Kyoto to Koyasan

Hi everyone!
I am heading to Japan in a couple of weeks, and will be spending at least 5 days of my trip in Kyoto. I am dying to see Mt. Koya, but due to time constraints, I would be unable to stay overnight.

My question is this: Since the trip there and back from Kyoto would total around 7 hours, is it plausible to go visit Kitasan just for the day? If I leave at 7am, I'd get there at 10:39, white leaves me a good 7 hours to wander around before needing to catch my trains back to Kyoto and arrive around 10:00pm.

I understand that the quintessential experience would include an overnight stay in Koyasan, but unfortunately, that's just not an option for this trip. I would be incredibly sad if I missed out on seeing it, but if it is just too much of a stretch (travel-time/length) then I might really have to consider skipping it. :(

Thanks for any help you can give!

Not sure where in Kyoto you are staying. But just looked and from Kyoto Station to the bottom of the cable car is 2h20m by limited express trains with transfers. I think you'll have plenty of time to do it in one day.

As hakata wrote, you will have enough time. Koyasan is much cooler (well 7�‹C cooler ) than central Kyoto which will be nice. Walk along the approach to Okunoin is covered by cedar trees which makes it cooler.

Consider Kansai Thru Pass which can save some money. You might better take Koya Limited express which requires 780 yen fee, but is more comfortable.

This kind of question is asked many times by Japanese people, and the answers were always favourable for your information. Enjoy trip to Koyasan!

Thanks for the help, you guys! :)

Just one last question... I will have my JR pass activated during this time, so would it make more sense to use this JR pass in addition to a World Heritage Pass, or but the Kasai Thru pass (2 day)? I'm having difficulty finding an answer online!

Thanks again!

Buy which ever is cheapest.

I will have my JR pass activated during this time, so would it make more sense to use this JR pass in addition to a World Heritage Pass, or but the Kasai Thru pass (2 day)? I'm having difficulty finding an answer online!


Kansai Thru pass 2 days is 4000 yen while Namba(Nankai) to Koyasan is 1260 yen and the bus within Koyasan will cost more than 600 yen. All of these are covered by the Kansai Thru pass. So this pass (one day part of the 2 days pass) is worth more than 3000 yen. If you will use it another day that will cost more than 1000 yen, it will pay off.

You can use it from Kyoto with no additional fee, but at the same time you can use JR for free if you have JR pass. So use whichever convenient/fast. For example if you are staying around JR Kyoto station, taking Hikari or Kodama Shinkansen might be faster. At Shin-Osaka, change to Osaka metro to Namba (covered by Kansai Thru pass). Actually, I checked with Hyperdia, and found that usually the faster route uses conventional (non-shinkansen) rail to Osaka and then transfer to Osaka metro and then Namba to Koyasan by Nankai.

Please note that there is a route using JR from Kyoto to Koyasan via Nara.
Here's a sample schedule leaving Kyoto at 10:34 and arriving at 14:16 at Koyasan.
In this case, there are some trains going directly to Hashimoto from Nara.

Thanks for the help, you guys! :)

Just one last question... I will have my JR pass activated during this time, so would it make more sense to use this JR pass in addition to a World Heritage Pass, or but the Kasai Thru pass (2 day)? I'm having difficulty finding an answer online!

Thanks again!

I will have my JR pass activated during this time, so would it make more sense to use this JR pass in addition to a World Heritage Pass, or but the Kasai Thru pass (2 day)? I'm having difficulty finding an answer online!

It depends on your entire itinerary. Going to Koyasan from "central Kyoto" like Kawaramachi does not require JR trains. You can use JR, but in general it is more time-consuming. You may have to go to JR Kyoto station via Kyoto metro which will take some time. If you can activate the JR pass after your visit to Koyasan and utilize it later, it will be more cost-efficient. If you will start around JR Kyoto station and your JR pass covers your entire stay in Japan even if you activate it on/before your Koyasan day, it will make sense to activate it and go via JR as far as Shin-Imamiya. Even in this case I don't recommend to go by JR as far as Hashimoto since it will take longer (+1hr) time.

Could you let us know your entire itinerary and the exact place of your accommodation in Kyoto?

By the way you can buy "Kouya" Limited express ticket in Kyoto (or anywhere in Japan) at travel agencies such as JTB or KNT.

I would just use you JR pass to get to Shin-Imamiya.

The buy the Koyasan Heritage Pass (express version) for 3400. covers Nankai express train, cable car and the buses.

Express Nankai train is 1650 yen each way. So the 100 yen left over will pay for your 2 cable car trips and unlimited buses used.

Oops, forgot to add the the express version only allows the use of express train to Koyasan. The return will have to be on a regular train.

The regular train is only 20 minutes slower. So if you are happy to add 20 minutes to your days. You could by the cheaper 2860 yen Heritage Ticket.

This won't help the OP, but for future traveler's, I think that the route we took a week ago works easier.

We had a JR pass. We were coming from Tokyo. After the Shinkansen, we took a JR train from Shin-Osaka to Tennoji. Then switched to the JR loop line to Shin-imamiya. The transfers at Shin-Osaka and Tennoji were easy, since they were all within a JR station. Then we purchased the world heritage pass at Shin-Imamiya, and caught the train there to Gokurakubashi. We returned from Koyasan to Shin-Imamiya and then used JR lines. The Nankai and JR sections of Shin-Imamiya station are very close together, making transfers there very easy.

The Nankai website suggests transferring from JR to Nankai railways at Namba. But that requires exiting one station and walking outside at least a few blocks to the other. In addition, I tend to get a bit disoriented when exiting a station, not knowing which way is North, etc. Makes much more sense to avoid this mess.

Dale