On our second day in Kyoto, we packed a decent amount in considering we had a 5 year old in tow. After we had had a bit of rest over lunch at
Matsuontoko, we hopped on the train to head to Fushimi Inari Taisha. This is one of the most popular shrines in Kyoto, and is known for it's thousands of torii gates that stretch up into the mountain for kilometres.
The shrine is accessed from Fushimi Inari Station or JR Inari station and you just need to follow the many people up the road to the shrine grounds. On the way, there are many many street food stalls selling everything from yakitori, to takoyaki, chocolate covered bananas and candy as well as souvenirs.
Once we finally made it to the shrine, we walked some of the way up through the torii gates, however after an already busy morning and a tired 5 year old (and mums!) we didn't go all the way up the mountain. We did at one point venture up a precarious looking dirt path that was off to the right of the main torii path, which led to a little wooded shrine area, that was definitely less busy than the main path. This also offered some good views of the torii from above. I would definitely recommend veering off the main path as you go because you will avoid some of the crowds and possibly discover all sorts of gems.
I would love to come back another time and do the whole trek. As you get further along, there are less and less people so you are more likely to get some great shots of the tunnels of torii gates without the hoards of people!
When we were heading back to the station we came across a tiny neighbourhood playground so little G was super happy! It was basically just a slide and a couple of other things, but if you have kids, it's sure to make their day (as well as giving the parents a chance to sit and rest!).
 |
| Street food leading up to the temple |
 |
| Fox |
 |
| Tunnel of torii gates |
 |
| These colours! |
 |
| Me :) |
Fushimi Inari is such a wonderful shrine and complex. It really does live up to all the hype. I definitely recommend doing the full hike. It's a wonderful place to get lost and it's so quiet and kind of haunting up there!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to see and visit this shrine... and have a photo taken in it, of course. It's so magical! I went to Tokyo but I want to visit Kyoto too. :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks like such a beautiful place to explore, but I think the crowds would get on my nerves! Do you think it's a lot quieter early in the morning/late in the evening? Going off the path sounds like a good alternative too :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely go early morning (and I mean early!) and you will avoid the crowds. It's also good to avoid the major tourist times like cherry blossom season and the autumn leaves for less people. Kyoto is so beautiful!
Delete