Trip Planner: Asia / Japan / Kansai / Kyoto Prefecture / Kyoto / Nanzen-ji Temple

Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

4.4

#2 of 90 in Parks in Kyoto

Tucked up against lush hills, Nanzen-ji Temple remains one of the nation's most important Zen Buddhist places of worship. As you enter through the massive 17th-century main gate into the forested grounds, remember to take moment to enjoy the view over the surrounding city. You'll then walk across a complex originally built in the late 13th century, dotted with smaller shrines from the following four centuries. Explore the many ponds and gardens to discover other points of interest, including historic teahouses, sub-temples with sliding wooden doors, and a few peaceful rock gardens. Make Nanzen-ji Temple part of your personalized Kyoto itinerary using our Kyoto trip app.

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Tours to Nanzen-ji Temple

Kyoto Rickshaw Tour BOOK WITH VIATOR FROM $47

4.8

10 reviews

Duration: 30 to 180 minutes

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Kyoto Small-Group Bike Tour BOOK WITH VIATOR FROM $89

4.1

10 reviews

Duration: 3 hours

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Kyoto: Zen Garden, Zen Mind (Small Group) BOOK WITH VIATOR FROM $66

5.0

2 reviews

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

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Nanzen-ji Temple reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

2,160 reviews

Google

4.4

By ChrisCastellarin

WOW temple and grounds - you even get to climb up STEEP steps into the HUGE entrance gate (shoes off please!) - for a spectacular view of the whole complex. This is you final stop along the... more »
By razorbagel

the aqueduct was probably my favorite part of this large temple complex. unfortunately, many of the buildings had closed early (earlier than usual - we'd checked google just in case) on the day we... more »

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Google

By David Gleit

The whole Nanzenji complex of temples and gardens is worth a whole afternoon. When I went there, on a rainy April 2018 day, they were conducting a ceremony for some high school students, showing that the temple is still in use by the local Japanese. April is a beautiful time to visit because instead of the more dramatic fall colors, you have many shades of green as well as some flowers in the gardens. An added attraction is the 100 year old brick aqueduct structure. It somehow fits in rather well with the much older architecture, and you can take stairs up to the aqueduct and follow a trail alongside the rushing water in the aqueduct. Beautiful!

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By Norwood Leung

The temple is very nice. The paths are complex. You could be wondering around in circle but it is beautiful during the Autumn. I do not mind walking. Peaceful environment.

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