If there’s only one thing you do when visiting Kyoto, it’s this. And every other tourist knows it. We came here around 7:30AM and the crowds were reasonable, though if you want crowd-free photos think more like 5 - 6AM. There are more tourists at the start, but the further up you go the less and less tourists you’ll see. To go to the very top takes a few hours, and make sure you have good shoes on and some water for hydration. There are little shops and cafes that dot the paths and offer rest. There are also tons of other smaller shrines and altars sprinkled throughout. I read that there’s over 10,000 torii gates here and I believe it. I couldn’t get over the beauty of this place, and the striking colors of the red torii gates and the green of the forest was absolutely beautiful and serene. As we came back down around 11AM, we were thankful that we started early, because there were now TONS of tourists. The shops were fun to browse after a long hike through this spectacular shrine.
Whether you go at sunrise or sunset, it's really dreamy place to be. All those vermilion Tori gates, vivid colors are really out of this world. The more you walk deep into it, trees get thicker and dense. Nature becomes more impressive. Also, more than half of the visitors don't mind going all the way up so it might be a good idea to experience the place.
Lovely and crowded temple. There's a 4 km hike to the mountain top of you like to be adventurous. Not too rigorous, yet June is a bit warm and humid, which makes it challenging. Otherwise, beautiful structures to view.
In the immediate area, there's some food vendors. Actually quite good. Most food was about 600 yen to 1,000 yen. There was an excellent ice cream place we enjoyed.
Taking the train from Kyoto station requires switching to two train lines. Not difficult either.
Plus you'll see many young women and some young men dressed in traditional clothing. Very lovely.
Super busy place; go in the evening! Take mosquito repellent!
It was dark by the time we left and I had the trail to myself. Which allowed me to soak up the ambiance of the shrines.
Slow down and enjoy nature while you are there. We saw ravens, snakes, cats, other birds, and heard the hogs.
The hike is rough and don't let anyone tell you differently!
Out of our entire Japan trip, this hike around Fushimi Inari was one of my favorite experiences.
But be aware — it gets incredibly crowded with tourists. I actually tried to visit three times before I finally got it right.
The first time, we arrived at 7:30 AM, and it was already packed. The second attempt was around 5:30 PM, and it was still very crowded.
On my third try, I came back the next day at 5:00 AM — and that was the perfect choice.
There were already a few people, but it was still peaceful enough to take amazing photos and enjoy the hike in a calm atmosphere.
If you’re hoping for beautiful pictures and a quiet hike, come very early. After 6:30 AM, it’s already too late.
