Temple
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
金閣寺（鹿苑寺）
Formally Rokuon-ji, the former retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf. The pavilion was burned in 1950 and rebuilt in 1955; the temple is part of the UNESCO Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
Key facts
- Station
- Kinkakuji-michi bus stop (Kyoto City Bus 204, 205)7 min walk
- Admission
- Paid entry
- Typical visit
- 40 min
- Hours
- 9:00 to 17:00
Tip
Visitors follow a set route around the pond and past the teahouse to the exit. Taking the Karasuma Line to Kitaoji and a bus or taxi from there can be faster than the direct bus from Kyoto Station.
01Where to stay
Stay nearby
This place is near Kinkaku-ji and Kitano. Median hotel rate in the latest sample: US$431 per night. Where to stay near Kinkaku-ji and Kitano
Prices and availability come from the booking sites and can change.
02Map
Nearby places
- Shrine Hirano Shrine 平野神社 A shrine a few minutes north of Kitano Tenmangu with around 60 varieties of cherry trees that flower in succession over about six weeks. Free entry 20 min 7 min walk
- Shrine Kitano Tenmangu 北野天満宮 A shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, revered as the deity of learning, with a grove of nearly 2000 plum trees that bloom from February to March. Free entry 40 min 7 min walk
- Street Kamishichiken 上七軒 The oldest of Kyoto's five geisha districts, a short street of teahouses just east of Kitano Tenmangu. Free entry 20 min 10 min walk
- Temple Ryoan-ji 龍安寺 A Zen temple converted from an aristocrat's villa in 1450, known for its rock garden of 15 rocks set in raked pebbles, viewed from the Hojo. Paid entry 45 min 10 min walk
Sources · Verified 24 September 2026