Seoul South Korea Yoga & Meditation Retreats 2026: Find Your Inner Peace

Seoul is not the first city that comes to mind when you want to slow down. Trains arrive every few minutes, cafés stay open late and the big roads of Gangnam hum long after midnight. Yet the city hides a surprising amount of quiet inside its own limits: temples where a monk will teach you to sit still for 50 minutes, mountain trails that begin at a subway exit, and a treehouse retreat inside a recreation forest in Nowon-gu. You can be on a meditation cushion within an hour of leaving your hotel.

This guide is for travellers, many of them flying in from Singapore, who want to fold real rest into a Seoul trip rather than lock themselves into a week-long resort package. It explains how an overnight templestay actually runs, which city temples suit beginners and English speakers, where yoga fits in, how Korea's forest-healing movement works, and which longer retreats outside Seoul justify the journey. Prices are in Korean won where we could confirm them. Temples revise their programmes by season, so treat every figure as a starting point and check before you book.

What a yoga and meditation retreat looks like in Seoul

If you expect a Bali-style retreat with an infinity pool and a seven-day timetable, Seoul will surprise you. Its retreat culture is built on Korean Buddhism first, the mountains second and studio yoga a distant third. Most visitors combine three or four short experiences, and that is the appeal: you can meditate at dawn and still make a dinner booking in Euljiro.

The backbone is Templestay, a programme run with the Jogye Order, the largest order in Korean Buddhism. It began during the 2002 FIFA World Cup as a way to welcome and house visitors, and roughly 1,000 foreigners and 10,000 Koreans tried it during that month-long tournament. It became permanent in July 2002, and by 2015 the number of participating temples had grown from 31 to about 110. The OECD named it in 2009 as one of the most successful pairings of culture and tourism it had studied. The official booking site now lists 19 temples within Seoul alone.

Around the temples you will find the city's granite mountains and parks, a national forest-therapy network that started in 2009, community yoga and meditation classes, and the very Korean habit of resting for hours in a jjimjilbang, a bathhouse with heated rooms and floor mats. Here is how the main options compare.

A sensible first attempt mixes one day programme, one temple night and one slow morning on a mountain trail. That gives you a real taste of the practice without losing your whole holiday to pre-dawn alarms.

How an overnight templestay in Seoul works

A templestay is not a hotel night with a meditation class bolted on. You join the rhythm of a working temple, with fixed times for ceremonies, meals and silence, and a simple dress code. The rules are easy to follow, and monks and volunteer staff are used to guests who have never bowed in their lives.

Arrival and orientation

Most overnight programmes start in the early to mid-afternoon. You check in, leave your shoes at the door and change into the loose temple clothes provided; on shorter programmes this may simply be a vest worn over your own clothes. A staff member or monk then walks you through the basics: the half-bow with palms joined, which paths and doors are reserved for monks, where photography is fine and where it is not, and why you keep your voice low in the courtyards. Phones go on silent and, ideally, stay in your bag until the next morning.

Yebul, the ceremonies that frame the day

Temple life is framed by yebul, the chanting ceremonies held before dawn, at around 10am and again in the evening. Guests normally attend the evening and pre-dawn sessions. Before the chanting starts you will hear the temple's traditional instruments, including the big drum and the bell, rolling across the courtyard in the dark. Inside the hall you simply follow the bows of the person in front of you. Nobody expects you to know the words, and the sound of a hundred voices in a wooden hall before sunrise tends to stay with people long after the trip.

Chamseon, Korean Seon meditation

Korean Seon is the same tradition that became Zen in Japan. You sit cross-legged on a cushion with your eyes half-open, usually facing a wall or the centre of the room. A common format is 50 minutes of sitting followed by 10 minutes of walking meditation, alternating slow and brisk steps to wake the legs. Beginners get far shorter rounds, often with a simple breath-counting exercise. If your knees complain, fold a second cushion under you or ask whether a low stool is available. Nobody is grading posture; staying still and paying attention is the whole exercise.

Baru gongyang, the formal monastic meal

Many programmes include baru gongyang, a meal eaten in near silence from a nested set of bowls. You take only what you will finish, eat every grain, then rinse the bowls and drink the rinsing water so nothing is wasted. It is austere, and travellers often say it is the part they remember most because it quietly changes how they think about leftovers at home. Lighter programmes replace it with a plain vegetarian lunch in the canteen, where you wash your own plate afterwards. Expect rice, soup and several vegetable side dishes, with no meat, fish, garlic or alcohol.

108 bows and the gentler extras

The 108 prostrations are the physical centrepiece. Each full bow takes you from standing down to your forehead on the mat and back up again, and the idea is to let go of a little greed or attachment with every repetition. Even at a slow pace your thighs will notice the next day. Some temples have you thread one bead for each bow, so you leave with a string of prayer beads you made yourself. Other extras include folding a paper lotus lantern, striking the temple bell, and chadam, an unhurried tea conversation with a monk where you can ask almost anything, from why they chose monastic life to how to keep a practice going once you are back at your desk in Raffles Place.

House rules worth knowing before you book

• No alcohol, no meat and no smoking anywhere on temple grounds.
• Bring modest clothes for under the temple vest; shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice.
• Rooms are usually simple, with mattresses on a heated floor, and some are shared and separated by gender. Ask about private rooms when booking if that matters.
• Lights out comes early, often not long after the evening ceremony. Quiet hours are taken seriously.
• Each temple sets its own booking and cancellation terms. Read them on the booking page before you pay.

Seoul temples that welcome meditation beginners

Seoul's templestay temples fall into three loose groups: city-centre temples that are easy to reach but busier, mountain-edge temples on the slopes of Bukhansan that feel properly remote, and specialist centres built with foreign guests in mind. The table below is a quick way to shortlist, followed by notes on each.

Jogyesa, the city-centre classic

Jogyesa at 55 Ujeongguk-ro is the head temple of the Jogye Order, founded in 1395 as Gakhwangsa and given its present name in 1954. In the courtyard stand two trees around 500 years old: a white pine of about 10 metres, protected as a natural monument, and a Chinese scholar tree that rises some 26 metres. Its programmes lean towards short, accessible sessions such as tea with monks, 108 bows, lotus lantern making, bell ringing and twilight or early-morning meditation. The temple also stages a night-time templestay concert a handful of times a year, in months such as April, May, July, September and October. It is busy, especially at weekends, so book a weekday if you want space to think.

Bongeunsa, a Silla-era temple across from COEX

Bongeunsa sits on the slope of Sudo Mountain in Samseong-dong, directly across the street from the COEX mall. It dates to 794, when it was founded by the monk Yeonhoe, and took its present name in 1498 after a royal-sponsored rebuild. A large standing statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha, looks out over the grounds. The contrast is the appeal: you can sit through a baru gongyang meal with glass towers visible over the temple roofs, then be back in your Gangnam hotel in ten minutes. If you are already staying south of the river, this is the easiest templestay to fit into a packed schedule.

Myogaksa, the templestay specialist on Naksan

Myogaksa, at 31 Jong-ro 63ga-gil on the eastern side of Naksan, has been designated as a temple specialising in templestay since the 2002 World Cup. That shows in its programmes, which include overnight and day options with meditation, tea, prayer-bead making and an early-morning hike. The neighbourhood is ordinary residential Seoul rather than a postcard, which some travellers prefer: you see how a temple fits into everyday city life. Naksan's city-wall trail is close by if you want a dawn walk after the morning ceremony.

Geumsunsa, English-guided meditation under Bukhansan

Geumsunsa, at 137 Bibong-gil in Gugi-dong, sits at the south-western foot of Bukhansan National Park and looks back over the city. Restored in 1955 after being destroyed during the Japanese occupation, it now runs one of the most practical options for visitors: a meditation programme where a monk guides you directly in English through 108 prostrations, sitting practice and a tea conversation about daily worries. It has been listed at 20,000 won, or 10,000 won for returning participants, running Tuesday to Saturday with bookings needed at least three days ahead. Many participants are Koreans in their twenties and thirties, which makes the tea chat livelier than a tourists-only group. It has paused during heatwaves in late July and early August, so check before a midsummer visit.

Hwagyesa, the international Seon tradition in Gangbuk

Hwagyesa at 117 Hwagyesa-gil, Gangbuk-gu, was founded in 1522 by the Seon master Sinwol. In 1991 it opened an international meditation hall on the fourth floor of its Daejeokgwangjeon hall to host practitioners from abroad, and it has long been associated with foreign monks and lay students. Its overnight templestay has been listed at about 50,000 won for adults and 40,000 won for students on weekdays, with day rates also available, which makes it one of the gentler options on the wallet. From Hwagye Station on the Ui-Sinseol Line it is roughly a 900-metre walk, uphill towards the mountain.

Gilsangsa, a silent meditation hall in Seongbuk-dong

Gilsangsa has one of the most unusual backstories in Seoul. The grounds were once a high-end private restaurant where politicians and businessmen met behind closed doors. Its owner, Kim Yeong-han, a former gisaeng entertainer, donated the property to Buddhism and it opened as a temple in the late 1990s. Today the hillside complex is known for its silent meditation hall and for one-day templestays with a silent walk around the grounds, a sitting session and tea with monks. Take Line 4 to Hansung University Station, leave by exit 6 and catch the small Seongbuk 02 village bus. The final approach is steep, so wear proper shoes.

Jingwansa and the temple food tradition

Jingwansa at 73 Jingwan-gil in Eunpyeong-gu sits in a wooded valley on the western side of Bukhansan. It is famous for temple cuisine, and historically supplied tofu to the royal court. Visitors have included a United States First Lady, Jill Biden. Programmes feature tea time with monks, bell ringing, morning ceremonies and meditation, with plain temple dishes such as tofu dumplings and steamed vegetables. The valley walk up to the temple is part of the experience, especially in autumn.

International Seon Center, built for overseas visitors

The International Seon Center at 167 Mokdongdong-ro in Yangcheon-gu was set up specifically to share Korean Buddhism and traditional culture with the world, and it offers both short and longer stays. Its half-day Luminous Lotus programme is a model beginner session: an etiquette briefing, a short breath-counting meditation, a vegetarian meal, a visit to the main hall with its three golden Buddha statues, guided prostrations, lantern and prayer-bead making, then green tea and lotus-leaf tea with questions. It is about 700 metres from Omokgyo Station exit 8 on Line 5.

If you want history and culture around your meditation, our guide to cultural experiences in South Korea covers palaces, folk villages and craft workshops that sit comfortably alongside a temple stay.

Yoga in Seoul: classes, studios and a sky-high option

Yoga in Seoul is a studio activity rather than a retreat industry. Studios sit in almost every office district, with hot yoga, flow classes and reformer pilates popular among young professionals. The catch for visitors is language: most classes are taught in Korean, often on monthly memberships. The good news is that yoga is visual, so you can follow the teacher's body even when you miss the cues.

How to find a class that accepts visitors

• Search for a "one-day class" (wondei keulraeseu), the Korean term studios use for a single trial session. These are the easiest way in for a short stay.
• Look around Itaewon, Hannam-dong, Hongdae and Gangnam, where studios are more likely to have English-speaking teachers or English class notes.
• Message ahead. Many small studios take bookings through Instagram or KakaoTalk and fill quickly in the evening.

Free wellness classes at the Gangnam Medical Tour Center

One of the least-known options is the K-Health programme at the Gangnam Medical Tour Center, 161 Apgujeong-ro. It offers mat yoga, pilates and meditation classes alongside hands-on healthy Korean cooking sessions. Regular classes have been free, run on weekdays between 10am and 6pm, and the centre can tailor sessions for groups of roughly 7 to 30 people, with support in English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and several other languages. It is aimed at groups, so it suits families, friends travelling together or a company trip. Reserve in advance and confirm the current timetable, because schedules shift.

Yoga 118 floors up at Seoul Sky

Seoul Sky, the observatory at the top of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, has hosted yoga sessions on its Sky Deck, a glass-floored platform on the 118th floor looking over Seokchon Lake, the Han River and Olympic Park. It is more of a memorable photo than a deep practice, and sessions are occasional rather than daily. Check the observatory's official site for dates and prices before you plan around it.

After a hard class, do what Seoul's office workers do and go to a jjimjilbang. Rooms are heated to anywhere between about 15 and 50°C, with kiln saunas lined with salt or jade, hot pools in gender-separated bathing areas and shared lounges with heated floors for napping in the provided T-shirt and shorts. A Sparex Dongmyo jjimjilbang admission ticket starts from S$7.22, and the location near Dongmyo is handy if you are doing a templestay at Myogaksa.

Forest healing and green quiet inside the city

Korea treats time in the woods as a health practice, not just a hobby. The Korea Forest Service opened its first therapeutic forest, Saneum National Recreational Forest in Gyeonggi Province, in 2009, and by 2020 the country had 32 of them. Programmes typically involve slow guided walks, breathing exercises, stretching and simply lying in a hammock listening to the trees. Most sessions are run in Korean, but you do not need a guide to borrow the idea. Seoul's mountains and parks give you the raw material within the city limits.

Bukhansan National Park

Bukhansan, a national park since 1983, is a granite massif on Seoul's northern edge, topped by Baegundae at 836.5 metres. It draws around five million hikers a year, which tells you to avoid weekend mornings if you are after silence. For a meditative visit, skip the summit scramble and use the mountain as a setting: walk up through the valley to Jingwansa, or combine the Geumsunsa meditation session with an hour on the lower trails behind the temple. Bukhansan Ui Station is the gateway for the eastern trails, about 2.3 km from the main visitor centre.

Bugaksan and the Seongbuk-dong temples

The Bugaksan trail runs along the old city wall behind Gyeongbokgung. Palgakjeong Pavilion on the Bugak Skyway sits at 342 metres and gives a clear view of the seasons changing over the city. From there you can drop down towards Buam-dong and on into Seongbuk-dong, where Gilsangsa and Heungcheonsa wait. Heungcheonsa, at 29 Heungcheonsa-gil near the Jeongneung royal tomb, offers tea with resident monks. Done slowly, with a temple at each end, this is about as close to a walking retreat as central Seoul gets.

Seoul Forest for an easy morning

Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong opened in June 2005 on former industrial land and now holds more than 420,000 trees. Its ecological forest area opens from 5:30am to 9:30pm, so a sunrise walk is entirely possible, and the butterfly and insect gardens open from 10am to 5pm, closed on Mondays. Take Line 2 to Ttukseom Station exit 8, or the Suin-Bundang Line to Seoul Forest Station exit 3. Finish at one of Seongsu's quieter cafés before the crowds arrive mid-morning.

A night in the Surak Hyu treehouses

Surak Hyu, inside Suraksan Natural Recreation Forest in Nowon-gu, bills itself as Korea's first urban forest retreat. On a site of about 9,800 square metres it has treehouses up to 14 metres off the ground, rooms with skylights above the beds for stargazing, a restaurant and fire pits. Rooms start from roughly 200,000 won. Bookings go through the national forest booking site foresttrip.go.kr, which is in Korean; general reservations open at 2pm on the 10th of each month and need to be made at least three days ahead. It is about 1.6 km from Buramsan Station exit 1 on Line 4. If you can secure a weekday night, it is the closest thing to a retreat lodge inside the city.

Retreats beyond Seoul worth the journey

Seoul's temples are excellent for a first experience, but the deeper retreats are in the mountains. These are the ones that justify an extra night, with travel times that a Singapore traveller can absorb on a week-long trip. For full sightseeing ideas, our Seoul ultimate travel guide has the wider picture; here the focus stays on stillness.

Ganghwa Island and Jeondeungsa

Ganghwa Island, part of Incheon to the west of Seoul, holds Jeondeungsa, traditionally dated to 381 and described as the oldest surviving Buddhist temple on the Korean peninsula. The whole complex sits inside Samnang Fortress, so you walk through old stone gates to reach the halls. Its templestay programme lets you sleep inside more than 1,600 years of continuous practice. Public transport works but involves a long bus ride, so many visitors use a driver. A private car charter around Seoul and its suburbs makes it easy to pair Jeondeungsa with the island's coastline in a single day before checking in.

Woljeongsa on Odaesan

Woljeongsa on the slopes of Odaesan in Pyeongchang is the retreat many Koreans name first. Its fir-tree forest path won the top prize at a Korea Forest Service beautiful-forest contest, and its courtyard holds a 15-metre, 12th-century octagonal stone tower of nine storeys, a national treasure since 1962. The fir walk at dawn, when the path is empty, is the reason to stay overnight. KTX trains towards Gangneung stop at Jinbu, the nearest station, and local buses or taxis cover the last stretch.

Seoraksan and Sinheungsa

Seoraksan near Sokcho is better known for its peaks than its temples, but Sinheungsa at its entrance is one of the oldest Seon temples in Korea, first built in the 7th century and moved to its present site in 1648. Its seated Great Unification Buddha is a 14.6-metre, 108-tonne gilt-bronze figure on a 4.3-metre pedestal. The mountain is a long day from Seoul, so if you do not want to drive, a Seoraksan National Park and Nami Island day tour handles the logistics and gets you onto the trails early.

The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong

Not every retreat needs a temple. The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong is an arboretum created by Han Sang-kyung, a professor at Sahmyook University, together with his wife, who planned and worked on the garden themselves. It opened on 11 May 1996 and now covers about 330,000 square metres with roughly 5,000 plant species, and in winter it hosts a light festival. Arrive at opening, walk the far gardens first, and you can find long stretches with nobody around. A Garden of Morning Calm day tour with Nami Island and Petite France is the simplest way to get there without a car.

Pocheon, north-east of Seoul, is a lower-key alternative: a walking path around Sanjung Lake, a waterfall and a herb farm, for travellers who would rather sit by water than queue.

When to plan a Seoul retreat: weather and seasons

Timing changes everything about a retreat in Seoul. Temple halls have heated floors, but the walks between them, the dawn ceremony and any mountain time happen outdoors. Singapore travellers in particular tend to underestimate the cold. Here are Seoul's long-term averages and what they mean in practice.

Spring and autumn are, by general agreement, the most comfortable seasons, with blue skies and mild temperatures. If you can only choose one, pick mid-October to early November, when the mountains turn and the air is clear. Our Korea autumn foliage guide has the timing by region if you want to pair a temple night with peak colour.

May deserves a special mention. The Lotus Lantern Festival is held around Buddha's Birthday, usually in May, and Jogyesa's courtyard is lit with lanterns from about 6pm to midnight over several days, ending with a lantern parade along Jongno. Lovely to see, but not a quiet time to meditate in the centre: stay at a mountain temple and come into town for one evening of lanterns.

Summer highs of 29 to 30°C sound mild to Singaporeans, but monsoon humidity and the occasional 35°C day make long sitting sessions uncomfortable. Winter is the opposite problem: cold snaps can push Seoul well below minus 10°C, a 40-degree swing from home. Temple floors are warm; the walk to the main hall before dawn is not.

A three-day calm Seoul plan built around a temple night

This plan suits a long weekend or the quiet middle of a longer trip. It keeps travel short, puts the temple night in the middle and leaves room for the city's food. Korea is one hour ahead of Singapore and the flight is roughly six and a half hours, so a red-eye arrival on day one is realistic if you keep that day gentle.

Day one: arrive slowly

Take the AREX express train from Incheon Airport into Seoul Station rather than a long taxi in traffic, drop your bags and resist the urge to start sightseeing. In the late afternoon, head to Seongbuk-dong: visit Gilsangsa for a quiet walk around the grounds, then wander down through the neighbourhood's old houses and cafés. In the evening, sweat out the flight at a jjimjilbang and sleep early.

Day two: palace morning and temple night

Start at Gyeongbokgung when the gates open and the courtyards are still empty. A guided Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon stroll gives you context on the Joseon court and the hanok lanes without rushing. For lunch, cross to Balwoo Gongyang at 56 Ujeongguk-ro, opposite Jogyesa, which serves plant-based Korean temple food with seasonal ingredients; it opens for lunch from 11:30am to 3pm and for dinner from 6pm to 9:30pm, and closes on Sundays. Check in for an overnight templestay at Jogyesa, Myogaksa or Bongeunsa in the afternoon and let the temple timetable take over.

Day three: dawn, mountain and recovery

Wake for the pre-dawn ceremony, sit the morning meditation, eat breakfast with the temple and leave by mid-morning. If it is a Tuesday to Saturday and you booked ahead, go to Geumsunsa for the English-guided meditation, then walk the lower Bukhansan trails behind it. On other days, take a long, flat walk in Seoul Forest. Finish with a soak at a bathhouse and an early dinner.

Costs, etiquette and practical planning

A Seoul retreat is easy to budget. Temple day sessions cost tens of thousands of won, overnight stays somewhat more, and parks and mountain trails nothing at all. A WOWPASS prepaid card covers subway and bus fares plus card payments at most shops, which saves queuing at ticket machines.

Booking a templestay

• Use the official Templestay website, which has an English version, to compare programmes and book. Each temple shows its own schedule, price and language support.
• Book two to four weeks ahead for weekends in April, May, October and November. Weekday spots are usually easier.
• Check whether your chosen date is an English-guided session. Some temples run them only on set days.
• Read each temple's cancellation terms carefully before you pay, as they differ from temple to temple.

Etiquette that earns quiet respect

• Bow lightly, palms together, when you meet a monk. A handshake or hug is not the custom.
• Walk around, not through, the centre of a hall, and never step on the raised threshold of a doorway.
• Ask before taking photos inside halls, and never photograph people mid-prayer.
• Keep conversation low in courtyards, especially after the evening ceremony.
• Finish your food. Leaving rice in your bowl at a temple meal is noticed.

What to pack

Pack light layers you can sit in, warm socks, a refillable water bottle and an unscented toiletry kit. Bring a small torch or use your phone light for the walk to the pre-dawn ceremony. In winter add thermal leggings, gloves and a warm hat; in summer add insect repellent and a sweat towel. Leave strong perfume and bright, revealing clothes at the hotel. If your knees are stiff, a thin foldable sitting pad helps more than you would expect.

Before you book anything, confirm your entry requirements. Our guide to South Korea visa requirements and documents for 2026 explains what different passport holders need, including any online travel authorisation, so there are no surprises at the airport.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be Buddhist to join a templestay in Seoul?

No. Templestay was created to share Korean Buddhist culture with anyone curious, including people of other religions or none. You will be asked to join ceremonies respectfully, follow the bows and keep the house rules, but nobody expects belief or conversion. If a particular ritual makes you uncomfortable, quietly sit it out or speak to the staff; they are used to guests from every background and will tell you what is optional.

Can I do a meditation programme in English in Seoul?

Yes. Geumsunsa near Bukhansan runs a meditation session guided directly in English by a monk, and the International Seon Center in Yangcheon-gu was set up for overseas visitors. Larger temples such as Jogyesa, Bongeunsa and Myogaksa also run programmes with English support on certain dates. Check the language listed for each session on the official Templestay site before booking, because English support is not available every day.

How much does a yoga and meditation retreat in Seoul cost?

It depends on how you build it. A guided temple meditation session can cost around 20,000 won, an overnight templestay has been listed from about 50,000 won at Hwagyesa with central temples often higher, and park walks are free. Group yoga at the Gangnam Medical Tour Center has been free for regular classes. A treehouse night at Surak Hyu starts at roughly 200,000 won. Add transport, meals and a bathhouse visit for a realistic total.

Is a one-night templestay enough for a beginner?

For most first-timers, yes. One night gives you the evening ceremony, a meditation session, a temple meal, the pre-dawn chanting and a quiet breakfast, which is enough to know whether the practice suits you. If you enjoy it, plan a two-night stay at a mountain temple such as Woljeongsa next time. If you are unsure, start with a three-hour day programme instead and decide afterwards.

What should I wear to a templestay or meditation session?

Temples usually provide a loose uniform or vest, so wear comfortable, modest clothes underneath that let you sit cross-legged and bow freely. Cover shoulders and knees, avoid tight jeans and bring clean socks, because shoes come off at every hall. In winter, wear thermal layers under the uniform. Skip perfume and noisy jewellery; quiet, plain and warm is the general rule.

Are templestays suitable for children or older travellers?

Day programmes generally suit older children who can sit quietly for short periods, and families often enjoy lantern making and bell ringing. Overnight stays with pre-dawn ceremonies are harder for young children. For older travellers, the main issues are floor sitting, 108 bows and steep paths to hillside temples. Ask whether chairs are available, skip the full bows if needed, and choose a city-centre temple to avoid long climbs.

When is the best time of year for a meditation retreat in Seoul?

Mid-October to early November is hard to beat, with average highs around 20°C, clear skies and autumn colour on the mountains. April is also lovely but busier. May brings the Lotus Lantern Festival, which is beautiful but crowded. July and August are hot and wet, and January is bitterly cold, though snowy temple roofs have their own quiet appeal for well-prepared visitors.