Route
Asuka–Nara foundations of Japanese Buddhism — Hōryū-ji, Tōdai-ji, Byōdō-in, and Mount Hiei.
From Japan’s oldest wooden temples to the Great Buddha and Tendai’s mother mountain above Kyoto.
5 mapped anchors on the circuit.
1Hōryū-jiJapanAmong the world’s oldest surviving wooden temple buildings, founded in the Asuka period.Hōryū-ji → Tōdai-ji· ~13 km / 8 mi
2Tōdai-jiJapanNara’s Great Buddha Hall — among the largest wooden buildings and bronze Buddhas in the world.Tōdai-ji → Byōdō-in· ~22 km / 14 mi
3Byōdō-inJapanPhoenix Hall Amida temple in Uji — the Pure Land aesthetic of the Heian aristocracy.Byōdō-in → Enryaku-ji (Mount Hiei)· ~20 km / 13 mi
4Enryaku-ji (Mount Hiei)JapanTendai headquarters above Kyoto — mother mountain of many Japanese Buddhist schools.Enryaku-ji (Mount Hiei) → Kyoto temple circuit· ~11 km / 7 mi
5Kyoto temple circuitJapanCluster of Zen and Pure Land temples that form Japan’s most visited sacred cityscape.
