Kurama to Kibune Hike, Kyoto: A Step-by-Step Trail Guide

A cedar-lined trail, red lantern stairs, hidden temples, mossy roots, and noodles by the river—this is how you hike from Kurama to Kibune in Kyoto, the way locals do it.

The Kurama to Kibune hike in Kyoto begins with a giant Tengu nose and ends with your legs over a river, eating cold noodles like a smug forest spirit. Between those two points: fascinating shrines, giant cedars with roots that grab at your ankles, and lanterns lining the trail like they’re guiding you to a very polite underworld. It’s not a hard hike, but it rewards travelers who walks it like they’ve got nowhere better to be.

This is the full route, walked step by step, with all the info you’ll need and all the stops worth knowing.

• If you’re looking for a Kyoto itinerary that includes this increadible hike  👉You can find it here.

Start at Demachiyanagi Station, at the northern tip of Kyoto’s subway network, where the regular world ends and the Eizan Electric Railway begins. You’ll want the line heading to Kurama Station, and it’s a cute two-car train with panoramic windows. Use your IC card, grab a seat on the left for views of the river, and expect the ride to take about 30 minutes.

Once the train starts climbing, the buildings thin out, and cedars take over. Kurama Station is small, wooden, and presided over by a giant red Tengu face that’s either welcoming or slightly threatening, depending on how much sleep you got.

You’ll see a few vending machines for drinks, a map that pretends to be helpful, and a handful of day hikers double-knotting their shoes. The trail picks up and immediately starts tilting uphill. The first gate, Niomon, appears fast.

Niomon Gate and Red Lanterns

The stone stairway begins just beyond the ticket gate. You pass a few shopfronts selling pickles and incense, and then you’re under Niomon Gate: two wrathful Nio guardians carved in 1910, glaring like they’ve been through worse. From here, a procession of vermilion lanterns leads you uphill. They’re wired for light now, but originally they were lit by flame—offered as spiritual guidance toward Kurama-dera, the mountain’s main temple.

On the way up, there’s a funicular you could take, but it runs for only about 200 meters and skips a few stops worth seeing. The stairs are lined with cypress, maple, and cedar, all planted intentionally during the temple’s reconstruction after a series of fires in the Meiji era. Along the way you’ll find the small but significant Yoshitsune Inari Shrine, and then, after 10 minutes or so, it’s Yuki Shrine.

Yuki Shrine and the Tsuzura-ori Path

Yuki Shrine dates back over a thousand years and hosts the annual Kurama Fire Festival each October, one of the most chaotic and ancient events in Kyoto. The shrine’s most peculiar feature is a Kitayama Sugi (Japanese cedar), estimated to be over 800 years. It’s one of the most sacred trees in the Kurama area, marked by a thick shimenawa (sacred rope) around its trunk, signifying its status as a yorishiro, or a dwelling place for spirits.

From Yuki Shrine, the trail climbs gently threading through cedar groves toward the ridge. Just up the slope, a small stone memorial to Minamoto no Yoshitsune sits off to the side. According to legend, this is where the legendary 12th-century samurai trained with the Tengu, the mountain’s mythical guardians.

Then comes the Tsuzura-ori Path, named for the switchbacks that fold up the slope like a piece of origami. It’s the most photogenic stretch of the ascent: rows of red lanterns, camellias in bloom if you’re lucky, and a rhythm to the steps that feels ancient.

Kurama-dera Temple Main Hall

The plaza flattens out suddenly, and the forest steps aside. Welcome to Kurama-dera—head temple of the mountain, spiritual hub, and official home of some very unconventional theology. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1971, which explains the clean geometry and squared-off silhouette.

Inside, the temple enshrines Sonten, a cosmic trinity made up of light, power, and love. According to temple doctrine, this is a real being that descended from Venus 6.5 million years ago.

Behind the main hall is the Komyōshin-den, a quieter worship space marked by a six-pointed star etched in stone. Pilgrims stand directly on the symbol—it’s considered an energy node—and some people swear they feel something shift. The grounds are home to a few cherry trees that bloom late but frame the buildings perfectly.

Kinone-michi and its tangled roots

Just past the temple complex, the trail trades ceremony for soil. You’ll soon find yourself on a stretch called Kinone-michi, literally “Tree Root Path,” and it doesn’t disappoint. The ground is laced with exposed cedar roots—thick, gnarled, and spidered across the dirt like a slow-motion earthquake. The cryptomeria trees were planted hundreds of years ago, and their roots have surfaced over time, pulled up by weather and worshippers.

Okunoin Mao-den: the mountain’s quietest shrine

Ten minutes in, the path widens just enough for a small wooden structure to appear. This is Oku-no-in Mao-den, the inner sanctuary of Kurama-dera. There’s a dark timber facade, an offering box, and a roof that seems designed to disappear into the hillside. According to Kurama’s own teachings, this is where Mao-son, the light-being from Venus, made contact with Earth.

Even for skeptics, the energy here feels different. People arrive, lower their heads, and stay quiet.

Descent toward Kibune 

Past Mao-den, the trail tips downward. The roots give way to packed earth and uneven steps, and the trees begin to pull apart just enough to let light in. This part of the hike is less temple, more mountain, and if it’s rained recently, parts may be slick or half-eroded.

You’ll pass the occasional sign, possibly some deer, and one or two shrines small enough to miss. The detour signs here matter—parts of the original trail were closed for years after typhoon damage, and depending on when you’re hiking, you may be rerouted.

Eventually, you’ll catch the first glimpse of Kibune’s river, far below. It’s just a sliver at first, but it signals the transition: from sacred trail to mountain village, from temples to soba shops.

The iconic red staircase

The trail spits you out near the edge of the village, walk ahead and within minutes you’re at the foot of the famous red lantern staircase—the one you’ve seen a hundred times online, and still feels like a surprise in person. The stairs lead up to Kibune Shrine, but they also function as the village’s welcome sign.

Climbing them feels ceremonial, even if your knees disagree. Halfway up, you’ll pass small purification basins, weathered ema plaques, and the faint smell of cedar smoke from nearby incense. The atmosphere shifts from mountain quiet to shrine formality in under a minute.

Kibune Shrine rituals

Kifune-jinja, as it’s properly called, has been guarding this mountain valley since at least the 7th century. It’s dedicated to the god of water and rainfall, which makes sense given its location, as Kibune gets a lot of both. The shrine grounds are slim but layered, built vertically into the slope, with each level revealing a new ritual corner.

One of the more curious offerings is the mizu-uranai, or “water fortune.” You buy a blank strip of paper, dip it into the basin, and your fortune appears in wet ink. It still feels like a small act of magic after hours in the woods.

Kawadoko lunch: noodles over the river

Most hikers end the trail here, but the smart ones stick around for kawadoko, the summer tradition of eating lunch on wooden platforms suspended directly over the Kibune-gawa.

Some restaurants require reservations or overnight stays, but a few accept walk-ins for lunch. Look for sōmen or kawadoko bento—light, cold, and served with a stream running just below your feet. Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but if you’ve done the full hike, you’ve earned a seat in the shade, your shoes off, and a bowl of something cooling in your hands.

Plus, it’s not everyday you get to feel like you’re eating above a tiny waterfall.

Once you’ve finished your last sip of river-cooled tea or snapped your final shrine photo, you’re technically done hiking, but not quite done moving. You’ll need to get to Kibuneguchi Station, which sits about 1.5 kilometers downhill from Kibune Shrine. It’s a slow 20-minute walk along the paved road that hugs the river, or a 10-minute shuttle bus ride for those who prefer less legwork

The walk gives you a quiet last look at the village. From here, the train route is simple: Eizan line back to Demachiyanagi, with a transfer to wherever Kyoto sends you next.

Kurama to Kibune, or the reverse?

Always start in Kurama and hike toward Kibune. The ascent is more gradual, and you end with food, shade, and the slow walk down to the train. Do it in reverse, and you’ll climb the hardest stairs last—and miss your chance to eat in those floating platforms that make Kibune so unique.

Trail access, closures, and the cash situation

Parts of the trail—especially after Mao-den—have been subject to typhoon damage in the past. As of mid-2025, the main route is open with very minor detours marked clearly in both Japanese and English. You don’t really need to rely on Google Maps here, all the trails are market clearly.

Bring cash. Entry to Kurama-dera is ¥300, and some kawadoko restaurants or shrine offerings still don’t take cards. The nearest ATM is miles away and irrelevant to your day. Toilets exist at Kurama Station, near Kurama-dera, and in Kibune village—but not in the middle of the mountain. Plan accordingly.

What’s open in the off-season?

The hike itself is open year-round, barring major storm damage or snow closures. Spring offers cherry blossoms at Kurama-dera. Summer brings kawadoko dining and dense green forest. Fall is the star: Kyoto’s autumn foliage hits the Kurama side hard by mid-November. Winter is the most peaceful but also the coldest and slipperiest.

Kurama Onsen, previously closed due to the pandemic and typhoon damage, has reopened as of November 1, 2024. It now offers both indoor and outdoor baths, along with a restaurant and bar on-site. The facility is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (until 8 p.m. in winter), with admission fees of 1,100 yen for outdoor baths and 1,600 yen for indoor baths.

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