Mount Inari — Attraction in Kyoto

I made it a point to reach Fushimi Inari Taisha by 6am, just to beat the crowd—and honestly, it was the best decision I made on this trip.

Arriving that early meant I had the famous vermilion torii gates all to myself. No jostling with tourists, no one photo-bombing my shots—just me, the crisp morning air, and this surreal, almost spiritual trail unfolding quietly in front of me. It felt like I had the whole mountain to myself.

This place isn’t just famous for the photos. Fushimi Inari is one of the most important and oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, dating all the way back to the year 711.

It’s dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, agriculture, and prosperity. That’s why you’ll see all the fox (kitsune) statues around the shrine—they’re said to be messengers of Inari.

Over the centuries, worshippers—especially merchants and businesses—have donated torii gates to show gratitude or seek blessings for success, which is why the trail has grown to thousands of gates today.

As you walk the path, the gates seem to go on forever, snaking up the forested slopes of Mount Inari. It’s peaceful, scenic, and deeply atmospheric, especially in the early morning light.

But make no mistake—the hike up is no joke. The incline gets steeper the further you go, and while it’s manageable if you take your time, it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted or those expecting a casual stroll.

I was sweating by the time I reached the halfway point, but the scenic views of Kyoto peeking through the trees made it all worth it.

There are small shrines and rest stops dotted along the way, and even vending machines at certain points, which helped.

But the beauty of this place is really in taking your time—not rushing up, but just soaking in the forest, the history, the spiritual energy of the place.

By the time I was making my way down, the crowd had started to build up, and I was glad I had already taken all my photos and had time to just appreciate the place in peace.

As a Singaporean used to flat paths and city buzz, the Fushimi Inari experience was something completely different. The calm, the cold, the climb, and the culture all came together in the best way.

If you’re planning to visit, go early, wear proper shoes, and be ready to sweat a bit. It’s more than just an Instagram spot.

it’s a beautiful, sacred space with over 1,300 years of history behind it, and walking through it at sunrise is something I’ll...

The experience you get of this place highly depends on WHEN exactly you come here, because this impacts the number of people you have to squeeze around and wait for while they're taking pictures along the way. Unfortunately we could come here only on the weekend (definitely more recommended to come on weekdays) and even though we came here pretty early - 7:00 am - it wasn't enough, there were still hordes of people around. So I must recommend coming even sooner, or maybe when the weather is bad, or a different time of the year than sakura blooming season. Regarding the place itself, it's rather interesting, the path is very intricate with many little side paths and things you can see along the way. At some point, around halfway to the top of the mountain, the path splits and you can choose to go either left or right to the top. The left one has a bit more shrines and stuff along the way. On the top there are multiple altars, with many votive stones, commemorative steles and multitudes of tori gates of all sizes. It's good to read up on what they represent and why they are there otherwise it might come as confusing why are all the shrines so cluttered with so...

I think the reviews here that complain about the lack of view at the top are pretty telling as to the purpose of the climb for many. You get to walk through picturesque bamboo forest passed thousands of Tori gates on what amounts to, all things considered, a relatively simple mountain climb in the heart of a city of over one million people.

On the way you get many spectacular views and a chance to reconnect with nature, the Kami, whatever you see fit. Culminating at a well maintained shrine that allows those who worship Shinto to pray as they see fit. If after all that your first though is "where is my view" it may be worth zooming out a moment to realize everything you had on the journey and reflecting.

The real benefit is that the higher you go the less packed things are. I took one of the side routes and there were large sections where I didn't see a single other person, a major change from the ten thousand plus people at the base jumping in front of people and holding up hundreds to take an arm stretched out profile picture.

You'll see hundred of kitsune statues on the way, and feel plenty of fox magic on the climb. I highly...