Fushimi Inari Bamboo Forest — Attraction in Kyoto

One of the best things we did in Kyoto!

Shortly after you start the Tori gates, take a sharp turn (there’s a sign for a shrine and bamboo grove), then go past the shrine. It seems like the bamboo groves stop but they’re actually intermittent and keep going for a while. Someone wrote it’s a short section, they must have turned around. You can take this side trail all the way to the top of Inari, and then go through the Tori gates on the way down - it was muchhh less crowded and easier to enjoy, take photos etc versus the way up. Took us 1-1.5h and we went slowly. Mostly a pretty flat trail, towards the top of the mountain there’s some steep climbs with stairs. Lots of beautiful little shrine areas with statues and Tori gates covered in moss, felt so enchanted and out of a Ghibli movie, especially as we pretty much had it to ourselves...

The bamboo forest is located around ten minutes away from the starting point of the hike to the top of Fushimi Inari. The Google maps location is accurate and leads you up a slight detour past a set of toilets to this forest. Barely a couple of people were there when I visited. It's a beautiful and peaceful bamboo forest. I have not visited Arashiyama but just from pictures, this one is not as well maintained as Arashiyama. That said it is definitely way...

My child was frustrated with me looking at my map so we winged it and ended up on this path to the top of Inari. It was preferable because we hiked through bamboo, a neighborhood, and got to play with a local cat on the way up the stairs to the top. It was a happy...