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This temple is very remote. The area is beautiful and the hiking was great. There is an extra tour option of the cemetery. I thought with the price we were paying that this tour should have been included.

Pretty town, huge graveyard, worth exploring but just one day needed - Either pay for the decent hotels and experience the true temple koyasan experience or book a lodging and explore the area. Our expensive (but cheapest temple room) felt super touristy and set up. Food was awful. - Its pretty long to get there from Osaka also.

I would definitely recommend the experience of staying one night at any of the temples and also the Okonuin Night Tour is a real must! Apart from one person and the Guide (Nobu) the staff of Eko-in was somewhat arrogant and be prepared for an uncomfortable and short night, but a delicious and huge dinner and breakfast. The sights and nature are stunning and beautiful, really serene and perfect to contrast the buzz of every big City. We bought the digital Heritage Pass and tool the Limited Express Train to Koya, I would recommend! Apart from the Bus from the Cable Car to our Temple we walked to every sight by foot, since they are not far from each other and the whole town is a complex of a „Sight“. The Tokugawa Mausoleum was especially astonishing, since it’s full of Japanese history. We will absolutely visit Koyasan again, but I would not choose a Templestay again.

Okunoin Cemetery night tour is a must do activity. So much of our understanding of Japanese Buddhism and Koyasan’s role in its history was informed by the monk who was our guide. We checked out Okunoin Temple and the cemetery the next day, too. It is a very special place.

It is imperative to stay in a temple - the vegetarian meals at our temple were delicious and had many courses. The town has so many temples and good hiking opportunities, we could have stayed longer - but my husband was too much of a foreigner to stay in the temple for two nights. The wonderful Okunoin Cemetery and shrine with an ancient forest was a special treat - we spent an entire morning there, and it was a nice surprise that the buddhist monks take their stewardship of the natural environment so seriously that there is even a forestry department of the temple. Other temples were equally awe-inspiring.

Getting to Koyasan is complicated if you don’t have a car. If you are coming from Kyoto, save your time and take the direct express bus (about 2.5 hours). Book your tickets online at Japan Bus Online. If you up for the challenge then the trains but plan ahead!! There are many transfers and if you get on a local train instead of an express/rapid, it could double the time it takes to get there. Also, go to the train station at least half an hour early to buy all your tickets including the cable car and local bus. There is a Koyasan Heritage ticket from Kansai train stations (cannot use JR pass) that includes roundtrip from Osaka to Koyasan plus 2 days of free local bus rides in Koyasan. For the Koyasan local bus, if you don’t have a bus pass, then have some cash to pay. Sometimes the credit card machine doesn’t work and you must pay with local currency (in coins). I think the easiest (not the cheapest) option from Osaka is to get on the Kansai (not JRtrain) train from Namba Station. Don’t take my word for it, double check! Once you get to Koyasan, enjoy the experience!