Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji & Ninna-ji Walk
Spots on This Course
Course Guide
Kinugake-no-michi is the road that runs west along the mountain base from Hidari-Daimonji-yama, which has Kinkaku-ji at its foot.
The main route here takes you from Kinkaku-ji along the Kinugasa/Kinugake-no-michi road all the way to Hanazono.
Ryoan-ji's rock garden is world-famous, but really, every temple on this walking course has impressive gardens. I'd recommend starting from Kinkaku-ji because the route is mostly downhill from there, and bus and car access is easier. There's a Keifuku Railway station called Kitano-Hakubaicho near Kitano Tenmangu, but unless you're coming from the Arashiyama/Saga area, it's not a very convenient line.
Kinkaku-ji's garden is a strolling-style garden centered around the Golden Pavilion (Shariden). The Golden Pavilion itself appears relatively early in the course, so school trip groups and such tend to rush through the rest, but don't miss Anmin-taku pond (which retains traces of the original Saionji family garden), Ryumon-no-taki waterfall, and Yuka-tei teahouse with its various unusual design elements.
On the road from Kinkaku-ji to Ryoan-ji, you'll pass the Domoto Insho Museum and Toji-in, but if you're not stopping at either, you might as well just take the bus for that stretch.
Ryoan-ji is famous for its rock garden, but in autumn, with Mt. Kinugasa, the sky, and the maples all together, it's especially wonderful. Continue along Kinugake-no-michi from Ryoan-ji and you'll reach Ninna-ji, famous from the Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness). Head straight south from Ninna-ji's front gate and you'll find the Keifuku Omuro Station.
If you want to skip Myoshin-ji and head straight to Kitano Tenmangu, it's convenient to hop on the train from here to Kitano-Hakubaicho. Trains come fairly often and the ride is only about five minutes (200 yen).
If you're coming from Myoshin-ji by Keifuku, take the train from Myoshin-ji Station toward Kitano-Hakubaicho. From the station, cross the main road in the direction the train came from (east) and head east — that's where Kitano Tenmangu is.
Detour: Further east of Kitano Tenmangu, on Senbon-dori, is Kuginuki Jizo (Nail-Pulling Jizo) — it has a similar intensity to Yasui Konpiragu. In cherry blossom season, Hirano Shrine just north of Kitano Tenmangu and Senbon Shakado are also worth a visit.
The main route here takes you from Kinkaku-ji along the Kinugasa/Kinugake-no-michi road all the way to Hanazono.
Ryoan-ji's rock garden is world-famous, but really, every temple on this walking course has impressive gardens. I'd recommend starting from Kinkaku-ji because the route is mostly downhill from there, and bus and car access is easier. There's a Keifuku Railway station called Kitano-Hakubaicho near Kitano Tenmangu, but unless you're coming from the Arashiyama/Saga area, it's not a very convenient line.
Kinkaku-ji's garden is a strolling-style garden centered around the Golden Pavilion (Shariden). The Golden Pavilion itself appears relatively early in the course, so school trip groups and such tend to rush through the rest, but don't miss Anmin-taku pond (which retains traces of the original Saionji family garden), Ryumon-no-taki waterfall, and Yuka-tei teahouse with its various unusual design elements.
On the road from Kinkaku-ji to Ryoan-ji, you'll pass the Domoto Insho Museum and Toji-in, but if you're not stopping at either, you might as well just take the bus for that stretch.
Ryoan-ji is famous for its rock garden, but in autumn, with Mt. Kinugasa, the sky, and the maples all together, it's especially wonderful. Continue along Kinugake-no-michi from Ryoan-ji and you'll reach Ninna-ji, famous from the Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness). Head straight south from Ninna-ji's front gate and you'll find the Keifuku Omuro Station.
If you want to skip Myoshin-ji and head straight to Kitano Tenmangu, it's convenient to hop on the train from here to Kitano-Hakubaicho. Trains come fairly often and the ride is only about five minutes (200 yen).
If you're coming from Myoshin-ji by Keifuku, take the train from Myoshin-ji Station toward Kitano-Hakubaicho. From the station, cross the main road in the direction the train came from (east) and head east — that's where Kitano Tenmangu is.
Detour: Further east of Kitano Tenmangu, on Senbon-dori, is Kuginuki Jizo (Nail-Pulling Jizo) — it has a similar intensity to Yasui Konpiragu. In cherry blossom season, Hirano Shrine just north of Kitano Tenmangu and Senbon Shakado are also worth a visit.