Enryakuji Kaikan

🙏Spend a night inside Enryakuji, a temple with 1,200 years of prayer

Shiga · Enryakuji Kaikan

1

The only lodging inside Enryakuji

• 🏯The only place where you can stay overnight within the grounds of Mt. Hiei Enryakuji, head temple of the Tendai sect.
• 📿A temple lodging where conversations with monks and morning services give you time to reflect.
• 🎫Overnight guests pay no temple admission fee; just tell the reception that you are staying at the Kaikan.

2

Large baths overlooking Lake Biwa

• 🛁The large baths, Manten-no-yu and Mangetsu-no-yu, look out over Lake Biwa through wide windows.
• 🌃After dark, the lakeside town lights glitter beyond the glass.
• 🙆Open to all overnight guests.

3

Lake-side and cedar-forest rooms

• 🌊The main building's special rooms are corner rooms with panoramic Lake Biwa views: a 12-tatami Special Japanese Room and a Special Japanese-Western Room with two beds, both with private baths.
• 🌲Cedar-forest-side Japanese rooms frame the seasons outside the window and come with either a private bath or a toilet only.
• 🛏️There are also Western rooms with twin beds and a sofa, plus seven Retreat Twin Rooms with a lake-view counter and shower room.

4

Modern shojin cuisine

• 🥢Meals are healthy dishes based on shojin ryori, traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
• 👨‍🍳The menu was designed by Atsushi Nakahigashi, and a Western option is also available.
• 🏞️Dine with a view in Boko, the high-ceilinged dining room.

5

Mt. Hiei practice experiences

• 🧘Zazen meditation takes about 60 minutes and costs 1,100 yen per person; ask the Kaikan to book.
• ✍️Sutra copying is available inside the Kaikan, with all tools provided.
• 🕯️A monk-guided program of a dharma talk, zazen and a visit to the Eternal Dharma Light takes about 90 minutes (5,500 yen per adult).

6

Café and souvenir corner

• ☕At Reiho Café on the first floor, enjoy coffee brewed with Mt. Hiei water and views of Lake Biwa.
• 🎨The Bonji Latte, topped with a Sanskrit character, is served until 4:00 PM.
• 🎁The souvenir corner sells prayer beads, incense and other items unique to Mt. Hiei.

7

Visiting Enryakuji

• 📜Enryakuji, birthplace of Tendai Buddhism, was founded by the monk Saicho, with a history dating back before the year 800.
• 🗺️The grounds are divided into three areas: Todo, Saito and Yokawa.
• 🌲Staying overnight lets you explore the forest paths and halls when there are fewer visitors.

8

Access and parking

• 🚌From Kyoto Station, the Hieizan Drive Bus reaches Enryakuji Bus Center in about 70 minutes.
• 🚡From JR Hieizan-Sakamoto Station, take a bus and the Sakamoto Cable, then walk about 10 minutes from Cable Enryakuji Station.
• 🚗By car it is about 40 minutes from Kyoto Station; guests enter via the emergency road at the back of Parking Lot 1 after 3:00 PM. Winter tires are needed from around December to March.

3

Lake-side and cedar-forest rooms

• 🌊The main building's special rooms are corner rooms with panoramic Lake Biwa views: a 12-tatami Special Japanese Room and a Special Japanese-Western Room with two beds, both with private baths.
• 🌲Cedar-forest-side Japanese rooms frame the seasons outside the window and come with either a private bath or a toilet only.
• 🛏️There are also Western rooms with twin beds and a sofa, plus seven Retreat Twin Rooms with a lake-view counter and shower room.

4

Modern shojin cuisine

• 🥢Meals are healthy dishes based on shojin ryori, traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
• 👨‍🍳The menu was designed by Atsushi Nakahigashi, and a Western option is also available.
• 🏞️Dine with a view in Boko, the high-ceilinged dining room.

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A rare temple lodging that combines Lake Biwa views, shojin cuisine and Buddhist practice inside Enryakuji. Some rooms have a toilet only, Wi-Fi is limited to the main building, and in winter watch for icy roads and suspended shuttle buses on the mountain.

#Enryakuji#MtHiei#TempleStay#Shukubo#ShojinRyori#LakeBiwa#ShigaRyokan

* This introduction was compiled from information published by each property (official website and similar sources), so some details may differ from what you find on the day. It is AI-assisted and can contain errors — please check the official website and the details shown at booking before you reserve.

Check In/Check Out Policy · Check In: 15:00 · Check Out: 10:00 · Last Check In: 18:00

* These policies are the property's own text, in English; the cancellation policy shown at booking takes precedence.

From onsen etiquette to check-in — the things worth knowing first.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Enryakuji Kaikan?

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00.

Where is Enryakuji Kaikan located?

It is in Otsu. Address: 4220 Sakamotohonmachi.

What is the cancellation and refund policy?

Free-cancellation deadlines vary by rate plan and are shown with each room. Cancelling before the deadline gives a full refund.