Mid-range · 6-hour walk · Kyoto
Fushimi Inari to Gion in six hours
Ten thousand torii gates at dawn, the temple on stilts, the preserved lanes below it and the geisha quarter at dusk.
The two most visited places in Kyoto are four kilometres apart and both are ruined by the middle of the day, so this route takes the first at opening and the second in the late afternoon, with two stops on the JR and Keihan lines in between. Fushimi Inari is open 24 hours and free; being there at seven is a completely different experience from being there at eleven.
The route, stop by stop
-
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Open all night and free. The full mountain circuit is two hours; the crowds thin out completely after the first twenty minutes of gates.
90 min here Walk here → -
Kiyomizu-dera
Arrive by train from the previous stop
Two stops on the Keihan line then a steep ten minutes up. The wooden stage is built without a single nail.
60 min here Walk here → -
Sannenzaka
Preserved stone-stepped lanes below the temple. Tripping here is said to bring three years of bad luck, which is the name.
30 min here Walk here → -
Yasaka Shrine
The lantern-lit gateway between the temple district and Gion. Free, open all hours and busiest at New Year.
25 min here Walk here → -
Gion
Photography is banned on the private lanes and fines are issued. Hanamikoji at dusk, respectfully, is the way to do it.
40 min here Walk here →
More in Kyoto
Every walking route in Kyoto, or the full Kyoto guide for where to stay and what a day costs.