Kyoto temples with or without admission fees?

With so many temples and so little time, among the top 10 tourist visited temples, which are "worth the price of admission"? Are there some that the interiors are absolutely necessary to experience, whereas others may be observed from the the grounds to see the exterior facades without admission?

For most, the price of admission /is/ to get on the grounds. In any case, I think what you are looking for is a false economy; consider how much transport to Japan costs, lodging, etc, and you're going to limit your experience to save a couple thousand yen?

It�fs not about �glimiting an experience�h but rather not wasting money on visiting places that aren�ft worth it. Considering a couple thousand yen is what I pay for a night�fs accommodation, more than a day worth of food or almost two days of transport, temple entry fees really do add up quickly.

However, OP, this is a question that�fs hard to answer because each person has different opinions of these sites.
Personally, I skipped many temples in Kyoto, including the popular Kinkakuji, Kiyomizudera, Ryoanji, Toji, etc. But I didn�ft really care much for going to any of them to begin with so I didn�ft feel like I was missing out on anything. If you�fre going to regret it, pay for it. You don�ft want to get back home and think �gahh, I wish I didn�ft skip that!�h.

I did pay for Sanjusangendo, many others think this is just a hall full of statues and not worth the price, but I really love Kannon so it was a must-see for me. I really liked Gio-ji, Shinnyo-do and Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. I didn�ft pay for the garden at Heian shrine considering I�fve seen many gardens in Japan, but the grounds are free. My all-time-favourite is Fushimi Inari though and that one�fs free!

Others will have different opinions.

I think you just have to decide for yourself what is worth it and see while you are travelling which temples are on your route. This page has some nice discriptions and pictures to help you choose.

Personally, I wouldn't let people on a forum tell me where to go because I don't know those people and I don't know where or why they have been visiting to begin with. Someone intrested in architecture will visit a different temple than someone interested in a garden for example.