Chances are, you've heard of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the Shinto shrine atop a mountain in Kyoto, Japan, that's known for its 10,000 vermillion torii gates that climb up the paths like dragon scales. This shrine is super well-known, super Instagram-famous — and therefore also super crowded, especially between the hours of roughly 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.

Now, you could of course wake up very early to visit this shrine when it's a bit quieter. Or you could skip it altogether. But what if you're like me and don't want to skip the iconic sites, but you also know you won't be waking up before 6 a.m. if you don't have to?

Well, I have some good news! You *can* avoid some of the crowds at Fushimi Inari and have a really unique visit if you're willing to (both literally and figuratively) get off the beaten path. And I'm here to tell you exactly how to do it!

Read on to learn about the “secret back way hike” at Fushimi Inari, which will take you to the top of Mt. Inari via peaceful bamboo groves and moss-covered shrines.

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What is Fushimi Inari?

Fushimi Inari refers to a Shinto shrine at the foot of Mt. Inari in Kyoto that dates back to the year 711 (with the current shrine having been built in 1499). The shrine is dedicated to Inari Okami, the Shinto kami (spirit/deity) associated with both agriculture/farming (especially rice) and business/prosperity. Inari is often associated with fox messengers (kitsune), which is why you'll see depictions of foxes all over the shrine and mountain.

Along with the main Fushimi Inari shrine, people visit this site to see the torii gates that climb up Mt. Inari. This path is quite long (Mt. Inari is 233 meters/764 feet tall), and along the way there are more shrines and rock altars dedicated to other deities.

Many people visit Fushimi Inari Taisha long enough to visit the main shrine and to walk up the main section of torii gates known as Senbon Torii. They climb maybe 30 minutes up the mountain, take a few photos, and then leave.

And this is fine, especially if you've got a busy Kyoto itinerary. BUT, if you want to fully experience and appreciate this sacred mountain, I encourage you to allow at least 2-4 hours to go to the very top.

RELATED: A Realistic 5 Days in Kyoto Itinerary

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Hiking Fushimi Inari

There are several ways to reach the shrines at the very top of Mt. Inari. If you do the full loop, the trail is roughly 4 km (2.5 miles) long. Which doesn't sound very long, but remember that you're climbing uphill for at least half the time, and there are indeed lots of steps and inclines, regardless of the path you use!

The way most people climb to the top is to just follow the main trail from the shrine entrance. This trail will be crowded close to the bottom of the mountain, but the crowds will thin out the higher you go.

Many people only hike up to the Crossroads (the Mt. Inari Crossroads Observatory), which is an overlook over Kyoto where the trail splits and then circles the top of Mt. Inari. Meaning that if you continue on past the Crossroads, you may very well be met with completely empty stretches of trail, regardless of what time of day it is.

The other option for hiking to the top is to take a “back way” up the mountain, which makes for an even more peaceful hike — and this is what I did!

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Fushimi Inari “back way” hike

When it comes to “secret back way” trails up Mt. Inari… well, they really aren't all that secret. In fact, they're all marked and signposted!

And while you *can* book a guided hiking tour to take you up the mountain using alternate trails, you definitely don't have to. Anyone can use these trails at any time for free, and I'll tell you all about the route I took.

Getting to Fushimi Inari

First off, you need to get yourself to Fushimi Inari. The Shrine is a little ways south of Kyoto city center, but it's extremely easy to reach. Your options are:

1. Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Inari Station. The ride takes 5 minutes, but be sure you're on a local train and not an express one that will skip Inari. From Inari station, you basically just walk across the street to the shrine entrance.
2. Take the the Keihan Line (subway) to Fushimi Inari Station. This takes 10 minutes from central Kyoto, and from the station it's about a 5-10 minute walk to the shrine entrance.
3. Take a taxi. Again, it's a short trip, and you can use an app like GO to order a car right to your hotel.

Where to start your hike

Now, if you're doing a guided hike like this one or truly want to avoid people altogether on your way up the mountain, you can technically skip the main entrance to Fushimi Inari altogether. (I didn't do it this way, but it is an option!)

You can skip the main trail by only taking the train to either Tofukuji Station (on both the JR and Keihan lines) or Tobakaido Station, and then making your way through a small neighborhood to Kyoto Trail Station 4 Higashiyama (this is exactly how it's marked on Google Maps).

Kyoto Trail Station 4 is the start of a trail that truly goes straight up the back of Mt. Inari. The trail eventually connects to the mountaintop loop at “Stone monument at Inariyama Sutra Mound,” and from there you can loop around the mountain and hike down through all the torii gates.

I can't personally vouch for this route, however, as it's not the way I did my hike! I actually did want to enter through the main gate of Fushimi Inari, and I also wanted to make sure I could easily follow the trail since I did this hike solo.

The Fushimi Inari secret back way hiking route

In my case, I entered Fushimi Inari through the main gate and began walking up the main path along with everyone else. (There are toilets, souvenir stands, and places where you can buy wish plaques and goshuin stamps here near the main gate.)

I arrived at Fushimi Inari around 9:30 a.m. on a weekday, and as you can see from the photos below, it was extremely crowded at the bottom of the trail. But stick with me, because it's worth it!

I continued up the main trail through the Senbon Torii to the Okusha Worship Center.

I didn't know then what I know now about this hike, and wasn't sure where exactly I needed to leave the main Fushimi Inari trail.

When I arrived at Okusha Worship Center (which has a small cafe, a shop, and very clean public restrooms), I thought this was where I was meant to leave the main trail. There's a spot on Google Maps near here marked as “Fushimi Inari Bamboo Forest,” and what looked like a trail beyond that, so that's where I headed.

Now, this little bamboo grove IS lovely, but if you follow the trail beyond it, you will find yourself walking past tiny shrines and local homes — and then the trail basically dead ends at someone's house. So no, this is not the trail you want! (If you want to detour to take some photos in the bamboo grove, though, go for it!)

Instead, from Okusha Worship Center (or Omokaru Stone or Ōyabu Chaya, whichever you see on your Google Map), continue following the main torii gate path for about 100 feet more towards Neagarimatsu. You'll see a brief break in the torii gates and a sign on the right side of the trail that says 京都一周トレイル東山コース2-2・F35 (yes, it's in Japanese; this says Kyoto Circumference Trail: Higashiyama Course 2-2 / F35 in English).

The trail branches off and up to the right via some low steps, and it's the one you want! (You can also look for Fushimi Kandakara Shrine on your Google Map and head towards that, as it's on the trail you want to take.)

Once you are on this trail, the people will magically disappear as you follow it to the top of the mountain. (I honestly was skeptical of this because the trail really isn't *that* hard to find; but truly, at the busiest time of day on this mountain, the trail was almost empty.)

The first section of this trail is unpaved but easy to follow through several bamboo groves. It's a mix of flat and gently inclined as you start gradually climbing the mountain.

You'll pass several shrines and altars/local cemeteries, including Fushimi Kandakara Shrine, Kobogataki Falls, and Aokigataki; you're welcome to visit any of these, but obviously be respectful of anyone worshipping.

You'll eventually come to a fork in the trail, with a sign that will point you to the left. Continue following the trail past the Narutaki wood carving workshop, Shiragiku Waterfall, and Mikuri-no-taki Waterfall. (Note that the “waterfalls” here are mostly just little trickles of water that flow or splash down into small shrines.)

There's also a random vending machine out here in the forest, which will dispense cold drinks for a very reasonable price; if you feel like you need a cold drink, get it here because it will be the cheapest you'll find today!

You'll eventually reach another fork in the trail near a building marked as 末広の滝 (Suehiro Falls) on Google Maps. There's no signage at the fork that I could see, and I made the mistake of taking the stairs up to the right towards Ōiwa Ōkami Shrine. This is a lovely little detour, to be fair, but don't continue climbing the stairs, as they eventually dead end!

Instead, the path of stairs to the left at this fork is the correct route (there is a small sign once you get to the next corner pointing you towards Mt. Inari). This is the steepest part of the hike, with several sets of concrete steps to climb (I'm not sure exactly how many, but a couple hundred at least).

You'll come through what look like older torii gates at the top of all the steps, and then if you keep following the trail you'll soon see the main trail and its gates again at the top of the mountain. You'll be entering the Mt. Inari loop trail near its southeastern end, and will have to choose which way to go.

You can go either way here, but I recommend turning left when you re-join the main trail.

You'll briefly continue climbing uphill, but soon you'll reach the shrine (Ichinomine/Kamisha shinseki) at the very top of the mountain. There's a shop here, but note that it's mostly meant for people to buy offerings for the shrine, and should not be used as a rest area.

Once you celebrate reaching the top of the hike, then it's time to start hiking back down the mountain. I continued down the main trail (clockwise on the loop from the top of the mountain), since from this direction it's this side of the trail that has the nicest lighting. (It does mean I did not do the full loop at the top of Mt. Inari, but that was okay with me as I was quite happy not climbing up any more steps!)

You'll pass several more shrines and gift shops on your way down, including Ninomine (Nakasha Shinseki), Ainomine (Kadasha shinseki), and Sannomine (Shimosha Shinseki). There are also a couple gift shops/cafes up here that are okay to take a break at, including Tsujitei and Sannomine Okamoto, where you can grab an ice cream, tea, or other snack.

I took lots of photo breaks on my way down the path through the torii gates, as it was still very quiet this far up the mountain! It was a nice reward to take the photos after the hardest part of the hike, rather than trying to do it as you're climbing up all those steps.

The loop trail meets back up with the main trail up the mountain at the Crossroads, and from there you can more or less follow the crowd back down the rest of the mountain. (Notice how much busier the trail gets once you pass the Crossroads!)

There are more shrines and plenty of torii gates on the hike down, and since you hiked up the back way, this will be the first time you're seeing them! I moved pretty fast on the way down, though, as nothing beats the quiet paths at the top of the mountain.

Once I got back down to the main Fushimi Inari shrine, I did my souvenir shopping and got my goshuin stamp, and then I got a snack to eat at one of the food stalls near the shrine entrance.

How long does the Fushimi Inari hike take?

Now, if you read through my whole story, you'll realize that I made two wrong turns along my hike. Plus I made lots of photo stops, explored almost every shrine I passed, had a snack break, and did some souvenir shopping before I left.

If you don't want to rush and want to fully enjoy the experience, I'd say you'll want to dedicate at least 3 hours to this hike. But you could also easily spend half a day at Fushimi Inari exploring all the various shrines along the path to the top of the mountain.

My adventure took a little over 5 hours all told; I got off the train at 9:35 a.m., started my hike right around 10, and reached the top around 12:30 p.m. I followed the trail back down, did my shopping, got food, and was ready to get back on a train by 3 p.m. I definitely could have done everything faster, but I set aside the whole day for this adventure, and I'm happy I took my time!

Fushimi Inari back way hike map

I've marked some of the main points along the hiking route I laid out in this post. To save this map so you can refer to it later, click on the star ⭑ to the immediate right of the map’s title while logged in to your Google account. To use it, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved,” then click “Maps.”

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FAQs for the Mt Inari hike

A few last thoughts/tips about doing this hike in Kyoto:

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Is this a hike you'd like to do in Japan? What other questions do you have about it?