The 15 Best Zen & Meditation Tours in Japan

1.Zen Meditation at a Private Temple with a Monk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 510 reviews · 1h 30m · from $55Our pick

Asakusa Zen meditation at a private Tokyo temple. Practice zazen, calligraphy, matcha tea, and monk Q&A in 90 minutes.

“It was such a natural, beautiful and intimate experience. We started with a zen-meditation, followed by a calygraphic design and then a little tea ceremony. We could ask the monk Namiki-san and our guide Shota a lot of questions about the temple, the religion, the life in Japan etc. They were very honest and super-kind - we really recommend this experience!🤩🙏🏻😌”

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2.Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 441 reviews · from $110

Small-group Kyoto Zen temple walk, monk-led zazen meditation, dry-garden calm, and a traditional Buddhist lunch, all for $110.10.

“This was such a reflective and spiritual day. Our tour guide Yutaka was friendly and felt comfortable talking with him. We learned about his culture and the area. We saw a few Buddhist temples and were able to sit and reflect before going to tRead more”

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3.Zen Experience in a Hidden Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 437 reviews · 2 hours · from $109

Zazen with Abbot Eitetsu Nishida at Jusho-in, then matcha and seasonal sweets in a 400-year garden near Kyoto, English guided.

“We loved this activity! Super interesting & informative, & the meditation was great. I was worried about doing 20 minute sessions as a complete beginner but the time flew by. Highly recommend!”

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4.Tea Ceremony Meditation – Make Matcha with Tea Master

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 406 reviews · 45 min · from $45

Make matcha in a 100-year-old Kyoto townhouse with an Omotesenke-trained tea master. Small group, 45 minutes, $45.

“The host is super respectful. She guided us through the tea ceremony step by step and was very open to questions. Her English was also very good.”

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5.Miyajima: Cultural Experience in Zen Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 258 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $90

Wear a kimono at Tokujuji Temple in Miyajima, learn tea ceremony, sip matcha, do calligraphy and make an amulet, photos included.

“All very good. The staff were kind and helpful choosing kimono and making sure it looked good. Good photo session in the sunshine. Tea making was fun with chocolate. We continued on with calligraphy which was excellent, great experience. Our session was only meant to last 90 mins, we were there over 2 hours.. good memories of this day..”

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6.Zen Meditation at a Private Temple with a Monk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 202 reviews · 1h 30m · from $91

Private Kyoto Zen meditation with a monk. Learn Zazen, practice seated breathing, then finish with tea, garden time, and Q&A in 90 minutes.

“It was an amazing experience. Satoru was the perfect guide and the monk was so kind and open to any questions. Even in the group it was easy to dive into this calm adventure of Zen Meditation.”

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7.Tokyo Zen Meditation at Private Temple with Monk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 178 reviews · from $56

Private Zen meditation at a 400-year-old Asakusa temple with a monk, English support, matcha tea, and photo time.

“Tamami was our guide and she is wonderful! Tamami has a lovely upbeat personality and is very knowledgeable! The entire experience with Tamami and the monk was amazing!!! Such a great experience to meet a monk - especially a monk who is approachable and completely open to any question our family asked! Five stars for sure!!!”

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8.Zen Garden, Zen Mind (Private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · from $380

Private Zen garden walk in Kyoto with Andrew, visiting Konchi-in, Tenjuan, and Nanzen-ji, plus design insights on a 3.5-hour route.

“Through the lens of the Zen garden Andrew brought to life the religion, society, history and culture of Kyoto. He brought our focus to the meaning of the rock gardens so prevalent in Kyoto and the shrines and garden choices. He answered thRead more”

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9.4.5-Hour Kyoto Bike Tour with Lunch and UNESCO Zen Temples

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 122 reviews · from $99

Bike Kyoto with an English guide: Kennin-ji and Nanzen-ji, teahouse lunch, Kamogawa River ride, small group.

“Great way to get out of Kyoto and see sites! Biking is a favorite activity in any town/city... this was no exception! Loved the ride along the river, all the things we saw as we moved around town and out to the edges to see shrines and temples. Lunch was fantastic, and Naru was an awesome guide!”

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10.Practicing Zen with a Japanese Tea Ceremony

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 105 reviews · 1h 15m · from $63

Zen tea ceremony near Tokyo Tower in 75 minutes. English guidance, matcha and sweets, then you perform a second tea ceremony yourself.

“Tea seremony was really great. Everything was explained and we got to try it ourselves as well. Zen excercize was too short.”

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11.Zen Meditation and Garden Tour at a Temple with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 86 reviews · 4h 30m · from $107

Small-group Kyoto Zen meditation and Tofukuji garden tour with silent zazen, guide-led explanations, and Shojin ryori lunch for $107.

“I’m so happy I added this tour to my trip. It was so nice having someone explain not only the background of the temples we visited but also answer my questions about Buddhism, symbols and all their meanings. Eri was a great guide and so helpful with recommending places to go and see after the tour. She was so knowledgeable and showed a true passion for the topics she shared. Not to mention her amazing photography skills and capturing some great memories on tour. Thank you!”

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12.Learning Zen of Japanese Calligraphy in kimono near Osaka Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 53 reviews · from $43Best value

Shodo calligraphy in a kimono near Osaka Castle. Choose kanji, learn strokes, and get emailed photos plus a kanji name souvenir.

“Während des Kurses können Sie die Grundlagen der Kalligraphie üben. In 1,5 Stunden werden Sie kein Profi, aber Sie bekommen eine Vorstellung davon, was es ist. Natürlich können Sie Videos und Fotos machen, der Lehrer hilft Ihnen sogar dabei. Nach dem Kurs können Sie einen Spaziergang in der Nähe der Burg Osaka machen, sie liegt ganz in der Nähe. Insgesamt kann ich den Kurs empfehlen.”

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13.Arashiyama Guided Tour, Bamboo, Monkey, Zen Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 3 hours · from $74

3-hour Arashiyama guided tour: bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge photos, and Iwatayama Monkey Park views of Kyoto.

“Nabet did an excellent job taking us through the bamboo, temple, and monkey park. We got a nice walk plus facts about the history of the places we visited. The climb to monkey park is challenging but worth it.”

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14.Buddha, Bamboo & Zen – Bespoke Kamakura Private Walking Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $355

Private 6-hour Kamakura walk with Brad: Great Buddha, Hasedera, bamboo temple, Zen and samurai context, Komachi Street breaks.

“Wonderful day in Kamakura with Brad. Highly reccomend Brad and the B,B and Z tour. Brad was very knowledgable and put together a great tour that was catered to us and our interests. Brad knew the right amount of things and the diversitRead more”

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15.Zen Meditation at a Private Temple with a Monk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $98

Zen meditation at a private Kyoto temple with a monk, plus matcha tea and snacks. Small group, mobile ticket, 90 minutes.

“Very authentic private-like experience. Great translation and very educatuonal. Didn't think I'd need to go to japan to learn how to sit upright correctly. Meditation practice put into a good metaphor.”

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