Koyasan World Heritage Ticket

The Koyasan World Heritage Ticket by Nankai Railway is a rail pass providing a round trip to Mount Koya by Nankai Railway, unlimited travel on buses on Mount Koya and discounted admission to selected tourist attractions on up to two consecutive days.

The map below shows the train (in red), cablecar (in orange) and bus lines (in blue) to be used for the round trip and within the free area of the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket:

Validity

Round trip

1. The round trip is to be done by a train along the Nankai Koya Line between Osaka and Gokurakubashi at the foot of Mount Koya and by the Koyasan Cablecar between Gokurakubashi Station and Koyasan Station at the top of the mountain.
2. The "regular version" of the ticket is valid on all trains along the Nankai Koya Line except limited express trains (tokkyu). Ticket holders may ride a limited express by paying the limited express supplement fee of 790 yen one way.
3. The "limited express version" additionally allows the ticket holder to ride a limited express train from Osaka to Gokurakubashi but not in the opposite direction. Ticket holders who wish to ride a limited express back to Osaka, as well, can do so by paying the limited express supplement fee of 790 yen.
4. You cannot get off and leave a station between your departure station and the free area.

Free area

1. Unlimited use of buses in the town of Mount Koya.

Other conditions

1. The ticket is valid on up to two consecutive calendar days.
2. The ticket provides discounted admission to the Reihokan Museum (200 yen off) and the Kondo Hall (100 yen off) and Daito Pagoda (100 yen off) at the Garan. The paper ticket (but not the digital ticket) also provides discounted admission to the Kongobuji (200 yen off).
3. The digital ticket has to be purchased at least one day before the travel date. It cannot be purchased on the day of travel. The paper ticket, however, can also be purchased on the day of travel.

Points of sale

The Koyasan World Heritage Ticket can be purchased either as a conventional paper ticket or as a digital ticket. Digital tickets are cheaper, but do not include the discount for admission for Kongobuji. Also, unlike paper tickets, digital tickets need to be purchased at least one day in advance of the travel date. Paper tickets can be purchased at ticket counters at railway stations of Nankai Railway, including Namba, Shin-Imamiya and Kansai Airport, while digital tickets can be purchased online through the official website or through travel websites such as Japan Experience, but may incur a service fee.

Assessment

The Koyasan World Heritage Ticket is a good deal, as it is likely to come cheaper than regular tickets while also providing convenience. Regular tickets for a round trip by train and bus from Osaka into central Koyasan town cost 3460 yen alone, compared to 3140-3540 yen for the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket. Any additional use of buses on Koyasan and the discounts on admission to selected sightseeing spots make it an even better deal.

Alternative tickets

Depending on your itinerary, a Kansai Railway Pass can be an alternative worth considering, especially if you do extensive travel in the Kansai Region besides your trip to Koyasan or stay on the mountain for more than two days.