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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kansai - Kyoto
Ryoanji Temple	# 9   of 46 sights in Kyoto

Ryoanji is a Zen temple in northwestern Kyoto. The temple's main attraction is its rock garden, the most famous of its kind in Japan. The simple Zen garden consist of nothing but rocks, moss and neatly raked gravel. The meaning of the garden's arrangement is unknown and up to each visitor's interpretation. Construction Notice: Ryoanji is currently being renovated until February 2010. The temple will remain open and the garden viewable during the renovation period, except between January 5 and February 25, 2010, when the temple will be closed. Note however, that scaffolding and possible noise will impact the visit. Before renovation During renovation (October 23, 2009)

How to get there

Ryoanji is a 5 minute bus ride or 15 minute walk west of Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. Ryoanji can also be reached by the Keifuku Kitano Line, a small train that runs through the calm residential areas of northwestern Kyoto and offers a connection to Arashiyama. To access Ryoanji, get off at Ryoanji-michi Station from where it is a 5 minute walk to the temple. How to get to and around Kyoto

Hours and Fees

Hours: 8:00 to 17:00 (8:30 to 16:30 from December through February) Closed: No closing dates (January 5 to February 25, 2010 for renovation) Admission: 500 yen

News and Reports

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Travel Community

Popularity of Ryoanji Temple: Users who have been to Kyoto: 1962 Users who have been to Ryoanji Temple: 488 9th of 46 most visited sights in Kyoto. 39th of 554 most visited sights nationwide. Have you been to Ryoanji Temple? No - I have not been there yetYes - no ratingYes - highly recommendedYes - recommendedYes - mildly interestingYes - nothing specialYes - not recommended Ratings for Ryoanji Temple: japan-guide.com Rating:   outstanding   User Rating (by 289 users): 86/100   recommended User Feedback We strive to keep japan-guide.com up-to-date and accurate, and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know:

Hotel and Ryokan

Sponsored Listings: Gion Hatanaka A real Japanese inn in a quiet area of Gion, famous for Geisha. 15min walk to Kiyomizu-dera. 5min to Yasaka-jinja. Guest Inn Chita A small traditional inn run by a very kind staff. From 3500yen per guest. 10 min from Kyoto Station. Renewed in 2006. Backpackers Hostel K's House Kyoto Voted No.1 hostel in Asia by Hostelworld customers. 9 mins walk from JR Kyoto station Bed from 2,500 yen. Search Hotels: In: Kyoto Fukuoka Hiroshima Hokkaido Kamakura Kanazawa Kansai Airport Kyoto Mount Fuji Nagasaki Nagoya Nara Narita Airport Nikko Niigata Okinawa Osaka Sapporo Sendai Shima Peninsula Takayama Tokyo From: 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2009 2010 For: 1 night 2 nights 3 nights 4 nights 5 nights 6 nights 7 nights Website: JAPANiCAN Hostel World Japan Hotels Online

Tours and Packages

Kyoto Tours Various tours and travel packages for Kyoto and surroundings.

English Links

Ryoanji Official English website.

Japanese Links

Ryoanji Official website.