Mount Kurama — Attraction in Kyoto

Well maintained mountain scenes, with stone steps for mountain climbing. But, not very suitable for rainy day visit. It may be difficult for foreigners to visit the place, because it does not offer English signs in many road directions, including mountain step road. However, it is NOT uncommon for foreign students or visitors who live in Japan and who may be able to speak and read Japanese would visit the place for one-day mountain climbing, because of its low-cost for admission and for food at non-restaurant stores. These resident foreigners may help first-time visitors for the directions.

Climbing to the mountain area, visitors may enjoy long-and-wide range view of Kyoto, although visitors may also see various animals, including bears occasionally.

Transportation from Kyoto to Mount Kurama generally needs transfer, although train transfer is NOT time-consuming in the day time, while there are also taxi service for the visitors. The river area coming down Mountain Kurama does have a few high end restaurants which sometimes allow customers to dine, openly, on the river when there is NO hurricane or rain, and such a dining experience is considered a luxury for the tourists, including Japanese, because food offered are unique, fresh, with...

If you love hiking and would like to take a break from visiting temples and other tourist spots in Kyoto, this is a great experience at the outskirts of town. Our starting point was Kuramadera temple, which was a couple of bus and train rides away from Kyoto station. The hike is of moderate degree difficulty and not too arduous apart from the descent to Kibune, which is steeper and more uneven than ascending from Kuramadera temple. Our hike was in mid-winter and a snowfall made it quite a memorable experience. There are lovely views higher up on the temple grounds. We also spotted a wild deer in the forest along the way down. I would recommend proper hiking shoes just in case the ground becomes slippery after rainfall or as snow/ice melts. You can also start your hike from Kibune. Entry requires...

This has to be the most special place near Kyoto I saw in my trip, we had 13 days in Kyoto and we saw almost everything there is inside and outside of the city, considering what a foreigner can find. It's a mountain with a huge amount of temples and shrines, you go trekking up the mountain for about 45 minutes if you take it slow, all uphill btw, more if you stay at each shrine long time. After you get to the top and biggest temple the view, the atmosphere, its the Japan people dream about seeing, those lush forests with temples and little paths, no technology, just nature. After that you go down again and see a town with onsens, a shrine that is beautiful and during may they light it up at night, I recommend this place if you want to have a real japanese experience and see a place thats like no other...