How Far Should You Climb at Fushimi Inari? Beyond the Thousand Torii Gates
Choose between the lower gates, Yotsutsuji and the summit according to your energy and the rest of your Kyoto day.
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Neighbourhood walks, landscapes, festivals and experiences.
Visiting Nara’s temples and shrines: admission, photography and deer
Leave time for Nara’s spacious grounds, follow local visiting rules and give the park’s wild deer room.
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Your first Gion Matsuri: choosing between the procession and Yoiyama
Choose the festival event you want to see, then plan around its dates, crowds, heat and viewing arrangements.
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Walking Yoshino’s cherry blossoms: choosing a route from Shimo to Kami Senbon
Follow the blossom reports rather than trying to cover the whole mountain, and allow for slopes, queues and the walk back to the station.
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Your first Kamikochi walk: Taisho Pond to Kappa Bridge
Follow a changing landscape on this one-way walk, with practical advice on clothing, buses, luggage and shortening the route.
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A half-day Kanazawa walk: Higashi Chaya to Kazue-machi
Link the tea districts across the Asano River, with a historic building visit and time for a meal or tea.
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A morning walk in Gion: stone paths, townhouses and quiet streets
Walk from the Shirakawa to Hanamikoji, leaving shopping for later and respecting private lanes and the people who live and work here.
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