Kyoto: Top 5 Temples

1. Kiyomizu-dera

   kee-yoh-mee-zoo-deh-rah. Kyoto’s most famous temple, founded in 778, with a huge wooden stage that juts out from the hillside about 13 m (four stories) above the trees. In Japan, “jumping off the stage of Kiyomizu” means taking a big leap of faith. The stage stands on 18 giant wooden pillars put together without a single nail. It opens at 6 a.m., so go right at opening to beat the tour buses. ¥500 (about $3).

2. Kinkaku-ji

   keen-kah-koo-jee. (the Golden Pavilion) A pavilion covered in gold leaf that reflects in the pond in front of it. It’s Kyoto’s most famous image after Kiyomizu-dera. Keep your ticket, because it’s a paper good-luck charm. The pavilion you see was rebuilt in 1955, after a young monk burned the original down in 1950. ¥500 (about $3)

3. Sanjūsangendō Temple

   sahn-joo-sahn-gen-doh. A hall about 120 m long, said to be Japan’s longest wooden building. Inside are 1,001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy: 1,000 standing figures and one giant seated one. All 1,001 statues are National Treasures. No photos are allowed inside and your shoes come off, so put the phone away and just take it in. ¥600 (about $4).

4. Ginkaku-ji

   geen-kah-koo-jee. The Silver Pavilion. Description: A quiet hillside temple with a raked white-sand garden and a moss garden, right at the start of the Philosopher’s Path. Despite the name, it was never covered in silver, because the shogun’s plan to add silver leaf never happened. Entry doubled to ¥1,000 (about $6) in April 2026, its first price rise in 32 years.

5. Tenryu-ji

   ten-ryoo-jee. Arashiyama’s great Zen temple, founded in 1339 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its pond garden designed by the Zen master Musō Soseki. After the garden, leave by the north gate, which opens straight into the Arashiyama bamboo forest. Garden ¥500 (about $3).