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【Okunoin, Garan & Kongobuji】 Private tour
We are a group composed of monks living in Koyasan. We spent long years as monks at temples in Koyasan. We studied Buddhist teachings directly from Buddhist priests of Koyasan and interpreted them to foreigners. Friendly young monks will be happy to explain daily living, training at Koyasan temples that a general public can not see, and important teachings of the esoteric Buddhism.
Meeting Point
Next to Okunoin-mae bus stop, in front of a public toilet in Nakanohashi parking lot
【Okunoin cemetery】◆ Rocket & termite tomb and big company’s headstones ◆Touching a tree of 850 years old ◆The biggest tombstone in Okunoin ◆Samurai graves such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi ◆ The monument of Matsuo Basho ◆ Weigh the weight of your own sin ◆ Mizumuke Jizo :Visitors throw water on the statues to pray for their departed family members. ◆ Ajimi Jizo :Jizo Bodhisattva who tastes Kobo Daishi’s meals. ◆ Torodo: Spectacular lantern hall with more than 20,000 lanterns ◆ Senryo (Memorial tombs dedicated to teeth and nails of the imperial family) ◆ Gobyo: The place where Kukai still remains alive to this day. ◆ Torodo’s basement: We can approach Kukai very close. There are 50,000 tiny statues that have been donated to Okunoin.
【Kongobuji】 ◆Banryutei (Japan’s largest rock garden) ◆Yanaginoma (Willow Room: Hidetsugu suicide room) ◆Tensuioke (Rain Barrel) ◆ Kyozo (Scripture Storehouse) ◆Shoro (Bell Tower) ◆Daigenkan & Kogenkan (Entrance) ◆Ohiroma & Jibutsuma Umenoma (Plum Room) ◆ Betsuden (Temple Annex) ◆Shin Betsuden (New Temple Annex) ◆ Shoin Jodan no Ma (Gold Leaf Wall) Courtyard ◆ Okushoin (Resting Area for the Imperial Family) ◆ Chigonoma (Page Room) ◆ Tsuchimuro (Earth Room) ◆Kitchen
【Garan】 ◆Kondo (Golden Hall) ◆Konpon Daito (Great Pagoda) ◆Chumon (Twin-tiered & five-sectioned gate) ◆Miedo (Great Portrait Hall) ◆Miyashiro (Shrine Complex) ◆Rokkaku Kyozo (Hexagonal Depository of the Scriptures) ◆Saito (West Tower) ◆Kujyakudo (Prayer for Rain) ◆Jyunteido (Temple for pabajja)
Ending Point
Garan chumon
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Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee
Tickets for visiting temples: 2000 JPY/ person
Guests' transportation fee
Tour Important Information
We recommend you to join our tour with shoes that are easy to walk.
Since there are few places where you can use credit cards in Koyasan, we recommend that you bring cash.
Your lunch and drink are not included.If you need the lunch break between Okunoin tour and Kongobuji &Garan tour, please let us know.
We will use taxis and public transportation for a short time during the tour to move between temples.
Important message from the guide
If a tour has to be cancelled due to a rainy weather, we will refund the tour price in full.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Mount Koya Tour Reviews
“Wonderful day with Nobu”
I would highly recommend anyone visiting Koyasan to spend time being guided by Nobu. He was very kind, knowledgeable and fun to be with. It was great to learn so much about Koyasan, the beliefs and customs of the area and of the esoteric teachings. Being with Nobu meant he could bring everything I was seeing to life, with the history and its context, rather than what I could just see with my own eyes. There is no substitute for these insights and it gave the whole experience a deeper meaning for me. Thank you Nobu!
“excellent tour”
excellent tour, very informative and extremely well presented
Ann P.
【Kongobuji & Garan】 Private tour with a Koyasan resident
“Excellent tour”
We enjoyed our tour with Nobu immensely. He was so knowledgeable and interesting. The time went by so quickly. This was the best tour that we have done while in Japan.
