I just went back from Takao to Hozukyo hike. It has very beautiful right now where you can see few temples with foliage such as Jingo-ji and Saimyo-ji. The hike is ended around Arashiyama.
It is not crowded and it is an easy hike with well maintained path.
I followed the path from this link: https://www.insidekyoto.com/takao-hozukyo-hike-via-kiyotaki-kuya-no-taki-waterfall
This is the short video that I took on Friday (Nov 22, 2024) so you can decide if it is worth it.
by Ditto0o_Life