The journey to the Temple of the Guild is long and boring. The location was deliberately chosen for its remoteness, to discourage young inexperienced adventurers who are too big for their britches.
At the temple, you can get as involved or as uninvolved as you please in a variety of attractions. You may leave the temple with permanently elevated hardiness, agility, or charisma, for example. Perhaps you will choose a new name. There are opportunities to win gold, and several ways to spend or lose it. There are also a few ways to get killed.