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Budget · 3-hour walk · Kyoto

The Philosopher's Path in three hours

The Silver Pavilion, the canal path a philosopher walked every day, a temple behind a moss-thatched gate, the Buddha who looks back, and the brick aqueduct at Nanzen-ji.

On foot

2.2 km

Walking

30 min

At stops

145 min

Total

2h 55m

Stops

The Philosopher's Path follows a narrow canal along the foot of the eastern hills for about two kilometres, between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. It is named after Nishida Kitarō, a philosopher who walked it daily, and is lined with cherry trees for April and maples for November. Walk it from Ginkaku-ji south and finish at Nanzen-ji.

The route, stop by stop

Ginkaku-ji

The Silver Pavilion, the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa from the 1480s, which was never covered in silver. Its garden of raked sand includes a flat-topped cone said to stand for Mount Fuji.

45 min here Walk here →
Philosopher's Path

The stone path along the canal, under cherry trees, with small cafés and shops along the way.

20 min here Walk here →
Hōnen-in

A small temple through a moss-thatched gate, between two raised beds of sand raked with designs that change with the seasons.

15 min here Walk here →
Eikan-dō

Famous for its maples in autumn, and for its statue of the Amida Buddha looking back over his shoulder.

30 min here Walk here →
Nanzen-ji

A great Zen temple with a towering wooden gate you can climb, and a red-brick aqueduct of 1890 running through its grounds, built to carry water from Lake Biwa.

35 min here Walk here →