years, and I wanted to discover Koyasan before it became firmly established on every traveler’s Japan bucket list.

Located in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, Koyasan (or Mount Koya) offers a completely different side of Japan, with ancient temples, quiet forest trails, and the rare opportunity to experience a traditional Buddhist temple stay. In this Koyasan itinerary, I’ll share everything you need to know to plan your own visit, from the best things to do and where to stay to how to make the most of one or two peaceful days in this spiritual corner of Japan.

What is Koyasan?

Koyasan, also known as Mount Koya, is a sacred mountain town in Wakayama Prefecture and one of the most important centres of Japanese Buddhism. Founded over 1,200 years ago by the monk Kobo Daishi, it is the heart of the Shingon Buddhist tradition and remains home to more than 100 temples today. Unlike Japan’s bustling cities, Koyasan has a peaceful, almost timeless atmosphere, where moss-covered paths, towering cedar forests, and ancient temples invite you to slow down and take in your surroundings.

For many visitors, the highlight is spending the night in a temple lodging, experiencing traditional Buddhist meals, and waking up to morning prayers, offering a glimpse into a side of Japan that feels deeply connected to its history and spirituality.

How to get to Koyasan

The most convenient location to travel to Koyasan from is Osaka. From Osaka Namba station, we took the Rapid Express Nankai-Koya line to Gokurabashi, which is a beautiful route. We had to switch trains at Hashimoto, which was an easy switch as the train was waiting for us across the platform. At Gokurabashi, your only opion is the funicular up the mountain. This steep 5 minute ride will spit you out at the Koyasan bus station. Service attendants will ask you where you’re staying and direct you to the bus armed with your stop number. (Walking is not allowed)

There is a direct Limited Express to Gokurabashi as well, which means you won’t have to transfer at Hashimoto. Keep an eye out for Kudoyama Station, a very cute red station with a cafe and rice ball shop inside.

If you really don’t want to take the funicular, you could also get off at Gokurabashi station and hike the Fudozaka Trail. This is a (very steep!) 2,5 kilometer climb.

Note: if you buy the Koyasan World Heritage Pass, it is not valid on the Limited Express trains. It covers a return trip from Osaka to Koyasan, including the trains, funicular, as many bus rides in Kouyasan as you want, and discounts at a few temples.

💡 Make sure to scan the QR code for the World Heritage Pass and not your Suica when you get on the train. I somehow messed this up with my phone and had to get it fixed at the station office, which was a little stressful as all the transport methods align with each other. I disabled my Suica after that for the return trip!

Koyasan itinerary: day 1

Arrival & afternoon: check in and temples

We arrived in Koyasan at around noon; which was perfect and I would definitely recommend. The bus dropped us off at a 3 minute walk to our temple for the night, and we decided to drop off our backpacks. For most temples, check in is strictly between 3 and around 5pm.

We decided to have a quick lunch at 安平 (no English name) which is run by a very sweet older couple. They have a small menu and serve a traditional dessert from Koyasan. The food was homemade, fantastic and hit the spot!

After, we had a wander down the street to see some temples, and picked up our tickets for the evening tour of Okonu-in cemetery that we had booked in advance.

We returned to our temple at around 4:30 to check in, as dinner was served by 5:30. We were welcomed by the monk that was ‘assigned’ to us and explained the temple schedule and showed us to our room. We had booked a traditional room, which means a tatami room and sleeping on the floor.

Evening: temple dinner and Koyasan cemetery night tour

Before dinner, we changed into the traditional yukata that were in the room for us, and made our way down for dinner. There was a private, screened off area for each guest (which were only 3 couples, including us) and were served a traditional, vegetarian meal, tea and sake (!|).

Okuno-in night tour

This was the part we were looking forward to the most! Okuno-in is Japan’s largest cemetary and is over 900 years old. Most of the 200,000 graves are covered in moss and lie in the forest. It also houses the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. His followers believe he is in eternal meditation in a small cave behind the mausoleum.

At 7pm, we were met by a resident monk at the cemetary and as he explained its significance, shared facts and stories we walked through the paths in the dark. It truly was a beautiful and meaningful evening. Once we reached the mausoleum at the other end of the cemetery, we were not allowed to speak anymore or take photos as this is a sacred area. We washed first, and were then taken around it to the cave where Kobo Daishi is said to be still meditating.

If there is one experience to prioritise on your Koyasan itinerary, make it the Okuno-in night tour.

The tour ends at 8:30, to make sure everyone has ample time to make it back to their accommodation, as most temples have a strict 9pm curfew. Ours did as well, and we set a brisk walking pace to make it back. (There is a bus as well, but we weren’t far)

Once back, we had until 10pm until lights out, which left some time to use the temple’s onsen, which I was quite happy with!

📖 Read about our entire 3 week Japan trip here!

How to book your night tour

Book your Okuno-in cemetery tour through their official webhsite: Awesome Tours. The tour is held almost every night and takes 90 minutes. Because they’re on a schedule, the walking pace is moderate. If you’re a slow walker for whatever reason, it might be a little challenging.

Koyasan itineray: day 2

Morning: early rising, Okuno-in by day and temples

After a night of very good sleep, we had to rise early to attend the 6:30 morning prayer by the fire in the temple, followed by breakfast. After that, we checked out but left our bags at the temple to pick up later.

We wanted to visit the cemetery by daylight as well, to get another look, as well as to get a goshuin, which felt quite meaningful. The daylight gives the cemetery a different atmosphere, but equally beautiful!

No Koyasan itinerary would be complete without visiting Kongobuji Temple, the head administrative temple. Their rock garden covers 2,340 square meters with 140 granite stones arranged to portray a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds. After that, we made our way to Daimon Gate, the old entrance to Koyasan, built in the 11th century.

There are over 100 temples to visit in Koyasan, and it will be impossible to see them all! While you could look up the ‘best’ ones to visit, we enjoyed wandering the streets and seeing to which temples they would lead us.

Afternoon: departure

We took the bus back to our temple to pick up our bags, ask for a goshuin, and made our way back to the bus. The journey back to Osaka took us about 2 hours (as it did on the way coming) but because we continued on to Kyoto, we had another train ride.

This is also the reason why visiting Koyasan from Kyoto is not the most convenient, as you’ll have to travel through Osaka regardless. From Koyasan to Osaka, there is a highway bus as well. As at the time of our visit there were only 2 daily and took longer than the trains, we chose not to do this. The World Heritage Pass also does not cover this.

How to book your Koyasan temple stay

In all honesty; we booked out stay quite last minute, about 4 weeks out. The later you book, the more expensive it is. Also, we visited in mid-May, which is a busy period for Japan tourism.

There are 2 options: the first being Booking.com. Many temples actually are listed here, and it’s quick to see what your money will get you.

Option 2 is through the official Shukobo website. Here, you will fill out a form with your dates etc, and the organisation will find you a temple to stay. Once you are assigned a temple, you will receive an email where you can either accept or decline.

Because we were so late, I used booked on Booking and filled out the Shukobo form just to make sure we would be able to stay somewhere. I ended up using the Booking.com reservation I made as the Shukobo assignment turned out to be a little more expensive than Booking. If you do this; do make sure to cancel the Shukobo booking on time as you will be charged if you don’t do that within the agreed time period.

Koyasan temple etiquette

If a temple stay is on your Koyasan itinerary, here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Most temples are on a strict schedule for arriving, meals, evening curfew and onsen opening times.
• Dress modestly. No shorts or bare shoulders.
• Do not be loud on temple grounds. No phonecalls, no smoking.
• Don’t wear the yukata to the morning ceremony, wear your normals clothes.
• Always remove your shoes! Indoor slippers are also to be taken off before stepping on tatami

Your temple will let you know beforehand what their expectations are.

We stayed at Fumon-in temple, and we were happy with our choice!

Best time to visit Koyasan

Koyasan is beautiful to visit year round. One thing to remember is that it’s located on a mountain, so if you visit in winter, it will be cold. Temple rooms will usually have heaters, but that does not go for the entire temple grounds. Bring thick socks to keep your feet warm as you walk around, and warm clothes for the morning prayers.

We visited in mid May, and the temperature during the day was a pleasant 24 degrees celsius. The evening was very doable with a sweater as well.

Other Koyasan lodging options

If a temple stay is not something you desire or within your budget, there are a couple of guesthouses. Guesthouse Tommy is a popular choice, and is run by very friendly people. Guesthouse Kokuu is another solid option. The prices here are significantly lower than staying at a temple.

Koyasan itinerary: FAQ

Can you visit Koyasan without staying overnight?

You could, but it will be a busy, tiring day. We do believe that an overnight stay at Koyasan is part of the overall experience however.

Is Koyasan difficult to get around?

Not at all! The town bus is free with your World Heritage Pass and you can take it as many times as you want. Koyasan town is essentially one long road, and it is very easy to navigate.

Do you need to book a temple stay in advance?

Absolutely.

How much does a temple stay cost?

Expect to pay between Expect to pay between €200 and €300 for a temple stay for 2 people. This does include all meals and the morning service.

Can you bring luggage to Koyasan?

We decided to travel with our small daypacks only. Carrying suitcases on the trains, funicular and the bus will be quite a task. Especially on the funicular and the bus there is not much space. We opted to forward our bigger luggage from Osaka to our hotel in Kyoto and we were so happy we did! Traveling light to Koyasan is perfect as you won’t need much for a 1 night stay at a temple.

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