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Best of Kyoto: Red Gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu Temple by Local Operator

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: Kyoto Fun
Best of Kyoto: Red Gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu Temple by Local Operator
Best of Kyoto: Red Gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu Temple by Local Operator 2
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3-hour tour in Kyoto, taking in Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera and Finish at. Run by Kyoto Fun, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Fushimi Inari Taisha
  • Kiyomizu-dera
  • Runs 3 hours
  • Guide
  • Train fares
  • Taxi fares

Best of Kyoto: Red Gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu Temple by Local Operator: Key Facts

PriceFrom $100.5 per person
Duration3 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 3-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kiyomizu-dera. It is run by Kyoto Fun, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of Inari, the deity of rice and business, and its thousand-plus vermilion torii gates, each donated by a company or family, run in tunnels up the 233-metre Mount Inari behind the main hall. The full loop to the summit is about four kilometres and two hours; most visitors turn back at the Yotsutsuji viewpoint halfway. It is open 24 hours and free, which makes it the one big Kyoto sight you can do at dawn or after dark, when the gates are empty and lit. By nine in the morning the lower tunnels are a slow queue. The fox statues carry keys to the rice granary in their mouths.

The price covers Guide, Train fares, Taxi fares and Entry fees. It does not cover Hotel pickup and drop-off, Food and drinks and Gratuities, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

Inari Station (In front of station entrance). We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Kyoto Fun before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Starting location

Inari Station (In front of station entrance)

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Guided tour (50 minutes)

Kiyomizu-dera

Guided tour (1 hour)

Finish at

% ARABICA Kyoto Higashiyama

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: Inari Station (In front of station entrance)

Fushimi Inari Taisha: Guided tour (50 minutes)

Kiyomizu-dera: Guided tour (1 hour)

Finish at: % ARABICA Kyoto Higashiyama

Includes

  • Guide
  • Train fares
  • Taxi fares
  • Entry fees

Excludes

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Important information

Meeting point

Inari Station (In front of station entrance)

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $100.5
$100.5
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 39 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
4.6/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
H
Heather
June 22, 2024

We liked our tour very much. Diana was a fantastic guide who gave us lots of interesting information about Fushimi Inari and Kiyomisu! Going early definitely helped avoid crowding. I do wish the shops were open, but it was a small price to pay to be able to enjoy the sites without so many people around. Would definitely recommend this tour suggest you ask for Diana!!

Review photo 1Review photo 2
5
S
Spencer
September 13, 2024

We were lucky and had our lovely guide Shanda all to ourselves. She was very polite, positive, enthusiastic, engaging, friendly, knowledgeable and nice. It is a great value for the money. We wouldn’t have appreciated the beautiful sights and stops without our guide. The meeting spot was easy to find and the guide helped us get back to our hotel. Class A service. Would recommend anyone to go to these sites as early as possible!

5
J
Julie
May 16, 2024

Everything about the tour was professional, personal, and enjoyable. Communication helped with meetups and was very much appreciated. Cultural Information and history given during the tour was very interesting and full of detail. Guide Milo was very accomodating and gracious.

5
M
Mercedes
April 8, 2024

We enjoyed hearing the history behind the shrines. It was to be done qhen the masses were voming. 😂 We enjoyed our tour.

5
T
Tracey-Lee
April 7, 2024

We enjoyed have exclusive tour with Philippe. He was very knowledgeable and was very open to us changing our itinerary slightly and gave us a more 'local neighbourhood tour' after seeing Fushimi Inari and had good suggestions on how to see the best view from Funshimi Inari - we loved the woodland walk and the peace and quiet away from the crowds - wonderful expericence. Highly recommend

5
A
Alice
April 3, 2024

Our guide Phillipe was phenomenal. His knowledge of Fushimi Inari was spectacular and all the information he gave us was useful and interesting. He went above and beyond, taking us off to another area to avoid tourists and see some hidden gems, spending more time with us than the tour went on four. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is happy to do plenty of walking and potentially see hidden gems, and I hope you get Philippe as your guide!

5
E
Erica
November 20, 2023

Shonda is an amazing tour guide. Not only does she know the topics inside and out, but she's made for doing tours. We got lucky and it was just the two of us with Shonda because the other people didn't show up. We were able to go at our own pace and so enjoyed our time on the tour (and I'm not a morning person!). I highly recommending asking for Shonda.

5
S
SILVY
August 11, 2026

Notre guide Karim a été au top ! Il nous a fait une super visite, pleine d’explication avec grande gentillesse et humour. Nous le recommandons vivement pour passer un excellent moment et découvrir l’histoire autour de cette visite.

5
T
Traveller
June 13, 2026

Belle visite privée ! Notre guide connaissait très bien les lieux ainsi que leur histoire. Belle communication avec le guide ! Je recommande

5
M
Magalie
April 21, 2026

Phillipe a été un excellent guide. Ses connaissances sur la région étaient precieuses. Nous vons passé un très bon moment !

5
T
Traveller
October 21, 2024

Shanda war ein super Guide mit viel Fachwissen die uns auch Zeit gegeben hat in Ruhe Fotos zu machen. Sie hat uns in Ruhe viel erzählen können über die einzelnen Station und deren Tradition und Geschichte. War echt schön uns hat uns echt gefreut heute.

5
D
Davide
May 22, 2024

Ci è piaciuto molto l'empatia della guida, la semplicità e la chiarezza nella spiegazione. Non c'è nulla da migliorare

Frequently Asked Questions

Inari Station (In front of station entrance)
The price does not cover hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks and gratuities. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Shoes off at every hall, quiet voices, and no photographs inside the halls unless a sign allows it. At a shrine, rinse hands and mouth at the basin, then bow twice, clap twice and bow once; at a temple, hands together without clapping. Dress is relaxed, but shoulders and knees covered is the courteous choice.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Guide, Train fares, Taxi fares, Entry fees
The duration of the Best of Kyoto: Red Gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu Temple by Local Operator is typically 3 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or mid-to-late November for peak autumn foliage. Kyoto sits in a basin and runs hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo, even at a similar latitude. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Kyoto guide.
Kyoto never built an extensive subway — just two lines (Karasuma and Tozai) — so the city bus network does most of the work, especially for Higashiyama, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkakuji. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are best reached by JR rail instead. See getting around Kyoto.
Three days covers the essentials well: a day for Higashiyama and Gion, a day for Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and a day for Fushimi Inari plus a Nara or Uji day trip. Our 3-day Kyoto itinerary has the full route with timing.
Arrive by 6:30-7am — the shrine is open 24/7 and free, and most visitors only walk the first 20-30 minutes anyway. Past that point the crowds thin out fast. Full hike details in our Fushimi Inari guide.
Yes — it's a public path with no entrance fee and no set hours. The trade-off is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by mid-morning; arrive before 8am for a nearly empty walk. See the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest guide.
Kyoto restricts photography on certain private alleys in Gion after complaints about tourists chasing and blocking geiko and maiko, with fines for violators. Public streets like Hanamikoji-dori remain open, but never chase, touch or block a real geiko/maiko anywhere. Full etiquette in our Gion geisha district guide.
Yudofu (simmered tofu, best near Nanzen-ji or Arashiyama), kaiseki and shojin ryori temple cuisine, and Nishiki Market's stalls of tako tamago and fresh yuba. Uji, just south of the city, is one of Japan's top matcha-growing regions. See the Kyoto food guide.
Starting from$100.5