Which one to choose in Otsu
Enryaku-ji vs Hiyoshi Taisha
Two temples in Otsu. Enryaku-ji has 1 ticket or tour to book; Hiyoshi Taisha has 1 ticket or tour to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Otsu, Japan
Entry to Enryaku-ji is by a common ticket, bought at booths in the Todo area, that covers all three precincts of the monastery on Mount Hiei, plus a small extra charge for the treasure hall. There is no need to book in advance.
Getting to the mountain is the larger cost. From Kyoto, the Eizan railway and a cable car and ropeway climb the western side from Yase, and direct buses run from Kyoto Station in season. From the Otsu side, the Sakamoto cable car, the longest in Japan, rises from the lakeside town of Sakamoto. Shuttle buses then link the precincts on the summit.
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Otsu, Japan
Hiyoshi Taisha sells no tickets online. A modest admission fee is paid at the booth by the entrance to the inner precinct; the approach avenue and the town of Sakamoto around it are free to walk. Prayers, amulets and seasonal ceremonies are arranged at the shrine office.
The bookable option is a guided day trip from Kyoto that combines Hiyoshi Taisha with Enryaku-ji, the great Tendai monastery on the summit of Mount Hiei above it. These days usually include a guide, transport by train, bus or private car, and the entry fees for both sites, with lunch extra. They make sense because the shrine and the temple belong together historically, and because the mountain is spread out and confusing for first-time visitors;
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