We visited Fushimi Inari Taisha early in the morning, and it was the best decision we made! Arriving before the crowds meant we were able to take beautiful photos of the iconic red torii gates without tourists in the background. The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful and serene, a completely different vibe from the usual hustle and bustle.
While we didn’t hike all the way to the top this time, we enjoyed a relaxing 1.5-hour stroll through the shrine grounds, soaking in the scenery and the spiritual energy of the area. The path was easy to walk and offered just the right amount of quiet beauty.
If you’re planning to visit, I highly recommend coming early to fully appreciate the magic of Fushimi Inari. It’s truly one of Kyoto’s must-see spots, even if you don’t do the full hike.
Definitely a Kyoto highlight and maybe one for your whole trip to Japan. Even though it's a social media heaven for photos and video and you're pausing for others to take shots or making others pause for your own there are lots of things to see.
When visting don't forget it's still a shrine so be respectful. Also for the best Instrgram and other shots head up the hill more as the crowds definitely thin out after the first and second rest points. There are also other great moments/places further up the hill to see. Don't worry there's also more soft serve, drinks and snacks as well as places to get your fortune as you go up!
It's open 24 hours as well so plan your trip accordingly. Most of the crowd was there at 10am when I visited. The train station can get busy...there are at least 2 lines that go there.
It’s definitely a worthwhile experience, especially if you hike all the way to the top of the mountain. That’s when you truly immerse yourself in the experience, connect with nature, and feel the meditative atmosphere and purpose of the shrine. If you don’t go all the way up, you end up stuck in the more touristy area, crowded with people, making it harder to connect. The hike is a bit challenging, taking around 40 minutes to 1.5 hours, but it’s absolutely worth it for the full experience. On the way back, I even stopped halfway at a viewpoint, lay down on the rocks soaking up the sun for about 40 minutes, and it was amazing—I almost took a nap.
Really nice place with somewhat of a hike to reach the top. Plan 2 hours to go to the top and back, I'd say!
We arrived around 6 a.m., and there were already around 50 people, so if you want to be alone to take good pictures, I recommend you to arrive even earlier. We did not go for that, so it was alright, but I do hate crowded places, so that was perfect. However, the first metro is around 5:18 or so, so it's not easy to be there that early.
Lots of stairs, so either you need to be somewhat fit or take it easy.
Overall, I must-do in Kyoto, in my opinion!
The hype is very real yet very justified. The tourist crowd in Kyoto in April is absolutely insane, and I was feeling quite skeptical about visiting such an infamously overcrowded site but am SO glad we did. We went around 7-7:30am on a beautiful Monday morning and it was certainly busy but not overly crowded (we were able to get pictures with no one else in them). Watching the early morning sun filter through the torii was breathtaking! Highly recommend getting here before 7 if you can (probably want to aim for even earlier on a weekend - it is the land of the rising sun after all). We walked the full loop and I also highly recommend doing this as there are a lot of beautiful little temples and shrines along the way. Took us perhaps 2 hours going at a leisurely pace and stopping often. Bring a good pair of walking shoes!
