Verified in Japan

Kyoto, Kyoto / 鞍馬寺

Kurama-dera Temple

According to the temple's founding legend, in 770 the monk Gantei, a senior disciple of Ganjin, built a hut on Mt. Kurama to enshrine Bishamonten, and in 796 Fujiwara no Isendo laid out the temple to enshrine Bishamonten and Kannon together. Its faith has drawn on several schools over the centuries, and since 1949 it has been the head temple of Kurama Kokyo. The temple regards the mountain itself as sacred and keeps its forest paths unpaved.

Location

Approximate location: this pin comes from Wikidata (a public database), not from an official page. We checked that it is close to the official address.

Smaller pins are other spots nearby.

Location source: Wikidata (CC0)

Open in Google MapsGet directions

Last official check

20 Oct 2026

Traveler reports

0

Reports open in Phase 2

Next scheduled check

18 Jan 2027

Decide before you go

A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.

Getting there
Train / Bus
Admission
Paid (see the price below)
Closing days
Closures change with the season

Before you go

Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is listed under “Not yet confirmed”.

Opening hours

Cable car: first up from Sanmon Station 8:40, first down from Tahoto Station 8:45; last up 16:20 (the main hall will already be closed), last down 16:25 (Jan-May and Sep-Dec); every 20 minutes.

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Closed

Reihoden (Kurama-yama Museum): open 9:00-16:00; closed Tuesdays (the next day if Tuesday is a holiday) and from Dec 12 to the end of February.

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Admission

Mountain conservation fee 500 yen. Cable car donation 200 yen one way for adults, 100 yen for elementary school children and younger. Reihoden museum 200 yen.

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Getting there

Kurama Station on the Eizan Railway (30 minutes from Demachiyanagi), then 3 minutes on foot to the main gate. Or Karasuma subway line to Kokusaikaikan, then Kyoto Bus bound for Kurama Onsen to Kurama (25 minutes).

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Parking

The temple has no car park; there are car parks nearby.

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Accessibility

The cable car was built so that people who find walking hard, and older visitors, can reach the temple more easily.

Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site
Not yet confirmed

Payment

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: Kyoto, Kyoto (Japanese address: 京都府京都市左京区鞍馬本町1074番地)

Official site: https://www.kuramadera.or.jp/

Nearby spots

Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances. Some locations are approximate, so treat these distances as a rough guide.

Crowds

Not yet confirmed

Crowd level, Best time to visit, Peak time, Busiest days, Busiest season

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

Visiting respectfully

  • RulesPets may come onto the mountain but cannot ride the cable car or enter the halls.Checked 20 Oct 2026 on the official site

Verification log