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【Okunoin, Garan & Kongobuji】 Private tour
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Joined 2018
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.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
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
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
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 supplier
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
Joined 2018
About Tour Guide Koyasan resident guides N.
Discover Mount Koya with Local Resident Guides
For many years, we have lived and worked at a temple in Mount Koya, welcoming guests from all over the world.
One request we often heard was:
“I want to explore Mount Koya with someone who truly lives here.”
That’s exactly what we offer.
Our tours are led by long-term local residents with deep roots in this sacred town and decades of guiding experience. We don’t just show you the buildings — we invite you to experience Mount Koya as those who live here do.
Our immersive tours include:
Guided walks along ancient pilgrimage routes
Buddhist cultural experiences
Tea ceremony and meditation in authentic settings
Insights into daily life and hidden stories of the mountain
If you're looking for a deeper, more meaningful visit to Mount Koya, we would be honored to guide you.
Please feel free to contact us to arrange a tour.
Reviews
Jami N.
“Koyasan: Okunoin, Garan & Kongobuji”
We met Nobu at the Ichinohashi gate and walked through the entire Okunoin cemetery lined with stately cedar trees. Nobu pointed out details and meaning of gravestone formations sharing his deep understanding of esoteric Buddhism. When we reached Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum we were in a calm and reverent mindset, able to appreciate the belief that Kobo Daishi was eternally meditating inside and that those resting in the cemetery were waiting for his return to this realm. Next we walked through the more recent gravesites, many representing Japanese companies to Kongobuji temple, where Nobu explained more history and teachings through the beautiful paintings. Finally, we visited the Danjo Garan temple complex. Nobu’s ability to translate complex history into relatable concepts was very moving to us. What would have been a casual stroll through Koyasan became meaningful and lasting because of Nobu. Highly recommended!
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Simon W.
“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!
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Toshio O.
“excellent tour”
excellent tour, very informative and extremely well presented
$434/ per group
More tours by Koyasan resident guides N.
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【Kongobuji & Garan】 Private tour with a Koyasan resident
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.
【Kongobuji & Garan】 Private tour with a Koyasan resident
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Okunoin＆Ancient pilgrimage trails Lunch with panorama view
“Women Pilgrims Route” is said to be “the most beautiful trail” among the mountain paths around Koyasan. After attending a ritual in Okunoin, we are going to hike some of the “Women Pilgrims Route” that even forest experts recommend. At the end of the tour you will eat local specialties while watching the spectacular panorama of the mountains registered as World Heritage Sites.
Okunoin＆Ancient pilgrimage trails Lunch with panorama view
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Meditation Experience
Private meditation hall surrounded by temple gardens.You can receive direct instruction from the monks. [Ajikan meditation] A 1200-year-old meditation method introduced to Koyasan by Kobo Daishi from the Tang dynasty. Explore your self in the pure air with a monk who guides people through daily meditation.The meditation hall will be specially reserved for you. Koyasan is a rare World Heritage Site that inherits not only Japan’s culture but also ancient India and the Tang Dynasty.
Meditation Experience
Other Popular Art, Culture, & Historical Tours in Mount Koya
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A Journey to Koyasan – The Heart of Japanese Buddhism
Escape the city and immerse yourself in the spiritual heart of Japan at Mount Koya, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk through the mystical Okunoin Cemetery, explore the historic Danjo Garan temple complex, and admire the artistry of Kongobuji Temple. Enjoy a traditional shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) lunch prepared by monks. This 7-hour journey offers a peaceful retreat into Japan’s rich Buddhist heritage.
A Journey to Koyasan – The Heart of Japanese Buddhism
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【Kongobuji & Garan】 Private tour with a Koyasan resident
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.
【Kongobuji & Garan】 Private tour with a Koyasan resident
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One Day in Mount Koya. Feel the Sacredness and Holiness
Mt. Koya is a very important part of the World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains”. Mt. Koya is in Wakayama Prefecture and I used to work for Wakayama Prefectural Government as a general manager of Cultural Heritage Division and I was also in charge of the World Heritage Project. I know this sacred mountain very well.
One Day in Mount Koya. Feel the Sacredness and Holiness
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Okunoin＆Ancient pilgrimage trails Lunch with panorama view
“Women Pilgrims Route” is said to be “the most beautiful trail” among the mountain paths around Koyasan. After attending a ritual in Okunoin, we are going to hike some of the “Women Pilgrims Route” that even forest experts recommend. At the end of the tour you will eat local specialties while watching the spectacular panorama of the mountains registered as World Heritage Sites.
Okunoin＆Ancient pilgrimage trails Lunch with panorama view