What other travelers are saying about Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
The garden was actually quite nice. Busy but still nice. Not as big as I thought but pretty surreal to see it. But again the crowd take away from it all when you’re walking at grandma or grandpa pace due to the crowds. Would I go back there, yeah I would but probably earlier or later in the day. There is no bicycle parking. So have to park down the street near the bridge.
This temple and garden is smaller than most in Japan but we enjoyed it thoroughly. There were less crowds so it was quite peaceful in parts which allowed for quiet reflection. The gardens were very impressive and the sand formations were absolutely spectacular!
Additionally the street approaching the temple had some unique stores where we picked up some great souvenirs.
We really enjoyed our morning here - would recommend!
Wonderfully serene and mind cleansing experience. Much less crowded than most other temples I've been to in Kyoto. The sand art is a special delight and this is easily my favorite Japanese garden in the world.
Great little souvenir shop too with items that I haven't seen in any other one, so if you're looking for that unique set of memories from Kyoto, check it out!
Amazing temple with a Japanese zen garden. We came just as the cherry blossoms were blooming. This temple is next to the philosophers path so it was very convenient to stop by for a visit. For 500 yen, it was worth it to escape the busy city life and enjoy the calm scenery of the garden. I would highly recommend giving this place a visit if you want to have a slower paced day.
It’s really nothing exceptional. The dry landscape garden has a mound but that’s about it. You can’t enter any of the buildings and tour groups come here so you can’t even really enjoy a stroll through the garden. The garden is nice but it’s small and there are other nice temple gardens in Kyoto where you can actually enjoy the atmosphere. I would recommend Kodai-ji for the garden and Kenninji for the dry landscape garden and architecture.
