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Koyasan: 5 temple lodgings and inns for an overnight stay
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Koyasan temple stay at four temples, plus one inn at the foot of the mountain
- Each has one draw: goma fire ritual, kaiseki, monk-led walk, Buddha tracing
- Sojiin and Yochiin take wheelchairs; Tamagawatei sits at the Choishi-michi trail
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Taisho-era inn below the mountain, by the Choishi-michi trail — if you can’t decide | Kudoyama Ryokan Tamagawatei Check price |
82/100 | — | ¥12,000–13,000 |
| The head priest’s goma fire ritual on set dates | Shojoshin-in Check price |
81/100 | ¥12,000 | ¥13,000 |
| Shojin kaiseki courses, and a temple built for wheelchairs | Koyasan Bekkaku Honzan Sojiin Check price |
76/100 | ¥22,000–24,000 | ¥22,000–69,000 |
| A walk round the Danjo Garan with a monk, on set dates | Saizen-in Check price |
72/100 | ¥15,000–17,000 | ¥16,000–18,000 |
| Buddha-image tracing, and a step-free way in | Shukubo Yochiin Check price |
71/100 | ¥17,000 | ¥27,000–53,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-11-04 – 2026-12-26, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-10-26). They move daily — the link shows live prices.
The booking links go to Agoda, which shows today’s price and lets you pay in your own currency. Its price can differ from the Rakuten Travel figures above.
A Taisho-era inn below the mountain, by the Choishi-michi trail
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.74/5 (82)
- Choishi-michi is the old pilgrim trail that climbs to Koyasan on foot
- Jison-in is a World Heritage temple linked to Kobo Daishi
- 4.74 across 82 reviews
Why it made the five
- Four minutes on foot from Kudoyama station on the Nankai Koya line.
- Near Jison-in (World Heritage) and the start of the Choishi-michi trail.
- A Taisho-era building with three rooms and a hot-spring bath.
- No weekday rooms came up in our search; Saturdays ran about ¥12,000–13,000 per person with breakfast.
Getting there: About four minutes on foot from Kudoyama station (Nankai Koya line).
Language and payment: Rakuten lists a few staff who understand a little English. Credit cards are not accepted, so bring cash. The hot-spring bath is shared; tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book.
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Right for: Walking up to Koyasan on the Choishi-michi and wanting to sleep at the start of the trail the night before.
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Not for: You do not sleep in a temple here, and checkout is at 9:00.
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Worth knowing: Cash only. Check-in by 17:30.
Score breakdown — 82/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.53 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | No weeknight room was free in our search window (Rakuten, breakfast) — 69% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★☆ | About four minutes on foot from Kudoyama station on the Nankai Koya line; near Jison-in (World Heritage) and the start of the Choishi-michi trail; a hot-spring bath. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.74 across 82 reviews (Rakuten Travel 82) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | A Taisho-era inn near the start of the Choishi-michi, the trail that climbs to Koyasan on foot, and near Jison-in, a World Heritage temple. |
The head priest’s goma fire ritual on set dates
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.63/5 (188) · Agoda 9.6/10 (17) · 205 in total
- Dinner rated 4.66 and location 4.71
- Rakuten’s listing names the goma ritual as performed by the head priest
Why it made the five
- The head priest’s special goma fire ritual, 17th to 21st of each month, April to July.
- About ¥12,000 per person on a weeknight with breakfast, the lowest weekday rate of the five.
- Check-in from 14:00; free Wi-Fi throughout.
- 4.63 across 188 reviews.
Getting there: About fifteen minutes by car from Koyasan station. Twenty free parking spaces, first come, first served.
Language and payment: Rakuten lists a few staff who understand a little English, Chinese and Korean. Cards accepted include Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners. Rakuten does not list a large bath; tattoo rules are not published.
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Right for: Timing a stay to be there for the goma fire ritual.
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Not for: Fifteen minutes by car from Koyasan station, and no large bath is listed.
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Worth knowing: The temple is unstaffed and locked to arrivals after 18:00. If you will arrive after 17:00, call ahead.
Score breakdown — 81/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.54 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥12,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 71% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★☆ | A few staff understand a little English, Chinese and Korean; check-in from 14:00; free Wi-Fi throughout. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.63 across 188 reviews (Rakuten Travel 188) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Rakuten lists a special goma fire ritual by the head priest from the 17th to the 21st of each month, April to July. Location scores 4.71. |
Shojin kaiseki courses, and a temple built for wheelchairs
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.74/5 (133) · Agoda 9.3/10 (308) · 441 in total
- A senior temple of Koyasan
- Dinner course built around the season’s ingredients
- Rooms rated 4.83 on Rakuten
Why it made the five
- Shojin ryori served as a seasonal kaiseki course; dinner scores 4.91.
- Wheelchair accessible, with loan wheelchairs and handrails in the bath.
- Most staff understand a little English (Rakuten); welcome drink.
- About ¥22,000–24,000 per person on a weeknight with breakfast.
Getting there: Bus from Koyasan station to stop 16, Kongobuji-mae.
Language and payment: Rakuten says most staff understand a little English, and a few a little Chinese and Korean. Cards accepted include Visa, Mastercard and American Express; JCB is not listed. Guide dogs may stay in the room. The large bath is shared; tattoo rules are not published.
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Right for: Wanting temple food as a proper course meal, or travelling with someone who uses a wheelchair.
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Not for: Only 13 rooms, and no vending machines.
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Worth knowing: Cancellation costs 100% from 14 days before arrival. Last check-in 17:00.
Score breakdown — 76/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.78 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★☆☆☆ | ¥22,000–24,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 129% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | By bus from Koyasan station to the Kongobuji-mae stop; wheelchair accessible, with loan wheelchairs and bath handrails; most staff understand a little English; a welcome drink. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.74 across 133 reviews (Rakuten Travel 133) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A temple that serves shojin ryori as a seasonal kaiseki course. Rakuten’s dinner score is 4.91 and its room score 4.83. |
A walk round the Danjo Garan with a monk, on set dates
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.40/5 (412) · Agoda 9.0/10 (186) · 598 in total
- The walk is on the evening of arrival
- The Danjo Garan is the temple complex at the heart of Koyasan
- 412 reviews, among the larger samples here
Why it made the five
- A monk-led walk round the Danjo Garan on set dates, including the 21st of each month.
- Five minutes by car from Koyasan station.
- A tea room in the grounds.
- About ¥15,000–17,000 per person on a weeknight with breakfast.
Getting there: About five minutes by car from Koyasan station (Nankai).
Language and payment: Rakuten lists a few staff who understand a little English. Cards accepted include Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners. The large bath is shared; tattoo rules are not published.
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Right for: Wanting a monk to show you the Danjo Garan.
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Not for: The bath is open only from 16:00 to 21:00, and the gate shuts at 21:00.
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Worth knowing: Cancellation costs 100% from 14 days before arrival. No check-in after 18:00, even on breakfast-only plans.
Score breakdown — 72/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Rakuten hides the room and bath scores, so this is our judgement from dinner 4.50 and cleanliness 4.40 |
| Value for money | ★★★★☆ | ¥15,000–17,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 88% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★☆ | A monk-led walk round the Danjo Garan on set dates; five minutes by car from Koyasan station; a tea room. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.4 across 412 reviews (Rakuten Travel 412) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | On set dates, including the 21st of every month, a monk leads guests round the Danjo Garan. |
Buddha-image tracing, and a step-free way in
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.75/5 (47) · Agoda 8.7/10 (487) · 534 in total
- Founded in the 1100s by Prince Kakuho, fourth son of Emperor Shirakawa
- Tracing a Buddha image is a rarer practice than sutra copying
Why it made the five
- Sutra copying and Buddha-image tracing (shabutsu), and the morning service.
- Step-free entry for wheelchairs; chairs at meals.
- 4.75 across 47 reviews.
- About ¥17,000 per person on a weeknight with breakfast.
Getting there: Nankai Koya line from Namba to Koyasan station, then about ten minutes by taxi.
Language and payment: Rakuten lists a few staff who understand a little English. Rakuten notes that cards cannot be used to pay at the temple, so check how you will pay when you book. The large bath is shared; tattoo rules are not published.
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Right for: Trying Buddha-image tracing, or staying at a temple in a wheelchair.
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Not for: Only 47 reviews so far, and the gate shuts at 21:00.
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Worth knowing: No card payment at the temple itself.
Score breakdown — 71/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Rakuten hides the room and bath scores, so this is our judgement from dinner 4.73, breakfast 4.75 and cleanliness 4.75 |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥17,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 100% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★☆ | Sutra copying, Buddha-image tracing and the morning service; step-free entry for wheelchairs; chairs at meals. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.75 across 47 reviews (Rakuten Travel 47) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Founded in the 1100s by Prince Kakuho. As well as sutra copying it offers Buddha-image tracing, which few temples do. |
Know before you book
- Koyasan is reached on the Nankai Koya line from Namba in Osaka. The train ends at Gokurakubashi, a cable car climbs to Koyasan station, and buses run from there into the temple town. Hashimoto, on the way up, is where the Nankai and JR Wakayama lines meet.
- A shukubo is a working temple that takes guests. Meals are shojin ryori, the Buddhist vegetarian cooking with no meat or fish. Rooms are usually tatami, and many have shared toilets and a shared bath.
- Temple lodgings keep early hours. Most want you in by about 5pm so dinner can be served, and some lock their gates at 9pm. Plan your arrival time before you book.
- Several temples cancel at 100% from 14 days before arrival. Check the cancellation terms on the booking page before you pay.
- Kongobu-ji, the Danjo Garan and the long path through Okunoin cemetery are the core of a visit. All three are in the temple town, and buses link them.
- The mountain is far colder than Osaka. One temple here warns that winter is very cold and asks guests driving in to check for ice and snow. Prices here are per person with breakfast, for two sharing.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Koyasan listed on Rakuten Travel — 68
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 30
- Met every condition below: 27
- Kept: five, each the best at something different
Where the facts come from
- Facts: Rakuten Travel property information (in some articles, each hotel’s own site too)
- Prices: Rakuten Travel live availability, Wednesdays and Saturdays over eight weeks
- Reviews: the count and average on Rakuten Travel, as given in each hotel’s Trust row. Agoda’s reviews are shown under each hotel name for reference only and do not count towards the score
Conditions (all of them, not most of them)
- Listed by Rakuten Travel in the Koyasan and Hashimoto area of Wakayama
- At least 20 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- The cheapest rate falls between ¥6,000 and ¥50,000 per person per night
Scoring
Five criteria, one to five stars each, weighted to one hundred points. Every star says where the number came from.
- Quality20 pts
- The average of the scores Rakuten Travel publishes for the room, the bath and the dinner. Where Rakuten hides the room and bath scores, our own rating from the scores that are shown.
- Value for money25 pts
- The cheapest breakfast-inclusive rate against the median of the places we compared.
- Easy to stay30 pts
- Starts at one star. A point each for checkout at 11am or later, a shuttle, and anything else in the listing that makes a temple stay easier for a visitor.
- Trust20 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this place has that the other 26 do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shukubo Fudoin | Runner-up (70/100) | Scored 70 against 71 to 82 for the five. It was held back by value: about ¥20,000–24,000 per person on a weeknight, 118% of the median. Sojiin also has staff who understand some English and scores higher. |
| Hostel Inn Hashimoto | Runner-up (64/100) | Scored 64 against 71 to 82 for the five. It is cheap, but quality and trust held it back: room scores average 4.20 and its 4.33 overall is the lowest here. It is also not a temple stay. |
| Eko-in | Runner-up (60/100) | Scored 60, the lowest of the eight. It was held back by value: weeknight rates of about ¥24,000–76,000 per person, 141% of the median, and room, bath and dinner scores averaging 4.42. |
| Ichijoin | Outside the theme | A temple with 4.53 across 629 reviews, but its cheapest rate is above our ¥50,000 per person ceiling. |
| Koyasan Anyoin | Outside the theme | 4.49 across 90 reviews, but its Rakuten notes say it deals with guests in Japanese only, so it does not suit this guide. |
| Shukubo Jokiin | Runner-up | One minute from Kongobu-ji with a morning service, but only 32 reviews, and Rakuten hides its category scores. |
| 38 places | Below the floor | Fewer than 20 reviews, or an average below 4.0. |
Questions visitors ask
What is staying in a temple actually like?
You sleep in a tatami room in a working temple, eat shojin ryori, the Buddhist vegetarian cooking, and can usually join the morning service. Expect early hours: most temples here want you in by about 17:00 for dinner, and Saizen-in and Yochiin shut their gates at 21:00.
Will anyone speak English?
Rakuten’s listings vary. At Sojiin most staff understand a little English. Fudoin and Eko-in, our runners-up, say most staff can handle everyday matters in English. The others list a few staff with a little English. If it matters, book by message and ask before you arrive.
Can I pay by card?
Not everywhere. Kudoyama Ryokan Tamagawatei does not take cards, and Yochiin says cards cannot be used at the temple itself. Shojoshin-in, Sojiin and Saizen-in list cards including Visa and Mastercard. Bring some cash to the mountain either way.
I use a wheelchair. Which one?
Sojiin accepts wheelchairs, lends them, and has handrails in the bath. Yochiin is built so you can enter without leaving the wheelchair and has an accessible toilet, and sets out chairs at meals for anyone who cannot kneel.
I want to walk up the old pilgrim trail. Where should I stay?
Kudoyama Ryokan Tamagawatei, four minutes from Kudoyama station, near Jison-in and the start of the Choishi-michi trail to Koyasan. Checkout is at 9:00, which suits an early start.
Which one would you book?
For a first temple stay, Shojoshin-in: 4.63 across 188 reviews and about ¥12,000 per person on a weeknight with breakfast, with the head priest’s fire ritual from April to July. If food matters most, Sojiin’s shojin kaiseki scores 4.91.
Changes
- 2026-10-29 First published. Scored from 68 candidates.