Visiting Kinkaku-ji, The Golden Pavilion

Continuing on our tour of Japanese temples is the beautiful Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺, also known as the Golden Pavilion.

Kinkaku-ji is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. It overlooks a small lake and glistens in the sunlight in such a beautiful way.

The grounds of the temple are just as stunning as the temple itself, with ponds and trees surrounding the paths and walkways.

kinkaku-ji temple kinkaku-ji temple

Visiting Kinkaku-ji

From the minute you step into the grounds of Kinkaku-ji it’s a little bit crazy. There are huge crowds and lots of people here as this is one of the most popular temples in Kyoto.

After you buy your tickets you simply follow the crowds and the winding trails that leads you around the grounds of the temple and takes you to the best places to view the temple itself. It’s kind of like a one way road, with everyone moving in the same direction and stopping to take photos at the same places.

Around the temple there are also several different coin tosses, where visitors can make a wish and toss their coins at some of the small statues for good luck. The signs around the coin tosses were all written in Japanese, so we couldn’t read what they said, but they kind of gave the grounds a little something extra which was lovely.

Outside the grounds there are also several souvenir shops and a tea house when you can purchase matcha tea and sweets if you would like.

READ MORE:
An Essential Guide To Kyoto

kinkaku-ji templekinkaku-ji temple

Expectations for your visit to Kinkaku-ji

Of all the temples we visited in Japan, the Golden Pavilion would probably have to be our least favourite, which was unfortunate because it had nothing to do with the temple itself. While the temple was so beautiful, the grounds were absolutely packed with people, with very little room to move, making it difficult to get a good view, take photos or even just get a moment to yourself.

Due to the much smaller nature of the temple, it kind of felt like we were rushed through the grounds with the sea of people that were there. We visited in the late afternoon, so if you’re heading out to Kinkaku-ji it’s a good idea to try and get there early in the morning to beat the crowds and enjoy a more relaxed visit.

Check out the best places to stay in Kyoto

crowds at the grounds of kinkaku-ji temple

Getting to Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji can be accessed from Kyoto Train Station by direct Kyoto City Bus number 101 or 205 in approximately 40 minutes. Alternatively, it can be faster and more reliable to take the Karasuma Subway Line to Kitaoji Station and then take a taxi or a bus numbers 101, 102, 204 or 205 to the front of the temple.

Admission to Kinkaku-ji costs ¥400 (about $5.30 AUD) and the temple is open from 9am to 5pm daily.

Kinkaku-ji Temple || 1 Kinkakujicho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8361, Japan

Explore all the adventures and experiences you can have in Kyoto

kinkaku-ji temple

More temples around Japan

During our trip to Japan we visited lots of different temples. Some of our favourites include –

READ MORE:
Understanding a Japanese Temple

Explore more of our adventures around Japan

Pin for later >>

Happy travels,



If you enjoyed this post, we'd love you to SHARE it for us!

Follow us on Instagram @EXPLORESHAW to see our latest adventures around Australia.

CHECK OUT OUR TRAVEL FAVOURITES:

Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Camera
Ultimate Weekends Australia
La Tan Coconut Sunscreen
Nikon Z fc Mirrorless Camera
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone
Frank Green Insulated Drink Bottle
Manfrotto Tripod
Lonely Planet Australia Travel Guide
Will & Bear – Calloway Fawn Hat
Sony RX100 VI Camera
Bushmans with Sunscreen
Havianas Slim Thongs in Rose Gold
Australia Planning Map
Casetify Tropical Palm Neon Sands iPhone Case
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter, for blog posts and updates emailed straight to your inbox!

Use THIS LINK for $25 AUD off your next hotel stay with booking.com, or THIS LINK for $55 AUD off your first booking with airbnb.

Emma is a travel writer, photographer and blogger, chasing the sun around Australia. Travelling in her recently renovated vintage Viscount caravan, along with her husband Thom and daughter Macey, she's sharing the very best experiences from around her beloved sunburnt country.

All posts

No Comments

Leave a Reply

We're travelling around Australia, exploring all the best destinations and experiences our beautiful country has to offer. We'd love to have you along for the ride!

ultimate weekends australia

Member of:

SUBSCRIBE


for all the best bits

on the site

latest posts