Mount Daimonji — Attraction in Kyoto

Hiking up this trail to the many peaks was an absolute blast.

During the weekend, this trail will most likely be heavily populated, you will often see people turning back go going the same direction as you.

If you have the time, I suggest walking the trail to another trail once you hit the peak but just be careful as this is not a trail for a beginner if you plan to walk to another temple or starting point! This trail does not loop so you will have to walk backwards to your starting point if you do not plan to walk through to another temple or location!

There are no bathrooms located on the trail so be mindful of that as well.

The views were worth it and plenty of people come here to have a lunch on the top of the mountain where there are plenty of areas to have a seat.

Although there were a fair amount of people for a hiking trail, even during the touristy days, it never felt like there were too...

Mount Daimonji (Daimonji-yama) • Location: Eastern Kyoto, near Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji temples. • Trail: The path leads through a forest and a series of stone steps up to the summit, where you can see the giant “大” (dai) character, which is traditionally set ablaze every summer during the Daimonji festival. • View: From the top, you’ll enjoy a wide, breathtaking panorama of Kyoto – and on a clear day, you might even catch a glimpse of Osaka. The hike takes around one hour and is moderately challenging.

We will always remember the kind woman who hiked up the mountain with us. She had a little bear bell on her backpack and spoke to us in Japanese the entire way :) We didn’t understand everything she said, but we understood her warmth – and that’s what stayed...

It was a challenging hike but worth it for the views at the top, even on the day we went which wasn’t very clear. We didn’t go up the traditional entry point (which is next to Higashiyama Jisho-ji) and started our loop walking straight up the road form our hotel (roku roku). This took us up some steep hills & track to get to Romon Falls, where we continued up to Mount Daimonji. I would definitely recommend starting here if you want to see the falls also! as coming down that side would be quite difficult.

Would absolutely recommend to anyone who loves being active, being out in nature and wants to get away from the Kyoto crowds...