⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A hidden gem in Kyoto – my favorite spot of the entire trip!
Kifune Shrine is hands down the most memorable and meaningful place I visited during my winter trip to Kyoto. Nestled halfway up a mountain and surrounded by dense forest, the shrine offers an incredibly fresh and peaceful atmosphere that feels far removed from the busy tourist sites in central Kyoto.
Getting there isn’t the easiest—it requires taking the subway and then two buses from the city center—but that’s exactly what makes this place so special. Because of the more challenging access, it’s not crowded with international tourists, especially large tour groups from China, which unfortunately tend to overwhelm many other Kyoto landmarks and often leave behind trash. In contrast, Kifune Shrine remains pristine and uncrowded, preserving its natural beauty and serenity.
Even in winter, the landscape here is breathtaking. A small, crystal-clear stream runs down from the mountain right next to the shrine, adding to the peaceful, sacred atmosphere. The locals clearly take great care of the environment, and everything feels clean and well-respected.
If you’re looking for a truly peaceful, spiritual, and scenic escape from the tourist crowds of Kyoto, this is the place. I can’t recommend it highly enough—it was the highlight of my trip!
I really love this shrine! The entire place is surrounded by nature. The weather was perfect on the day we visited.
The shrine is divided into several sections, and the farthest one requires a bit of a walk to reach. However, there are restrooms and plenty of drink vending machines along the way (with lots of unique Japanese-style beverages! A friendly warning though… some of them are *very* sweet—choose carefully. The lemon and grape ones are the safest bets! The red bean one… well, let’s just say it’s an acquired taste. The chocolate one was okay, though!).
On our way up the mountain, we also passed by a gallery that sells souvenirs (their solid perfumes smell especially wonderful! They also sell other cosmetics, jewelry, etc... Highly recommended to visit!).
Beautiful place and easy to get there. We took a train and a bus, never got lost. The scenery is incredible. We decided to go to Kurama temple after this and I’m glad we did it this way. Visiting Kifune Shrine felt very peaceful, I wish I had stayed there a bit longer.
A beautiful shrine on the outskirts of Kyoto. This spot extends across the small village, which is beautiful in itself, running up a small river. The shrines are well kept and free to explore. It was perfectly peaceful. Parking was quite difficult and expensive at around ¥1500. I’d recommend parking up towards the top where it was ¥800.
Recommended to walk along the road to go up there. So much pretty spots to take picture. Its quite a hike so make sure you are fit and always be careful because the road is small. Not recommended if you walk with small kids. You can take a bus to go up and down. Dont forget to get your book stamped at the train station!
