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| Kiyomizu-dera Temple |
Summary
Welcome to my ultimate itinerary in Kyoto! This is Kyoto Itinerary Course 1, a beautifully crafted route covering the historic Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the atmospheric Higashiyama & Gion Districts, and the iconic Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.
Higashiyama and Gion districts are the beating heart of old Kyoto. We’ll wander through countless essences of history within a compact 3km stretch. The core route is an hour of scenic walking, plus the time you'll spend enjoying the views, allowing for flexible customization.
As the Higashiyama area is mostly downward from south to north, we begin with Kiyomizu-dera Temple, ensuring a largely descending walk from there. We flow through Sanneizaka (Sannenzaka), Nineizaka (Ninenzaka), Yasaka Pagoda, Nene’s Path, and reach Maruyama Park, which is next to Chion-in Temple and Yasaka Shrine. Walking through Yasaka Shrine, we cross Higashioji-dori Street, walk along Shijo-dori Street, and get to Hanamikoji Street, the home of Geisha culture. This street leads to Kenninji Temple, one of the most prestigious Zen temples. Walking back north, we’ll reach the picturesque Gion Shirakawa, where you can stroll the scenic canalside past the Tatsumi Bridge and Tatsumi Shrine. When you walk a bit to the south, you’ll find Minamiza Theatre on the corner of Shijo-dori Street and the riverside. It’s the birthplace of Kabuki theatrical performance. It’s been operating at the same location for over 400 years, with the current building dating back to 1929.
Around Minamiza Theatre, head underground to Gion-Shijo Station of the Keihan Railway. A local train takes you to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in less than 10 minutes, which is one of the most popular places in Kyoto. As it can be visited 24/7, you can freely add it to your wonderful trip.
This is the basic course. With so many incredible spots to explore, please be mindful of the time you spend in each venue on this course. I've added short descriptions for the key venues below, as this course is packed with charming spots. If you want to know more, please watch other articles or simply remind me for further detailed information about each location.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Established in the 8th century, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. The iconic wooden stage has a breathtaking panorama. Imagine the view covered with cherry blossoms in spring or vibrant autumn leaves! This masterpiece of carpentry doesn’t use any single metal nail. I will put them aside and focus on the tour course. Most people spend 1–2 hours here.
Now, here's a crucial travel hack. Access to this temple is always a headache for all tourists. It’s crowded in the daytime. Also, it’s on a steep hillside, and the main path, Kiyomizu-michi Street, is a killer walk-up from Higashioji-dori Street (also known as Higashiyama-dori Street), which has bus stops. Train stations are further more by 10–15 minute walk. We want to avoid walking up this slope as we have a long day ahead.
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| Main Gate of Kiyomizu-dera Temple This is the admission-free zone. |
In the daytime after 8:00 a.m., a taxi or Uber has to drop us off at the corner of Sanneizaka. It’s about halfway up the slope and still better than a bus and train. But this area is notorious for crowds and traffic jams. It’s better to step off when your car stops going ahead. For the same reason, I don’t recommend driving there yourself.
The temple itself opens from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it’s extended to 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. when it has a light-up event in spring, summer, and autumn. The admission-free zone around the temple is accessible 24/7, offering perfect opportunities for beautiful photos, especially at dawn. Considering these factors, the best time to beat the crowds and the hill is early in the morning between 5:30 and 8:00 a.m.
Otani Honbyo
When you approach Kiyomizu-dera Temple, you might see a beautiful traditional structure on the foot of the hill. It’s Otani Honbyo, which is a historic cemetery owned by Nishi Honganji Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). From here, Higashiyama Area has a lot of historic cemeteries.
Sanneizaka and Nineizaka
Leaving Kiyomizu-dera Temple, down the Kiyomizu-michi, we reach the scenic staircase, Sanneizaka. This is a walk through timeless elegance. When you go down the stone steps, you’ll find a stone-paved street leading to Nineizaka and Yasaka Pagoda. As you walk down the beautiful street, past traditional wooden shops, you're literally walking through living history, where Yasaka Pagoda gives the perfect iconic silhouette to the scenery. These Sanneizaka and Nineizaka streets (and the Gion District) were the very first places in Japan officially designated as historic preservation districts.
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| Sanneizaka |
Notable places between Sanneizaka and Nineizaka
Koshoji Ryozen Honbyo. It’s another cemetery belonging to Koshoji Temple next to Nishi Honganji Temple. It has a beautiful photogenic entrance.
Seiryu-en Garden & Kyoto Sakaguchi. It’s a beautiful Japanese garden inside Kyoto Sakaguchi, a traditional Kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) restaurant. It also offers a traditional tea ceremony.
Okutan Kiyomizu: One of the most famous tofu restaurants in Kyoto, which offers Shojin-Ryori, Buddhist vegetarian/vegan dish courses. You can buy a delicious Tofu Manju outside for a reasonable price.
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| Yasaka Pagoda |
At the scenic Nineizaka, your path splits into two directions: down the steps or down the slope toward Yasaka Pagoda. I recommend visiting Yasaka Pagoda first, after taking photos of Nineizaka. We need to walk around here if we want a full experience. This detour will take an average of 15–30 minutes for a full experience.
Yasaka Pagoda, the 15th-century architecture, bears the harsh memory of ancient war. Built in 1440, it’s a part of the historic Buddhist temple, Hokanji, which used to be one of the biggest and most renowned temples in Kyoto until it was burned down during the Ōnin War (1467–1477). After the war, this tower was the only building which survived. Ever since, it’s been there as a witness to that bloody decade-long conflict.
After this beautiful pagoda, you can go back to Nineizaka and down the steps.
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| Nineizaka |
Notable places around Nineizaka and Yasaka Pagoda
Yasaka Koshindo. It’s a Buddhist temple famous for colorful “Kukuri-zaru” amulets of monkeys tied up to symbolize overcoming worldly desires.
Starbucks Coffee: Popular Kyoto-style Starbucks which uses a traditional house as a cafe.
Ishin-no-michi and Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku-jinja Shrine
Ishin-no-michi (The road of Meiji Restoration) is an east-west street that connects the Nineizaka Area and Nene’s Path. This street has a steep slope leading up to a shrine on the hillside. This shrine, Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku-jinja Shrine, is dedicated to the patriots who contributed to Meiji Restoration.
Nene-no-michi (Nene’s Path) and Kodaiji Temple
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| Nene's Path |
Notable places along Nene-no-michi
Ryozen Kannon. Located next to Kodaiji Temple, behind a car park. This is a war memorial commemorating the dead of the Pacific War.
Daidokorozaka. It’s a scenic staircase to connect Kodaiji Temple and Nene’s Path.
Ishibei-koji Alley. It’s a beautiful, atmospheric private alley branched from Nene’s Path. Note that photography and filming are strictly prohibited here.
Site of the Goryo Eji Tonsho ("Guardians of the Imperial Tomb" Base). In the Meiji Restoration movement, a group led by Ito Kashitaro split from Shinsengumi and stationed here until all of them were assassinated.
Dai-un-in Temple. Established in 1587 by Emperor Ogimachi in order to commemorate Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada, this temple has their graves. It’s also famous for its Gionkaku Tower and the grave of Ishikawa Goemon, a legendary outlaw hero, thief, and ninja.
Otani Sobyo. It’s a huge traditional cemetery which belongs to Higashi Honganji Temple.
Chorakukan. Old-fashioned beautiful building, which houses a hotel, cafe, and restaurant.
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| Gion-zakura |
Nene’s Path leads us to Maruyama Park. This is a public park which is particularly famous for its scenic Japanese garden and cherry trees, especially the Gion-zakura cherry tree in the center. Lit up in spring, it’s one of the most popular sites for Hanami (cherry blossom viewing). The garden is beautiful in all seasons and some traditional restaurants, such as Imobo, Saami, and temples are inside or behind it. You can even hike up to the mountain top from this park through a hiking course. This park is next to Yasaka Shrine to the west and Chion-in Temple to the north.
Chion-in Temple
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| Sanmon Gate in Chion-in Temple |
Tokugawa Shogunate officially worshipped and protected this denomination and the temple throughout its history for 265 years. Two architectural national treasures of Japan, Sanmon Gate and Mieido Hall, are the highest achievements of wooden architecture in the 17th century, donated by Shoguns. This temple is also famous for “7 mysteries of Chion-in” and its scenic gardens.
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| Yasaka Shrine |
Established in 656, it’s the home of Gion Matsuri Festival, the most traditional festival in Japan with more than 1,150 years of history since 869. The main hall is designated as a national treasure of Japan.
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| Gion Shirakawa |
Gion District is the heart of Geisha Culture. Kyoto has so-called "5 Geisha Districts," and four of these are located around the Gion Area. The main parts are picturesque Gion Shirakawa and Hanamikoji Street. Down Hanamikoji Street straight to the south, you’ll find Kenninji Temple, one of Kyoto’s most prestigious Zen temples. It’s famous for tea culture in the Zen Buddhism context.
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| Minamiza Theatre |
Minamiza Theatre on the riverside is the birthplace of Kabuki theatrical performance. It’s been operating at the same location for over 400 years, with the current building dating back to 1929. You can find the Izumo-no-Okuni Statue on the riverside, who is considered the establisher of Kabuki.
Gion-Shijo Station
Head underground to Gion-Shijo Station of the Keihan Railway. You can find a couple of entrances around Minamiza Theatre.
Crucial tip: Do NOT take the express train; it skips our stop!
A local train will get you to Fushimi-Inari Station in less than 10 minutes.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Now you’ve arrived at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Step through the Torii gates and prepare to enter another world.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine is renowned for its thousands of vermillion Torii, creating endless red tunnels that snake up the mountain.
Now we need a plan to explore there. You have flexibility here since it’s open 24/7 and it’s just in front of stations. You can get a quick look in just 1–2 hours. But if you want the full experience—hiking up to the summit and through all those Torii tunnels—you need to plan for at least 4–5 hours total.
Once you get near the top, the path opens up into a circular route connecting a couple of peaks. You’ll find sub-shrines and lookout points along the ridges, and yes—most of this entire circular road is still covered with those glorious Torii gates.
The experience of walking these gates often feels like exploring another dimension.
