Fushimi Inari Shrine is one of the most popular visiting sites in Kyoto, which is well known for Torii gates.

One small suggestion about Fushimi Inari Shrine is that you go early in the morning if you really want to experience the atmosphere of this special and unique shrine. Personally, I used to go there really early in the morning, around 7 or 8 am when I was young. It feels different when it has a lot of people or when it is empty because when there are few people, you will feel that the whole shrine welcomes you when once you step into the area.

There are some souvenir shops along the way where you can purchase general Kyoto goods and things related to the Inari Shrine and the style of traditional Japanese shrines.

This map above is half of the whole shrine and as you already know it’s a really special experience to walk through all these vermilion gates that follow up to the top where you can look over the city of Kyoto. It’s a little challenging to climb to the top but it’s worth a try! Avoid the heat in summer!

The statue of the fox is everywhere. The fox is considered to be the guardian of Inari Shrine.

Tl;dr

1. Go early during a cold morning.
2. Go up to the top.
3. Try your fortune and make your wish on “Omokaru Ishi”(おもかる石）, lifting a heavy stone.