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Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

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Places to see

Japan

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Highlight • Religious Site

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Recommended by 59 hikers out of 60

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Location: Japan

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Best Hikes to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

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1. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) – Sekka-tei Teahouse loop from 円町

6.30km

01:40

60m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

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2. Ninomaru Garden – Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) loop from 五条

22.7km

05:52

130m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

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3. Ninomaru Garden – Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) loop from 京都河原町

19.4km

05:01

100m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

Tips

Maik

May 9, 2018

Maybe one of the most famous pictures of Kyoto. The golden temple Kinkaku-ji, reflected in the waters of Kyōkōchi, the mirror pond. A breathtaking picture that you should not miss.

If possible, do not go to the main rush times, it gets really busy here. The temple opens already at 09:00 clock, there are still little rice groups on the way ...

Translated by Google •

Mathis

April 26, 2024

The entrance fee is currently 500 yen. The park and the temple are beautiful, but it is very crowded.

Translated by Google •

Andrii

October 24, 2024

Its famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku)—actually a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha—has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji (“Temple of the Golden Pavilion”), however the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple of Shokoku-ji is Rokuon-ji. The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), this land was the site of a villa of the aristocrat Saionji Kintsune, known as Kitayamadai. During the Muromachi period (1392-1573), however, it caught the attention of the third Ashikaga shogun Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), who took over the site from the Saionji family in order to build his own villa, which he called Kitayamadono. This complex, whose gardens and architecture focused around a central Golden Pavilion, was said to evoke paradise on earth and was the destination of such esteemed visitors as Emperor Gokomatsu (r. 1392-1412), father of the Zen priest Ikkyû. The estate also became the center of the so-called “Kitayama culture,” which was central in importing various aspects of Ming-dynasty Chinese culture into Japanese society, thanks to increased trade relations with Japan’s continental neighbor.

After Yoshimitsu’s death, the villa was turned into a temple according to his will, with Musô Sôseki (also known as Musô Kokushi, 1275-1351) becoming its first abbot. The name Rokuon-ji was taken from the first two characters of Yoshimitsu’s posthumous name.
(shokoku-ji.jp/en/kinkakuji/about/)

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Elevation 100 m

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Wednesday 22 October

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Max wind speed: 4.0 km/h

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Location: Japan

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Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

1. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) – Sekka-tei Teahouse loop from 円町

2. Ninomaru Garden – Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) loop from 五条

3. Ninomaru Garden – Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) loop from 京都河原町

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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