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Kyoto Zen Meditation: Garden Tour at Tofukuji Temple
5.0
71 Ratings
Kyoto
Discover Zen at Tofukuji Temple: Meditate, explore serene gardens, and savor a traditional lunch. Immerse in Kyoto’s rich Zen heritage.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
15-chōme-795 Honmachi - Engage in Zen meditation at one of Kyoto’s five prominent Zen temples.
Learn the art of zazen or Zen meditation from a local expert.
Explore the Zen garden (dry landscape garden) with insightful commentary from a guide and embrace the serenity.
Savor traditional vegetarian cuisine that has been served by Zen monks for centuries.
What's Included
- 4.5 hrs with a local guide
- Entrance fee of all venues we will visit
- Zazen Meditation Experience (1 hour)
- Sho-jin Buddhist Vegan Lunch
- Photos during a tour
What's Not Included
- Extra food and drinks
Additional Information
What comes to mind when you think of Zen? Before engaging in Zen meditation, a local guide will lead you to a garden where you can immerse yourself in the essence of Zen.
“Zen” is an inherently esoteric Buddhist concept, even for the Japanese. While the word “Zen” may conjure thoughts of Zen meditation, this tour will initially guide you to a garden imbued with Zen principles. Amidst the tranquil setting of the Zen garden, a local guide will provide you with fundamental information on how to appreciate both the garden and the practice of Zen meditation. Visit Tofukuji Zen Temple, one of the five Great Zen Temples in Kyoto, and partake in a Zen meditation experience.
We will then proceed to Tofukuji Temple, one of the five great Zen temples in Kyoto. Tofukuji boasts a rich history, serving as a residence and Zen practice site for monks since the 13th century. Following this exploration, we will make our way to a smaller temple within Tofuku-ji dedicated to zazen practice.
- The itinerary for this tour includes some locations that are not accessible by a wheelchair or stroller.
- Anyone over 12 years can join this tour
- Those who booked a tour starting from 10:45, the lunch time would be 14:15 (after meditation experience), so please have enough breakfast or brunch.
- Out of respect for other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time.
- You will not be able to join the tour, get refund or rescheduled if you are late for the tour and missed the group.
- Since other guests will be participating in the zazen experience, private conversations are generally prohibited. During this time, you will be given materials that can be read silently.
- Please note that we are unable to guarantee allergy-free or cater to dietary restrictions as the food is prepared in kitchens that do not belong to MagicalTrip. Additionally, there may be instances where substitutions are not possible at certain stops; however, we will make every effort to compensate at different stops throughout the tour.
- Summer in Japan is very hot and humid, so we recommend that you bring water and wear a hat to prevent heat stroke.
Location
12-chōme-232 Honmachi
Outside of Tofukuji Station EXIT 2, Next to the Family Mart
［From Kyoto stn. to Tofukuji stn.］
JR line：You can use both rapid trains and local trains.
［From Shijyo keihan to Tofukuji station］
Keihan line : You can use sub-express, semi express and local trains. Please DO NOT USE express trains.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(71 Ratings)
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Pooncake
Sep 28, 2024
Great tour guide - Naru was a great tour guide for the mediation tour. He was very attentive with the questions and a great photographer to capture memorable experiences. The tour was very enjoyable visiting temples and the zen garden, Zazen meditation with a monk and delightful lunch afterwards I. would high recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
929iaram
Sep 28, 2024
Amazing meditation learning experience - I just had the most wonderful guide experience with Naru! We visited beautiful zen temples and gardens in Tofukuji and we got to learn the Zazen meditation technique with a Monk. After we had the same lunch, great meal. Naru was very helpful and was kind enough to take pictures to us. His English is very good. Definitely recommend this tour and Naru. In the end he even gave us recommendations on what we could see and explore next.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
645vikiy
Sep 23, 2024
Amazing and authentic experience! - The zen experience was amazing! The conversation with Yutaka San was the highlight of the tour. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. Before the mediation he showed me around and gave me a lot of information about the background of meditation and also the philosophy of religion. The meditation was really authentic. The rules for meditation were very intuitive even for the beginner. Thank you Yutaka San. I high recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
370mehranr
Sep 21, 2024
Great experience with Kyoto zen meditation and garden tour at a Zen temple - I had an amazing time on the Zen meditation tour with Yutaka and Fuji. They took me to several beautiful temples, explained the history of Zen Buddhism, and were super friendly throughout. I also had the chance to talk with a Zen monk, ask questions, and experience Zen meditation firsthand. We ended the day with a delicious Japanese lunch. I highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ada_m
Sep 19, 2024
Fabulous experience! - Amazing time! It was a wonderful experience - learning about Zen lifestyle and practicing Zazen meditation. Everything was very well-organized by our guide, Yutaka.
The Kyoto-style lunch was delicious and really big! I didn’t expect to enjoy vegan food this much, but it was absolutely delicious! Overall, this is a must-try experience in Kyoto. I’d recommend going
Review provided by Viator
Takkanw
Sep 16, 2024
Great zazen experience for all - It was a great experience and introduction to zen buddhism even though I am a buddhist from another tradition. The written zazen guidance was made very clear and adequate. And it's great to know the historical background and the way-of-seeing of japanese gardens. Both the temple garden and the zazen place were not bustling at all, so you can relax and immerse into the environment. Great zazen atmosphere as I had the session with a small bunch of local residents and young people on a national holiday. The time for zazen session is very reasonable. Highly recommended to beginners and those who had no experience in practising buddhist meditation at all. The shojin ryori is tasty yet gentle, if you're a vegetarian you shouldn't miss it. The guide is very helpful, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. It is a great choice if you want a little zen tour in Kyoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation05244247088
Sep 15, 2024
Give you a great taste of meditation with the monk! - Yutaka-san, the tour guide was amazing. He came early already at the meeting point with the sign, so I didn’t feel lost outside the family mart. During our walks to different locations, he would talk about different things giving you some good introduction of meditation and casual chatting, making you feeling comfortable along the trip. He would diligently answer your questions and listened well to what you said, as when we walked the monk briefly, I could tell that he repeated some of the stuffs we talked about on the side. Thank you Yutaka-san for taking good care of the group, translation, and all the good advices.
Overall, the tour was well organized, with the temple visit, meditation session and ending it with a great lunch at the end. I was feeling very satisfied.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
294meganj
Sep 10, 2024
Great experience! - Peco was a wonderful guide! She was fun, accommodating, and full of knowledge! We loved the zen garden and meditation. A wonderful experience that we’ll remember well!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
464jeannas
Sep 10, 2024
Zen Meditation with Lunch - This was an amazing cultural experience. Our guide Peco was incredible. She answered all of the questions we had and was very accommodating. Her love for Japanese culture radiated in her guiding. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shijip2024
Sep 9, 2024
highly recommend! - great tour, very informative and wonderful experience of Zen meditatation with a Monk and even though he only spoke japanese, our guide Yutaka wonderfully explained everything! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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