Outside Kyoto's Shoren-in Temple

After visiting Kiyomizu-dera Temple, stopping by Kodai-ji Temple, walking through Yasaka Shrine, and exploring Chion-in Temple, all in the same day, my last stop on my Higashiyama walk that also included a park, historic streets, and food sampling was somewhat uninspiring.

That isn't to say that Shorenin Temple is boring. But let's face it, five temples/shrines in one day is a lot, and at this point I was pretty much exhausted. 

 Shoren-in Temple is probably most famous for its trees. There are several very old camphor trees on the temple grounds, and they are visible from outside the temple.

 I didn't go into the temple because I was quite tired. But inside the gates, you'll find a few very nice buildings that don't look the same as all the other buildings, some portraits on the walls and paintings on the sliding doors, and a beautiful garden. You can sit in the Kachoden drawing room on the tatami mats and admire the garden while relaxing for a while, before you explore the other buildings using the wooden walkways to get between them. You can also stroll through the garden to get a closer look and visit the tea house up a small hill.

Shorenin is open 9:00-17:00, though it has special extended evening hours in the spring and fall. Admission is 500 yen, though there is a special fee for the evening illuminations.

It's located just north of Chorenin; you can see the entrance in the photo above. You can also get to Shorenin from Higashiyama Station on the Tozai Line - buses 5 and 100 stop nearby though I'm not sure exactly where. The subway and bus stops are about five minutes away, which makes Shorenin the perfect place to end your day.

However, you can continue east to Nanzenji, Eikando, Philosopher's Path, and finally Ginkakuji from here, if you're an ambitious walker. But due to the large number of sites in this area, it's best to break this up into two days, or even three.