Enjoy the bountiful nature of Kyoto with a hike or a long trek
Kyoto is blessed with so much natural beauty that it's a shame to not take it in slow. Choose from a challenging hike to a long walk at a relaxed pace. We have something for everyone!
Kyoto city to Kurama MOUNTAIN
CITY & NATURE, LONG WALK and HIKE
Starting point: Demachiyanagi Station at 9 am
Finishing point: same as above at 3 pm (sometimes later)
From here, we will stock up on sandwiches, riceballs and whatever else we think we might need on the way. This really is a combination of a long walk and then a hike at the end of the long walk. The nice part is there is a train which takes us from the finishing point of the tour right back to where we started.
The Walk: 13 km approx. 3-3.5hr
departing from Demachiyanagi station on foot, we are right at the doorstep of one of the most impressive ancient sites in Kyoto at Shimogamo Shrine. After wandering through the old sacred forest surrounding the shrine, we pay our respects here before heading towards the banks of the Kamo River. We follow the river North till we reach the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. Since it's on the way, we stop in and admire the gardens here before heading out the North gate and towards our goal. Now the walk is along small local streets and little by little the suburban landscapes become more countryside. Getting a little over halfway to the Kibune Shrine, we will pass through some small villages and feel the local charm of the area.
Now, we will be getting close to one of our main targets for the day, the impressive Kibune shrine. This is a special place and the approach to the shrine is in fact the cover photo for the Lonely Planet Kyoto edition. It is also a shrine where you can pray for good relationships. After visiting this shrine, it's time to get ready for the hike to the top of Kurama Mountain.
The Hike: 200m+ elevation from start point, approx. 1.5hr
This hike to the top of a 584m mountain is a bit of a challenge, but thankfully the hardest part is right at the start. You can expect to do a bit of a "stairmaster" climb for the first 30mins or so until the trail begins to flatten out. But there is still a bit more to climb to get the the very top. Within 1hr or so, we will get the great payoff of arriving at the impressive Kurama Temple on top of the mountain and getting that beautiful view of the valley below. There is a little rest spot here to sit down and eat our sandwiches (if we still have them) and take a little rest. After paying our respects here, we can wander down the hill to the little charming village below.
The way back: Jump on the little train back to the city. You've earned it. It takes about 35mins to get back to where we met in the morning and we can expect to get back around 3 pm.
TOTAL DISTANCE: 15-16km (including 1hr or so of uphill hiking)
LENGTH OF TIME: 6 hrs (including 30min+ train ride back to the station)
INCLUSIONS: Everything except food and drink
Finishing point: same as above at 3 pm (sometimes later)
From here, we will stock up on sandwiches, riceballs and whatever else we think we might need on the way. This really is a combination of a long walk and then a hike at the end of the long walk. The nice part is there is a train which takes us from the finishing point of the tour right back to where we started.
The Walk: 13 km approx. 3-3.5hr
departing from Demachiyanagi station on foot, we are right at the doorstep of one of the most impressive ancient sites in Kyoto at Shimogamo Shrine. After wandering through the old sacred forest surrounding the shrine, we pay our respects here before heading towards the banks of the Kamo River. We follow the river North till we reach the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. Since it's on the way, we stop in and admire the gardens here before heading out the North gate and towards our goal. Now the walk is along small local streets and little by little the suburban landscapes become more countryside. Getting a little over halfway to the Kibune Shrine, we will pass through some small villages and feel the local charm of the area.
Now, we will be getting close to one of our main targets for the day, the impressive Kibune shrine. This is a special place and the approach to the shrine is in fact the cover photo for the Lonely Planet Kyoto edition. It is also a shrine where you can pray for good relationships. After visiting this shrine, it's time to get ready for the hike to the top of Kurama Mountain.
The Hike: 200m+ elevation from start point, approx. 1.5hr
This hike to the top of a 584m mountain is a bit of a challenge, but thankfully the hardest part is right at the start. You can expect to do a bit of a "stairmaster" climb for the first 30mins or so until the trail begins to flatten out. But there is still a bit more to climb to get the the very top. Within 1hr or so, we will get the great payoff of arriving at the impressive Kurama Temple on top of the mountain and getting that beautiful view of the valley below. There is a little rest spot here to sit down and eat our sandwiches (if we still have them) and take a little rest. After paying our respects here, we can wander down the hill to the little charming village below.
The way back: Jump on the little train back to the city. You've earned it. It takes about 35mins to get back to where we met in the morning and we can expect to get back around 3 pm.
TOTAL DISTANCE: 15-16km (including 1hr or so of uphill hiking)
LENGTH OF TIME: 6 hrs (including 30min+ train ride back to the station)
INCLUSIONS: Everything except food and drink
Arashiyama to Golden Pavilion:
Long walk with three world heritage zen gardens
Starting point: Togetsukyo Bridge at 9 am
Finishing point: Kinakuji Temple at 3 pm (sometimes later)
The Walk: 13 km, approx. 3.5hr
We meet at the iconic Togetsukyo bridge where we can get sweeping views of the beautiful mountains a the majestic Hozu river. From here it is just a 20 minute walk along the scenic riverside and through a leafy park and you are right in one of the most photographed places in Kyoto, the famous Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama. From here we can visit the amazing UNESCO world heritage zen temple Tenryu-ji. This is a splendid garden indeed. After this, it's time to start making our way to the quieter side of town. We will take you to the quiet and rustic Saga preserved district. See old tea houses and farm houses lining the quiet streets here.
Now it's time to start our journey across town to the two amazing temples of Ryoan-ji and Kinkakuji. These are two of the most famous temples in all of Japan. But while most people are squeezing into taxis and busses, we are going the scenic route. And scenic it really is!! In fact, the most difficult thing will be not stopping every two mins to explore more. We need to move a little bit at pace here though so we can keep our goal in mind!
Pass farmers fields, beautiful ponds and gentle mountains as a backdrop as we walk along this road to the famous zen gardens. After a while, we will finally get to the Ryoanji temple. This zen garden is famous for its dry landscape rock and sand garden. Here we will give you insights about the special meaning brought about by these gardens. After this time to relax and look out to the garden, we will move to our last stop of the day, the famous Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion. And we saved the most spectacular for last as this building covered in real gold leaf truly sparkles in the afternoon sunlight.
This is where the tour concludes and after this long walk, we recommend taking a taxi or the bus to get back to your hotel in time for a little afternoon siesta before dinner!
TOTAL DISTANCE: 11-12km (no hiking, but some slopes and stairs along the way)
LENGTH OF TIME: 6 hrs (includes visits to three gardens)
INCLUSIONS: Everything except food and drink
Finishing point: Kinakuji Temple at 3 pm (sometimes later)
The Walk: 13 km, approx. 3.5hr
We meet at the iconic Togetsukyo bridge where we can get sweeping views of the beautiful mountains a the majestic Hozu river. From here it is just a 20 minute walk along the scenic riverside and through a leafy park and you are right in one of the most photographed places in Kyoto, the famous Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama. From here we can visit the amazing UNESCO world heritage zen temple Tenryu-ji. This is a splendid garden indeed. After this, it's time to start making our way to the quieter side of town. We will take you to the quiet and rustic Saga preserved district. See old tea houses and farm houses lining the quiet streets here.
Now it's time to start our journey across town to the two amazing temples of Ryoan-ji and Kinkakuji. These are two of the most famous temples in all of Japan. But while most people are squeezing into taxis and busses, we are going the scenic route. And scenic it really is!! In fact, the most difficult thing will be not stopping every two mins to explore more. We need to move a little bit at pace here though so we can keep our goal in mind!
Pass farmers fields, beautiful ponds and gentle mountains as a backdrop as we walk along this road to the famous zen gardens. After a while, we will finally get to the Ryoanji temple. This zen garden is famous for its dry landscape rock and sand garden. Here we will give you insights about the special meaning brought about by these gardens. After this time to relax and look out to the garden, we will move to our last stop of the day, the famous Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion. And we saved the most spectacular for last as this building covered in real gold leaf truly sparkles in the afternoon sunlight.
This is where the tour concludes and after this long walk, we recommend taking a taxi or the bus to get back to your hotel in time for a little afternoon siesta before dinner!
TOTAL DISTANCE: 11-12km (no hiking, but some slopes and stairs along the way)
LENGTH OF TIME: 6 hrs (includes visits to three gardens)
INCLUSIONS: Everything except food and drink