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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Hōryūji
法隆寺
Do Hōryūji as a day trip from Nara (≈2‑3 h total, ¥1,000 entry); stay only if you want a night at Waqoo Horyuji (¥54,000 double).
Hōryūji is a UNESCO World Heritage temple complex near Nara, famous for the world’s oldest wooden hall and five‑story pagoda. The site spans over a kilometre and is best explored on foot; a half‑day visit from Nara covers the main sights.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 法隆寺
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Jul (rainy season), Golden Week (late Apr–early May)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–¥8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥9,000–¥15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | ¥400–¥600 |
| Bento box | ¥800–¥1,200 |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | ¥2,200–¥2,700 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KIX · Kansai International
- ≈45 km (28 mi), train via Nara to Hōryūji≈28 mi (45 km), train via Nara to Hōryūji
Typical fares
- Nara → Hōryūji (JR)
- about ¥770, 12 min (check)
- Local bus to temple gate
- about ¥200, 5 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
JR Hōryūji station (Yamatoji line) is 20 min walk to the temple; local buses (routes 62, 63, 92) stop at the gate; the complex is walk‑only.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO World Heritage temple complex
- Oldest surviving wooden building (Kondō)
- Five‑story pagoda
- Extensive National Treasure structures
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nara | JR Yamatoji line, about 12 min from Nara Station | ≈30 min round‑trip |
| Asuka | JR Yamatoji line to Oji, then local bus 20 min | ≈1 h 30 min |
| Yoshino | JR Yamatoji line to Yoshino, about 1 h 15 min | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Waqoo Horyuji
- Tatami rooms and western beds; doubles ¥54,000
- Day‑trip from Nara
- Most visitors stay in Nara and return the same day
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Temple open 08:00‑16:30 (later on some days); admission ¥1,000 (check for discounts).
- Yumedono statues displayed only Apr 11‑May 18 and Oct 22‑Nov 23.
- Chūgū‑ji entrance fee ¥500, separate from main complex.
Hōryūji area is safe; watch for bicycles on sidewalks and keep an eye on personal belongings in crowded stations.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hōryūji yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO World Heritage temple complex
- Oldest surviving wooden building (Kondō)
- Five‑story pagoda
- Extensive National Treasure structures
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Horyuji, revision 5311123 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5311123
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/horyuji). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.