A half day itinerary for the picturesque areas of Kurama and Kibune in Northern Kyoto. You can enjoy lush nature, ancient temples as well as delicious local food. This itinerary takes 4-6 hours to complete.
One of the best areas in Kyoto, especially in summer and autumn, is the area of Kibune and Kurama, two picturesque towns that are connected by a hiking trail. Follow this itinerary to enjoy the serene nature off the beaten path. Bonus point in summer: Due to the river, it's on average about 10C cooler than in Kyoto City and you can enjoy their iconic kawadoko (riverbed dining) that are only available from May - September.
What to bring:
Cash (not every place accepts cards)
Sunscreen, bug spray
Comfortable shoes as you'll be walking mostly downhill
Note:
There are no shops or restaurants up on Kerama Mountain so make sure to bring snacks or have a filling breakfast. You can find shops and restaurants once you descend down into the village of Kibune. This whole itinerary will take about 4-6hrs (depending if you include the 2hr lunch break or not)
Depending how much time you have / your activity level, you can do the whole itinerary that starts in Kurama and ends in Kibune or, you can do half the itinerary that is just Kibune.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to the start of the Kurama hiking trail is by taking the Keihan Electric Railway on the Eizan Kurama Line.
From Kyoto, make your way to Demachiyanagi Station. The scenic train starts there and goes to goes to Kurama Station (the last station). Make sure to get on the train bound for Kurama. It takes 30 minutes and costs ￥470.
Just outside the station, there is large red long-nosed statue facing the parking lot. This is Tengu, a Japanese yokai creature that is said to have lived in the forests of Mount Kurama. There are many images of Tengu around Kurama and you can even buy a lot of Tengu merchandise in this area!
On the way up Mount Kurama, you will first see an entry way which will lead you to the Kitayama sugi tree, a 800-year-old Japanese cedar tree. I find these giant trees always so impressive. Just behind the tree you'll find the entrance to Yuki Shrine, where you can buy fortune-telling omiyage.
1
Every year on October 22, Yuki Shrine is where the annual fire festival is held. If you visit in autumn I highly recommend that you do not miss this once-a-year-event, as it's super impressive to witness.
Hike up the path that zig-zags up Kurama Mountain. After a little walk you will reach a large wooden gate called Chumon (the middle gate).
Continue up the stairs with vermilion lanterns to reach a breahtaking view over Kurama on clear days.
396 m (0.2 mi)
1 min
Just before you reach Kuramadera, you will see a temple hall called Tenporindo. It is a 2-story building including s a resting area with benches, vending machines and public restrooms. Make sure to get a break here and stock up on drinks before you proceed.
2
3.7 km (2.3 mi)
7 min
Approaching Kuramadera, make sure to soak up the atmosphere, check out the bell tower and a view of Kurama. There is also a national science museum that you can check out here if you feel like it! But if you are short on time, skip the museum and keep hiking towards Kinone michi.
3
155 m (0.1 mi)
Descending down Kurama Mountain towards Kibune should take you about 15-30mins depending on your pace. Make sure to stop at the Root Path (Kinone Michi), where you can see the tangled roots of ancient Japanese cedar trees protuding the ground.
4
664 m (0.4 mi)
2 min
After a short hike, you will reach the small village of Kibune. I recommend to ignore Kifune Shrine for now and instead walk about 10mins uphill until you reach Hirobun to take a long lunch break.
If you want to have lunch/dinner at Hirobun, you will need to make a reservation online through their website beforehand: https://hirobun.co.jp/ (only available in Japanese, the plugin of Google Translate will help you make a reservation)
Hirobun definitely has the best kawadoko, restaurants that are built over the cooling river streams in summer. A reservation guarantees you 2hrs of access to their stunning kawadoko area. This was one of my absolute favorite summer experiences!
Just on the opposite side of the road you can find the middle shrine of Kifune Shrine, make sure not to miss it!
5
Nagashi Somen at Hirobun
Another alternative instead of the lunch is to queue for the cold flowing somen noodles (nagashi somen). I heard that the queue gets super long and crowded in summer - I personally have been twice and never had to wait longer than 30mins in June (I heard July-August is their busiest season).
The whole experience is super fun but 2000Yen for somen and a short 15min window is not worth queueing up for for hours in my opinion. If this is a must for you, I recommend to do the hike in the opposite direction (Kibune first, then Kurama) and start queueing for the nagashi somen at least 30mins before they open (usually 11am, but sometimes they open earlier).
125 m (0.1 mi)
If you do not feel like having a big lunch or if Hirobun does not quite fit your budget, head to Hyoue Cafe instead. You can get drinks and some light lunch items here and gain access to their kawadoko areas. They are not as impressive as Hirobun, but still lovely for a smaller budget. I recommend the refrehing Kakigori (shaved ice)!
6
This one is optional
83.8 km (52.1 mi)
1 hr 37 min
From here, you can walk about 5mins until you reach the rear shrine of Kifune Shrine. The rear shrine is not nearly as ornate or impressive as the main shrine, but make sure to appreciate the giant cedar tree adorned with a spiritual rope along the way. Whenever you see a tree / rock or anything adorned with the naniwa (rope), it means that it is believed that a spirit is housing inside. I've always found the connection of nature and spirituality in Japan super fascinating. As the road ends here, turn around and walk back down until you reach the main shrine of Kifune.
7
Kifune Shrine is definitely one of my absolute favorite shrines in Kyoto, possibly even Japan. Surrounded by water and forests, the ascend through hundreds of vermillion lanterns feels nothing short of magical. This shrine is also stunning in the evening when the lanterns are lit up. Make sure to not miss their special water fortunes, which are pretty rare! Take a sheet, pay the fee and put your fortune back into the hands of the water god.
When you want to go back to Kyoto, you can either walk downhill for 20-30mins until you reach Kibune Station or you can take the bus 33 that goes directly to the station as well. Hope you had a great day exploring the area of Kurama and Kibune!
Want to see more?
I have created curated mapsand itineraries for travellers that want to travel like me.