What other travelers are saying about Higashiyama Walking Course
We were here on a Thursday afternoon (13 Nov 2025) and there was no crowd at all despite being in peak fall/ autumn foliage season! It was amazing! There were clear signages of where the restrooms were too which was a nice touch.
More about Higashiyama Walking Course from our blog
Frequently Asked Questions
The estimated time to complete the course is approximately 2 hours, but this can vary depending on your pace and how many stops you make.
No, all the temples and shrines on the Higashiyama Walking Course are free to enter.
Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on the Higashiyama Walking Course. It is to preserve the historical and cultural sites along the route.
Several public restrooms are located at various points along the Higashiyama Walking Course.
Yes, both locations are open 24 hours a day and can be accessed outside the designated walking route. However, please be respectful if visiting during quiet hours or after dark.
relaxing and scenic walk up through small paths. temples, shrines, cemeteries, beautiful foliage and views of the town. this is part of a larger walk higashiyama which skirts the town and also brings you up to the castle ruins. if taken at a casual pace it is not too difficult.
A promenade around a small hill overlooking the city. It passes through various temples, shrines and graveyards. And the view of the city from above was amazing.
Do be warned, once you get past the temples, a good part of the path was extremely narrow, though, so beware of cars.
Extremely unclear where to go and what to follow. There are signs that say go right, left or DOWN IN THE GROUND to walk the route, all in 1 sign. Just tell me left or right and where to start. There are various crossroads where there are no signs at all so we got lost several times.
Also constantly running into dead ends. So you have to walk back again.. not one sign that says it’s a dead end.
Nice stroll in a serene landscape with plenty of temples and shrines. We came here after having visited Kyoto, where the temples were much larger and impressive, but still, this place is worth a visit.
