高野山 宿坊 増福院 -Koyasan Shukubo Zofukuin-

I’m a mature traveler and this was my first time staying in a temple. The overall experience was unique and memorable. Sleeping on the floor and having no shower facilities in the morning were outside my comfort zone, but joining the monks for their early morning ceremony was something I genuinely enjoyed. A stay that was absolutely worth experiencing at least once.

This is not a hotel, but accommodation inside of a temple. There is basically no service. I stayed in one of the room inside the temple, which is quite a walk from the entrance and on the second floor. There is no toilet or sink in our room. There are rooms in a new building beside the entrance which has toilets and sinks. All rooms have no bathroom, there is a public bath which is opened from 4-10pm. They dont provide meals anymore. There is morning prayer you can watch at 6:30am. I will recommend staying for one night if you want the experience.

Quiet and welcoming

Very nice place, the only cons - no in room bathroom

Cool experience to stay in these lodgings. There is a heater in the room but the halls and bathrooms are pretty cold when it’s not warm out. The bath is amazing, so hot and relaxing. The morning prayers were very cool to experience. You do sleep on traditional futons and pillows, so if you’re picky about your pillow you might want to bring your own. The garden in the middle of the temple is beautiful as is the front garden. The check-in window is pretty small so I’d recommend working this into your trip when you’re coming from somewhere close. We came from Lake Ashi and it was very stressful trying to travel from that far away and make the check-in time. Overall I would definitely recommend staying here!