Ninna-ji Temple
Ninna-ji Temple
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Ninna-ji is a national tresure and also designated as a world heritage site. From over a thousand years ago, it has a deep co nection to the imperial family. Then, Ninna-ji is one of most famous temple which known for beautiful cherry blossoms, its wrapping up the end of the season in Kyoto - a town with many famous cherry trees.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Neighbourhood: Northern Kyoto
Hot springs and historic temples characterize the leafy landscapes of Northern Kyoto. Acres of tranquil residential streets are interrupted by some of Kyoto's most gorgeous architectural gems, including the majestic Golden Pavilion of Kinkakuji, the serene artistry of the Ryoanji Temple rock gardens, and the bold red paint across the structures of Enryakuji Temple. Once a religious core of the city, the district now boasts some of its most remote and peaceful hot springs, as well as a few of its best family-run mom-and-pop restaurants. A blend of extremely local at its outskirts, and highly peopled at its tourist centers, Northern Kyoto nonetheless retains a halcyon air in harmony with nature.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,274 reviews
Excellent
742
Very good
429
Average
97
Poor
4
Terrible
2
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Emma C
Godalming, UK3,049 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
This was my second visit to Ninna-ji and it was just as lovely this time. It was full of old people being shown around in groups by priests and had a lack of other tourists so that was nice too. I love the pagoda and the grounds plus of course it has a beautiful pink gate...I've not seen one of those anywhere else in Japan. On this day there were also stalls with local pottery and food items. It was a breath of fresh air compared to other temples in Kyoto. Well worth the trek to get here in my opinion.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cchiro
Mino, Japan103 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
Currently, as part of the 58th "Winter Journey in Kyoto" special exhibition (January 6th - March 18th, 2024), the mural paintings of the Five Great Kings in the rear hall of the Kondo, which had been closed to the public for 372 years until their first public exhibition in autumn 2018 to commemorate the 51st head priest's reappointment, are being open to the public for the second time in five years in autumn 2023 to commemorate the reappointment of the 51st head priest. The mural paintings are colorful and impressive, making it hard to believe they were made in the Edo period. Free for high school students and younger (1,000 yen for the general public). Highly recommended for anyone visiting Ninna-ji Temple during this time.
Written 19 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
お遍路さんアキラ
Kyoto, Japan23,304 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
Founded in 888, this is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism and is a World Heritage Site. The principal image of the temple is Amida Nyorai. The temple was founded by Emperor Uda. The temple is also famous for its low-growing Omuro cherry blossoms, which are the subject of the poem "I am Otafuku Omuro's cherry blossoms, although the flowers may be low, but people like them."
Written 17 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Josie Iino
Cambridge, UK735 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
I enjoyed the opportunity to look inside the pagoda itself. However, you can do that Higashi-Hongan-ji Temple for free, and that experience was entirely otherworldly. There are some beautiful buildings here, but by the time I went most of the leaves had died, and these types of buildings can be seen in other, more beautiful places. In short, it is wonderful, as everything in Kyoto is wonderful, but it is outclassed. I wonder how that would change if the leaves were still in bloom. My highlight was seeing I suppose local volunteers helping to remove the weeds from nearby trees - it felt like I was in Animal Crossing.
Written 10 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
René K
Gouda, The Netherlands31 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
1300 yen for combi ticket. Most I've had to pay so far and it's not worth it. Maybe I was unlucky and I was there on the wrong day, but no building was open, so you couldn't see anything. There was a movie that showed you what was inside the buildings.
Automatically translated
Written 27 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carloscharmy
Bangkok, Thailand780 contributions
Mar 2023
Plenty of things to do here. If you go in April you may want to go to Omuro Zakura (Cherry Blossoms) as well. I went there on a rainy Tuesday but I still enjoyed it. There weren't as many tourists as in other temples.
Written 22 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mardiawalsh
Dodworth, UK53 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
Catch the 59 bus and do the Ninna-ji, Rohana-ji and Golden Pavilion together. The busses come every 10 minutes and follow the route of the temples perfectly. You can buy a bus card for a few hundred Yen and hop on and off all day. You can also use Suica cards. The bus even has English announcements telling you when to get off for the Temples. The temples can be busy, it's very hot in summer but it so worth it. There is a fantastic little cafe doing ice cream at the last Temple, Ninnaji or maybe it just seemed so because it was so hot and we really needed the aircon and ice cream.
Written 10 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tote919
Bangkok, Thailand5,325 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
This is another huge and very beautiful temple in Kyoto, a World Heritage Site. There are a lot of late blooming cherry trees there. The best time to visit and see the cherry blossoms at this temple is mid April. Suggest you prepare enough time to walk around & emplore the place, at least 1-2 hours.
Written 9 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gunjan Virk
New Delhi, India93 contributions
Apr 2019
When I arrived in Kyoto, cherry blossoms had already finished a week earlier but a friend told me that I could still enjoy cherry blossom viewing at Ninnaji Temple, a World Heritage Site and one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Kyoto. The temple opens at 9 a.m. and I was already standing in line at 8:30 a.m. Thankfully I was able to enjoy the falling cherry blossom petals without any crowds, and by the time I left about 10:30 a.m., the grounds were so filled with tourists that it would have been literally impossible to get a photo with the cherry trees without being pushed and jostled by the crowd. There was an entry fee of 500 yen to the temple. I took a bus from the JR Kyoto Station to the temple. If you missed cherry blossoms in Kyoto, this is probably the best place to see them. But I don't recommend going to Kyoto just to see late cherry blossoms at Ninnaji Temple.
Written 21 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David L
Parsippany, NJ60 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
Ninna-ji temple was the last stop of my family's daily itinerary. We visited the famous Gold Leaf Temple. Then, we stopped the Ryoanji. Finally, we decided to end the day at Ninna-ji.
This complex is by far, the best place I have visited in Kyoto. Yes, this is including Kiyo-mizudera, Ginka-Kuji, Yasaka, Nijo, and Kinka-Kuji.
The temple itself is well kept and unlike Kinka-Kuji, there isn't a crowd. It's has very lovely spaces where you can walk around and even sit for hours on end, and there's always something wonderful to look at. It has wonderful small pond with a great view of a pagoda. There are small gardens and even a nice rock garden clearing too. It was so relaxing, that I even found myself dozing off(My nearly 2 year old daughter fell asleep).
It doesn't have the rush rush pace of the tourist attractions that have been previously mentioned because the crowds are not really suffocating at this attraction. It's nice and quiet. In addition, it is a well preserved historical site with pretty decent views. Most importantly of all, it is also relaxing because you can sit here for hours on end. Those are the reasons all of us go on vacation.
Go to Kinka-Kuji first(Yes it's crowded, but you have to see it), and then end the day at this location. You will not regret it.
This complex is by far, the best place I have visited in Kyoto. Yes, this is including Kiyo-mizudera, Ginka-Kuji, Yasaka, Nijo, and Kinka-Kuji.
The temple itself is well kept and unlike Kinka-Kuji, there isn't a crowd. It's has very lovely spaces where you can walk around and even sit for hours on end, and there's always something wonderful to look at. It has wonderful small pond with a great view of a pagoda. There are small gardens and even a nice rock garden clearing too. It was so relaxing, that I even found myself dozing off(My nearly 2 year old daughter fell asleep).
It doesn't have the rush rush pace of the tourist attractions that have been previously mentioned because the crowds are not really suffocating at this attraction. It's nice and quiet. In addition, it is a well preserved historical site with pretty decent views. Most importantly of all, it is also relaxing because you can sit here for hours on end. Those are the reasons all of us go on vacation.
Go to Kinka-Kuji first(Yes it's crowded, but you have to see it), and then end the day at this location. You will not regret it.
Written 17 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is Ninnaji under repair? Are buildings covered or closed?
Written 26 May 2019
カバーはしてません。コロナで大変な時期ですが確か７月３１日までVR（1,500円から/1名）がありますのでおすすめです。
Written 30 June 2020
Ian b, are you possibly referring to Kiyomizu-dera Temple rather than Ninna-ji Temple. Our reaction to the former was exactly the same experience as yours... disappointment...on our recent visit. We found Ninna-ji a delightful place especially after the crowds at Kinkakuji. People are missing out by by-passing Ninna-ji but all the better for the visitors who do pay a visit as the palace and grounds are lovely and peaceful.
Written 11 October 2017
"Kiyomizu - Dera with the stage of wooden architecture standing on a sloping ground" and "Ninnnaji, where the old emperor's house became a temple. Taste is difference between them. I like both of them. Before visit them, please consider what are you interested in?
Written 17 May 2018
Can you go inside the pagoda?
Written 23 January 2017
We really sorry, but presently the pagoda is not open to the
public to prevent deterioration of the interior walls.
However we would like to recommend you see the pagoda from
the Ninna-ji Goten as the view of the pagoda from inside
Goten is really famous.
We hope you will also go to Ninna-ji Goten when you visit
Ninna-ji Temple.
Written 24 January 2017
Thank you for your inquiry.
To make a reservation at Omuro Kaikan Hall, a lodging
facility in Ninna-ji Temple, please call us at the number
below and tell us : check in/check out dates, estimated
check in time, the number of guests, as well as whether you
would like breakfast and dinner or not.
(+81)75-464-3664
※ If you can tell the time of inquiry " I saw tripadvisor ",
you can contact smoothly.
Please also search " Omuro Kaikan " on tripadvisor's hotel booking page for reservation.
Thank you.
Written 8 August 2016
Quanto tempo ci vuole per visitarlo?
How long does it take to visit it？
Written 18 February 2015
It takes approximately 60 minutes to see the entire temple grounds. You can enter the grounds free of charge, but please note that some of the buildings require an admission fee.
Written 7 July 2016
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