Ryokans in Koyasan

Christina Philippines

The warmth and openness of the monks and staff, the clean and elegant interiors found in the entire property, delicious shojin ryori beautifully presented in the room, purposeful guided meditation in a beautiful hall, the ceremonies with the strong and beautiful voices of the monks - all of these combined made for an unforgettable stay at Ekoin. Meeting Nori, Se Shiu, and all the other monks was one of the highlights of our trip; they made us feel really welcome anytime we met and were happy to answer our questions with insight and thoughtfulness, making it look easy when in fact they were always busy with keeping things in order. They also guide guests during the Okunoin Cemetery night tours and imbue it with a lot of meaning.

SARA United States of America

Magical setting with our room viewing a courtyard garden. It started raining after we arrived and the atmosphere was transformational. The food was excellent and the staff was courteous, running to the bus stop to return my reading glasses. It was an unforgettable experience.

Marcia Brazil

Very beautiful and organized accommodation. Room spacious and clean. Very attentive staff. Great meals (breakfast and dinner) carefully prepared.

Alice United Kingdom

Easy to walk to from the bus stop, check in was very straight forward. The room was very comfortable and tea was provided on arrival. The meals were fantastic and the futon was very comfy. The sento was also great. Prayers in the morning were a lovely experience. They also sent plenty of information in advance so we knew what to expect.

Alexandre Canada

Everyone there was wonderful, willing to help even with the language barrier. The dinner and breakfast were delicious (if you stay more than one night, note that you'll eat the same dinner and breakfast) The room and all the temple was super clean and calm. It was a great place to stay! I really love the ceremonies that I could witness, meditation in the evening, morning ceremony and goma ceremony (fire ceremony). The one thing I was surprised by is that the showers are "Onsen Showers" so it's in a commun room, with little stools where you can clean yourself before entering the bath. Not a negative point, just something I wasn't expecting. Thanks to all the staff there for a wonderful stay!

Alexander Sweden

It was unique! I mean, how often do you stay at a Buddhist temple?

Manon France

very large nice rooms well decorated and confortable great ceremonies with English translation, thank you again good dinner everything was amazing thank you very much beautiful temple with nice stone garden by the entrance

Miguel Spain

The room, the morning praying, the monks and staff, the dinner was amazing!!! It was a super experience :)

Patrick Chile

The ryokan is amazing. You immediately feel at peace and relaxed walking through the corridors on the way to your room. We found our room to be very generously spaced, with comfy beds, a great shower and bathroom. Saizenin is located right across the temple complex of Koya-san, which contains the picturesque pagoda among other beautiful buildings. Other attractions and museums are very close by, at walking distance, except for perhaps the cementery which is on the other side of the village, but if you walk 10 minutes down the street, there is a bus that leaves you right there, so it wasn't an issue for us. The building itself is in a traditional Japanese style, and of course being in Koya-san means that it is surrounded by forest, with hills to one side, and the street and temple to the other. Its courtyard is also beautiful, the entire thing feels like a museum even though it is actually the place where you are staying at :) Bottom line, staying at Saizenin is an amazing experience. The (vegan) food is unlike anything I've had before, delicious and unique. Every day, there is a meal at around 17:00, and breakfast is at 7:30 I believe, after the morning prayer. Speaking of which, going to the morning prayer in the temple is a must. The monks chant for about half an hour, and along with the beautiful interior of the space, it is a great meditation experience.

Jure Austria

Both the temple and Koyasan itself are beautiful and peaceful, offering an escape from the modern world. While it is rather pricey compared to usual accomodation in Japan, it is a temple and as such offers an experience, not just accomodation. In my opinion this justifies the price.