Opening hours and admission for this place have not been checked yet, so none are shown. Check the official site
AD 🛏️ Hotels nearby on Agoda ↗ About this link
Our guide
Mount Hiei rises to the northeast of Kyoto, on the border between Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, and its history is the history of one temple. Saichō founded Enryaku-ji on its summit in 788, the first outpost of the Tendai school in Japan, and it grew into a sprawling complex in three areas: Tōdō, near the summit and just inside Shiga, where the temple was first founded; Saitō, also near the summit and likewise on the Shiga side; and Yokawa, at the mountain's northern end. Because it was remote, the complex went through periods of revival and decline — revived by Ryōgen, and made famous by the scholar-monk Genshin.
For tickets and opening hours, see the Enryaku-ji page, about 0.5 km away. Cable Enryakuji Station on the Sakamoto Cable is about 500 m from this point in a straight line, and Sakamoto Castle is about 3.6 km off.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-10-05) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Hieizan biwakogawa — Rock.jazz.cafe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 比叡山一等三角点（大比叡） — 吉田宅浪 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Mt Hiei Autumn — Hahifuheho · CC0 · source · resized
- BiwaKoLakesideViewWide — BehBeh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Sakura MtHiei — Moja · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Enryaku-ji building — Oilstreet · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Mt Hiei with Cherry Blossom — Hahifuheho · CC0 · source · resized
- Drone shot of Mount Hiei — Benlisquare · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Drone shot of Mount Hiei and Kyoto — Benlisquare · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Mount Hiei (比叡山, Hiei-zan) is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, Japan. The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788 and rapidly grew into a sprawling complex of temples and buildings that were roughly divided into three areas: The Saitō (西塔; "West Pagoda") area near the summit, on the Shiga side. The Tōdō (東塔; "East Pagoda") area, also near the summit, where Enryaku-ji Temple was first founded, and located just within Shiga Prefecture. The Yokawa (横川; "Along the river") area near the northernmost end of Mount Hiei. Due to its remoteness, as a temple complex it experienced periods of revival and decline, starting with Ennin, later revived by Ryōgen and made famous by the scholar-monk Genshin.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Mountain
Nearby station
Nearby station: Cable Enryakuji (Sakamoto Cable), about 500 m from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Mount Hiei on Agoda
AD Affiliate link: if you book through it, we may earn a commission from Agoda, at no extra cost to you. Hotels, prices and availability are Agoda’s, for the whole town around this spot.
Traveler reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.