Mountain town in Wakayama, Japan
Koyasan for solo travelers
Is Koyasan good for solo travel?
A sacred mountain monastery town with over 100 temples, many offering overnight stays with vegetarian meals and dawn prayers, plus the huge Okunoin cemetery. Quiet, cold and early to bed; not a place for nightlife.
Solo travel at a glance
| Solo travel | 4/5 · Very good for solo travel |
|---|---|
| Locals | Friendly |
| English | Limited |
| Safety | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Solo women | Very safe alone. Temple lodgings are used to solo guests. |
How to meet people in Koyasan
Temple lodging dinners bring guests together, and some temples offer English zazen and sutra copying sessions. Otherwise it is a quiet, reflective place.
Good things to do alone
- Stay overnight in a shukubo temple lodging
- Join the dawn prayer service at your temple
- Walk the Okunoin cemetery at dusk
- Try a sutra-copying or zazen session
- Eat shojin ryori vegetarian temple food
Where to stay in Koyasan
| Area | Good for |
|---|---|
| Central Koyasan | Temple lodgings, Danjo Garan and shops near the main street |
| Okunoin approach | Staying near the cemetery path for dawn visits |
Solo travel across Japan
| Place | Solo | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 5/5 | Limited |
| Kyoto | 5/5 | Limited |
| Osaka | 5/5 | Limited |
| Fukuoka | 5/5 | Limited |
| Hiroshima | 4/5 | Limited |
| Nara | 4/5 | Limited |
| Sapporo | 4/5 | Limited |
| Okinawa | 4/5 | Limited |
| Niseko | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Yokohama | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Kanazawa | 4/5 | Limited |
| Takayama | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Nagoya | 4/5 | Limited |
| Kamakura | 4/5 | Limited |
| Kobe | 4/5 | Limited |
| Hakuba | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Ishigaki | 4/5 | Limited |
| Nagasaki | 4/5 | Limited |
| Miyakojima | 4/5 | Limited |
| Hakodate | 4/5 | Limited |
| Otaru | 4/5 | Limited |
| Beppu | 4/5 | Limited |
| Matsumoto | 4/5 | Limited |
| Koyasan | 4/5 | Limited |
| Sendai | 4/5 | Limited |
| Hakone | 3/5 | Limited |
| Kawaguchiko | 3/5 | Limited |
| Nikko | 3/5 | Limited |
| Shirakawa-go | 3/5 | Limited |
| Furano | 3/5 | Limited |
Quick answers
Is Koyasan good for solo travelers?
Very good for solo travel (4/5). A sacred mountain monastery town with over 100 temples, many offering overnight stays with vegetarian meals and dawn prayers, plus the huge Okunoin cemetery.
How do you meet people in Koyasan?
Temple lodging dinners bring guests together, and some temples offer English zazen and sutra copying sessions. Otherwise it is a quiet, reflective place. On SoloSquare you can also join small plans with other travelers who are there now.
Do people speak English in Koyasan?
Limited.
Is Koyasan safe for solo female travelers?
Very safe alone. Temple lodgings are used to solo guests.
More about Koyasan
Going to Koyasan solo?
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Sources
Ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.