Day trip

Ohara

Ohara, Kyoto

The moss garden of Sanzen-in in Ohara, with a temple hall among tall cedars and rounded shrubs
Photo: t-mizo / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Ohara is a valley in the hills north-east of Kyoto, and the main sight is Sanzen-in, a Tendai temple. Its Yusei-en garden is moss under cedar and cypress, with small stone jizo figures grown over with the same moss. The Ojo-gokuraku-in hall has a ceiling shaped like the bottom of a boat, raised to fit the big Amida triad inside.

Nearest station Ohara bus stop (Kyoto Bus 17, 19)
Cost ¥
Time needed Half day
Best time Autumn
Autumn colour

Insider tip

Kyoto Bus 17 from Kyoto Station takes about an hour to the Ohara stop, then it's a 10-minute walk. It's quicker to take the Karasuma Line to Kokusaikaikan (about 20 minutes) and Kyoto Bus 19 from there (about 22). Sanzen-in costs ¥700.

What the guides say about Ohara

19. Know the three peaks. Kyoto's tourism association says the biggest crowds come in cherry blossom season (late March to early April), autumn leaf season (mid-November to early December) and mid-July, for the Gion Matsuri. Check its Kyoto Travel Congestion Forecast and live cameras before you set out. It says the outskirts get fewer people even in leaf season, and it singles out six outlying areas, Ohara and Takao among them (see the day trips guide).

View on the interactive map Google Maps directions

Nearby

Enryaku-ji Day trip · 5.5 km away Enryaku-ji covers the top of Mount Hiei on the border of Kyoto and Shiga, with Lake Biwa below on one side and Kyoto on the other. Kurama and Kibune Day trip · 5.8 km away Two mountain villages north of the city, joined by a hiking trail over the ridge. Shugakuin Imperial Villa Landmark · 8.0 km away Retired Emperor Gomizuno-o built Shugakuin Imperial Villa on the slopes of Mount Hiei between 1656 and 1659. Shisen-do Temple · 9.2 km away The retreat where the poet Ishikawa Jozan (1583 to 1672) spent his last years, now a temple under Eihei-ji of the Soto Zen sect. Keibunsha Ichijoji Shopping · 9.6 km away Keibunsha calls itself a shop of all sorts of things to do with books. Ota Shrine Shrine · 9.6 km away Ota Shrine is a small branch shrine of Kamigamo, dedicated to Ame-no-Uzume.

Good to know

How do I get to Ohara?
The nearest station is Ohara bus stop (Kyoto Bus 17, 19). Ohara is in Ohara, Kyoto.
How much does Ohara cost?
Ohara is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
How long do you need at Ohara?
Plan for half day.
When is the best time to visit Ohara?
Autumn.

Stay near Ohara

Browse live availability and compare prices around Ohara.

See hotels near Ohara on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 17 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Kyoto earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.