Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-13 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Ryōan-ji, “the Temple of the Dragon at Peace”, is a Zen temple of the Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai, in north-west Kyoto. Its garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui, the dry landscape garden: larger rocks set in a sweep of smooth pebbles raked into lines that aid meditation. The temple and its garden are part of the World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.
We have checked the admission and opening hours, which change between winter and the rest of the year, and the bus and Randen routes; they are in “Plan your visit” below. Ninna-ji is about 600 m away and Kinkaku-ji about 1.1 km, so the three fit into one trip.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) 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
- Kare-sansui zen garden, Ryōan-ji, Kyoto 20190416 1 — DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Ryoanjitemple — Sonic3~jawiki · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Ryoanji Temple - Kuri Main Building Interior — Tedmoseby · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan38s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan33s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan23s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan11s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan06s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 150207 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan23s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Ryōan-ji (Shinjitai: 竜安寺, Kyūjitai: 龍安寺, The Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-13 · Ryōan-ji: visiting · Ryōan-ji: access
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Temple
Getting there by public transport
- From JR or Kintetsu Kyoto Station: City Bus 50 to “Ritsumeikan Daigaku-mae”, then about 7 minutes on foot.
- From Hankyu Ōmiya Station: City Bus 52 or 55 to the same stop.
- From Keihan Sanjō Station: City Bus 59 to “Ryōanji-mae”, right at the gate.
- Or the Keifuku (Randen) Kitano Line to Ryōanji Station, about 7 minutes on foot.
Route checked: 2026-09-13 · Ryōan-ji: visiting · Ryōan-ji: access · Timetables change — check the operator before you travel.
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