Let's go to Kyoto!
Day trips from Osaka are the norm if you are there for a holiday. With cities such as Kyoto, Kobe, Nara and Hiroshima within a 2 hours radius, heading to them is a manageable affair when you are on holiday there. We decided to pick Kyoto as our destination for this day trip.
Consider staying another day in Kyoto as there is so much to see. Accommodations from Booking.com are available at this link.
If you want a fuss-free trip to catch all the famous sites in Kyoto, this tour from Klook would be the perfect way to travel.
There are 4 options for you to choose from to get to Kyoto. The main stop will be Kyoto station before reaching your preferred destination. Depending on your location, you could select between Shinkansen (15 Min from Shin-Osaka Station), JR Kyoto Line (29 min from Osaka Station), Keihan Mainline (55 min from Yodoybashi Station) and Hankyu Kyoto Main Line ( 44 min from Hankyu Umeda Station. Prices range from¥1400 + for the Shinkansen to ¥400 for the Hankyu Main Line. Our advice is to hop on the nearest train station located to you. With transfers and wait time, reaching Kyoto will probably take similar timing. For the record, we took the JR Kyoto Line to reach Kyoto in under an hour from Cross Hotel Osaka. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Getting There
Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama Station ( San-In Line)
Getting to Arashiyama might be confusing if you do not have Google Maps. If that is the case, take the South Gate, look for the 19th Century Hall ( at the exit of Saga-Arashiyama Station), and walk alongside the track next to the locomotive. Then, turn left once you see the Torokko Okisan Bicycle Rental shop.
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Walk Straight, and you will pass by a small Buddhist Temple. Walk to the end of the road and turn left. You will reach the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Entrance.
Buddhist Temple Arashiyama
Here is a map for reference.
Arashiyama Map
You know you are on the right path when you can smell the scent of Japanese Street Food. At the entrance to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is a small selection of stalls selling favourite Japanese Street Food.
Mini Octopus, anyone?
The walk to the centre of the forest took us about 15 minutes. You have to take a walk if you want a perfect forest view.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Crowds can get big during the day. Therefore, it is best to visit the forest early in the morning or late in the evening. Then, head there during the weekday for a visit.
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The best view is by looking up. Otherwise, you would face a sea of tourists and locals alike in every photo you take. Once in a while, you could take a decent shot of the forest.
Too lazy to walk?
Trishaw
You can book a trishaw that will bring you from the entrance to the forest's heart via a special route.
Along the way, you can make a stop at Tenryu-Ji temple, a world heritage site with a beautiful ancient garden. Unfortunately, as we were pressed for time, we decided to miss this.
Along the way, the boys decided to emulate Ryu from Streetfighter.
All you can!
Before leaving the forest, we made a quick stop at the Nonmiya Shrine to take a peek.
Nonmiya Shrine
It is a small but popular shrine. You can leave your wishes to the shrine should you choose to do so.
As we had a long day ahead, we did not spend much time there and decided to return to the station.
It was hard not to make a pit stop at the entrance where the street food was for a bite!
Street Food Kyoto
If you prefer to leave it to the experts for a tour, book a tour from Klook
They have a tour that combines Fushimi - Inari-Taisha, Kiyomizu-Dera, and Kinkaku-Ji. Arashiyama on a trip. Departs from Osaka
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Getting there
Saga-Arashiyama Station ( San-In Line) to Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station (Nara Line) to Inari Station
Attractions
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Street Food
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Our next stop is the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine was voted as Tripadvisor's Number one attraction in Kyoto. They even had a banner to proclaim that. It was a must to include this on our day trip to Kyoto. The shrine is located at the base of Mount Inari,
You can spot many kimono-clad locals and tourists along the way. It is the perfect spot for a day out in kimono.
We did the normal temple visit ritual and started exploring the surroundings. Looking around, you can spot several fox structures in Fushimi Inari. The foxes are regarded as messengers, and some have items in their mouths too.
Fox @ Fushimi Inari
You can also leave your wishes at the shrine with these mini Torri gates,
Speaking about Torri Gates, over 10,000 Torri gates in Fushimi Inaria line the main path up the 233 metres tall mountain.
When the boys heard about that, they hesitated to hike up. After all, it will take 2 hours to head up the flight of stairs lined with Torri Gates. If you do not know, the Torri Gates were donated by businesses and individuals.
Crowded
Unlike the photos you see on the internet, where the space between the Torri gates are empty and the path serene, it was filled with tourists and locals alike when we were there. We found pockets of empty paths to take a decent photo.
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Your best bet for a nice photo will be the exit ( There are two paths leading up and down the mountains). You need to travel quickly, exit at the first part and head the other way.
We managed to snap a few decent shots at that venue. As for those internet shots without crowds... here is one of them to add to the collection.
Torri Gates
If you choose to take the hike, there isis plenty to explore.
There are also mini shrines along the way. We did not reach the peak, so we are still determining what to expect. You can have a good view of the city from the top of the mountain.
After a short hike, it was time to head to our next destination.
Bye Fushimi Inari
These mini Torri gates will make a decent gift if you want souvenirs. So grab a few, and you will have your own mini Fushimi Inari.
Before you head out, you should explore the food street next to Fushimi Inari. It has the best-looking street food we have seen during our trip to Japan.
The Yakitori is a must-try!
With so much food, how could you resist a bite?
Our stomachs can no longer waitore as we picked a fce dishes to savour. Time to head out to our next destination... not before we decided to be part of the Trainspotting cast.
Nishiki Market
Getting there
Fushimi Inari Station ( Keihan Main Line) - Gion-Shijo Station
Attractions
Kamo River, Nishiki Market
Kamo River
The next destination is the Nishiki Market. It was an easy direct train ride from Fushimi Inari. You have to walk about 1 km to the market, but you will be rewarded with a view of the beautiful Kamo River.
Kamo River
If you have time, you can even hear to the banks to see the resident ducks.
After about 20 minutes, we reached Nishiki Market.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki market is a narrow, five-block shopping street with over one hundred shops and restaurants on either side.
Nishiki Market
Known as Kyoto Kitchen, this market has plenty of fresh ingredients sourced by locals to produce your traditional Japanese dish. The first shop opened in 1310, and the market is over 400 years old!
The food options are more exotic and different from your usual street food fare. However, plenty of seafood can be found there.
We do have a special mission... to find the mini Octopus with an egg inside. We can safely say... Mission accomplished!
If you look more at the historical site, you should detour to Kiyomizu -Dera temple instead. Exit from the same station walked through the historic Higashiyama district, lined with traditional old Kyoto buildings, to reach the temple.
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I'm so glad to have chanced upon this post. Will be reading a making notes to make sure I get the directions to the forest correctly since i will be lugging two old folks and a kid there on my own. Keep it up ! :)
Hi there
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to have chanced upon this post. Will be reading a making notes to make sure I get the directions to the forest correctly since i will be lugging two old folks and a kid there on my own. Keep it up ! :)
Have a safe trip!
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