Kobo Daishi (Kukai) founded this sacred place of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism about 1,200 years ago. Koyasan is the sacred place in the sky. Even if you are not interested in esoteric Buddhism, you can enjoy its spiritual atomosphere. This tour includes the two most important areas, Okunoin and Danjo Garan Complex. Immersed yourself in the splendid atmosphere of Okunoin, you will feel your mind and body cleansed to the very core. Danjo Garan Complex is a world of three-dimensional mandalas.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
At your hotel , Koyasan , Wakayama city
Hotel pick up
You can enjoy strolling about 2 kilometer hike surrounded by more than 200,000 tombstones and monuments from historical figures to commoners. It is said that Kobo Daishi is still alive in this Okunoin and the monks bring food for him twice a day. If you start the Okunoin tour at this time, you may be able to see it.
There are many Buddhist buildings lined up in the Garan. You can also see Miyashiro Shrine Complex and learn the difference between Shinto and Buddhism. Let's enter the Konpon Daito Pagoda and enjoy the glittering esoteric arts.
If you make a reservation from the day before, you can enjoy vegetarian food at a temple.(Please note that if you cancel, a cancellation fee will be charged) I know a temple where you can experience Goma-gyo(fire ritual). There are many other recommended restaurants.You can make a reservation on the same day as well depending on your budget.
Hotel drop off
At your hotel , Koyasan , Wakayama city
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Guiding fee
Hotel pick-up / drop-off in Koyasan area
Transportation fee (you and guide) train and Koyasan bus about 4,090 JPY per person. It is recommended to buy a World Heritage ticket.
Entrance fee about 400 JPY per person. I'm a certified Koyasan guide, so no admission fee is required for myself.
Lunch 2750JPY~ per person. If you'd like to have vegetarian cuisine at the temple reservation is required from the day before. ( I'll make a reservation on your behalf.)
Since it is a half-day tour, it ends with lunch, but if you come to Koyasan in the afternoon and stay at a temple lodging I will guide you until the dinner time (17:00 or 17:30).
I can pick you up in Osaka, but I would rather guide you on how to get to Koyasan from Osaka and help you get to Koyasan.It is safe because there are many foreign tourists on the train.You might be able to join me by the time we get on the cable car.
Hi! I'm an official English guide in Wakayama prefecture. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I got a job as a teacher. I currently teaches at a cram school while also working mainly as a guide.
I also obtained the national guide licence. I would like to expand my guide area to cover the entire Kinki region, but I like Wakayama the most because of its spiritual nature.
“Koyasan tour”
Miyuki-san is a friendly person who guided me in Koyasan. There is a lot to see in Koyasan and it is a bit of journey to get there. Without a good guide, it is not easy to know where to go, to decide what to see, or to understand the significance and details of the various temples and sights there. Miyuki is very knowledgeable about Koyasan and she clearly loves the area. She was very organized, with train and bus schedules always on hand so that we could keep moving without wasting time. She guided me on the train to Koyasan, and when we got there, we covered a lot of sights over several hours. Miyuki gave detailed explanations about each place. She also had booked a good restaurant ahead of time where we had lunch, and she showed me some of the best shops in Koyasan for wagashi and souvenirs. In addition, she gave me suggestions on what I could go see myself on the following day. One minor issue I had is that I sometimes had to ask her the same question several times over before she answered; I think it was maybe because she was so absorbed with taking in the sights and thinking about where to take me next. If you communicate clearly and ensure you are understood, this should not be a problem. Aside from this minor issue, I do definitely recommend her as a guide if you would like to make the most of your trip to Koyasan. I could not have had as good of an experience as I did at Koyasan without her. Thank-you, Miyuki-san!
Miyuki O.
(3 reviews)Thank you for your wonderful and heartfelt comment. It will be helpful for me to continue to hone my career as a guide in Koyasan. It seemed that you were jet-lagged and tired, but I think you were healed by the clean air and scenery of Koyasan, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Many people enjoy the atmosphere of Koyasan and then go back, but I think you can fully enjoy its charm by staying at a temple lodging and listening to the guide's explanations while touring the famous sites of Koyasan. As you pointed out, my weakness is that when a question is suddenly asked that is unrelated to the flow of the conversation, I can hear it as audio but I can't keep up with it. This happens often in Japanese too. I lost my husband and my children have become independent, so I live alone now and don't have many opportunities to communicate with people. I really enjoyed myself when I was able to show around an intelligent and wonderful woman like you.
“Amazing Insigths into Koyasan”
Miyuki is a great, friendly and competent Guide. As someone with a lot of Japan exoerience, i have got to say, i couldn't be happier to have taken this Tour with Miyuki. She engaged with my every request and was incredibly informative and knowledgeable to boot! She gets my highest recommendations.
Miyuki O.
(3 reviews)Thank you for your kind comment. Koyasan is my favorite place, and I'm happy to meet someone who understands its greatness. You know a lot about Japanese history and religion, and it was worth explaining to you. It was a day trip, but with 7 and a half hours, you were able to enjoy it at your leisure. Koyasan is not a place to rush around and see things. It has a special atmosphere that you won't find in big cities. I think you were able to feel refreshed and healed by breathing in the clean air, purifying your mind and body.
“Nice tour, but Koyasan a mixed bag”
We had very bad weather which was of course not very nice. Miyuki was such a nice person and gave us great insights in the history and religious background of Koyasan. She really did her best but her English was not always easy to understand for us. The graveyard is really impressive, a magical place, but I was underwhelmed by Danjo Garan. So If I would do it again I would probably sleep at a temple and do all the ceremonies there and spend as much time as I can at Okunoin on my own and skip the rest of Koyasan, as Kyoto has more interesting places.
Miyuki O.
(3 reviews)Thank you for your good evaluation. I remembered the first time I heard a story from a monk at Koyasan a long time ago and was overwhelmed. I think it is difficult to explain about religion. I need to explain things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and if it's difficult to explain, I also need to prepare pictures or materials. Thank you for your opinion. Unfortunately, it had rained since the day before as a typhoon was approaching. During the tour, we were lucky that it wasn't raining heavily and we had time to fold our umbrellas. The Kii Mountains are also known as"Land of Trees'' because of the abundant rain and growth of trees. It would be nice if your camera captured the moss-covered stone towers and green trees vividly as compensation for the rain. Koyasan is part of the sacred mountain range, and the Kumano Kodoーpilgrimage route is also located in the Kii Mountains. Daimonzaka slope, which leads to Nachi Falls, is popular with photographers and nature lovers. It's true that the cities of Kyoto and Tokyo are more exciting, especially for young people. Koyasan may be a place where you seek peace and relaxation.
$132/ per group
Reserve