Nara, Nara / 元興寺
Gango-ji Temple
A temple whose predecessor is Asuka-dera (Hoko-ji), said to be Japan's oldest temple, built by Soga no Umako. Once one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara covering most of today's Naramachi, it now keeps only the Gokurakudo and Zenshitsu, remains of the monks' quarters, where some pillars and tiles older than the buildings are still used. The Horinkan houses the Five-storey Miniature Pagoda (National Treasure) and other works. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".
Last official check
26 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
25 Dec 2026
Decide before you go
A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.
- Getting there
- Train
- Admission
- Paid (see the price below)
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30); 9:00-21:00 on August 23-24 (Jizo-e).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Closed
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Admission
Adults and university students 700 yen, high school and junior high 500 yen, elementary 300 yen (800 yen for adults during the autumn special exhibition).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Getting there
About 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Payment
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Accessibility
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Address: Nara, Nara (Japanese address: 奈良県奈良市中院町11)
Official site: https://gangoji-tera.or.jp/
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)NaramachiNaraLess than 1 km away (straight line)- No photo yetHiraso Nara Shop (Kakinoha-zushi)NaraLess than 1 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetKofuku-ji TempleNaraLess than 1 km away (straight line)
Photo: Ian G Shingler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ukimido PavilionNaraLess than 1 km away (straight line)- No photo yetNara National MuseumNaraLess than 1 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Verification log
- 26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/01shaji/02tera/01north_area/gangoji/Hours, description, address and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.
- 26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/01shaji/02tera/01north_area/gangoji/access/Access and parking read from a tourism organization's site.