Hey, r/JapanTravel! I'm planning to fit in a Kurama-Kifune trip and hike in mid/late-November during our 4-day stay in Kyoto, but I am torn between two dates. I'm kind of stuck between wanting to see the beautiful autumn colors and evening illuminations (lantern lighting + the famous maple tunnel on the train back) while also trying to avoid massive crowds. I'd love input on crowds, difficulty, and activities:
Option 1: Wednesday, November 19th (coming from Osaka for our 4-day stay in Kyoto)
I'm worried about travel fatigue since we'll be traveling from Osaka to Kyoto, but I hope the crowds will be a bit better on a weekday. This option also gives us reasonable time around the area that extends to early evening and allows us to catch some of the illuminations—without having to wait around for them.
- 8am: Leave Osaka
- 9-9:15am: Drop luggage in Gion
- 10:35am: Arrive Kurama Station, take cable car up
- 10:45am-1:15pm: Kurama Temple + hike to Kifune
- 1:15-5pm: Kifune village (lunch, shrine exploration, downtime)
- 5-5:30pm: Lantern lighting at shrine
- 6pm: Return via train (catch maple tunnel illumination)
- 6:45pm: Back in Kyoto
Option 2: Saturday, November 22nd (Wake up from Kyoto hotel and head north)
This might be more preferable if we can wake up early to beat the later crowds. We also won't get travel fatigue since we'll be in Kyoto already. However, I really did want to see the illuminations and can't imagine there's enough to do in the area to justify staying all the way until the evening for the lanterns to be lit and the train illuminations.
- 6:30am: Leave Kyoto accommodation
- 7am: Arrive Kurama Station, take cable car up
- 7:15am-9:45am: Kurama Temple + hike to Kifune (beat weekend crowds)
- 9:45am-5pm: Extended Kifune stay (lunch, shrine, rest, explore area, early dinner) — This feels long
- 5-5:30pm: Lantern lighting at shrine
- 6pm: Return via train (catch maple tunnel illumination)
- 6:45pm: Back in Kyoto
Some general questions:
- Crowd levels: How busy is this route on a weekday in mid-November vs weekend? Worth the early start?
- Physical difficulty: How strenuous is the actual hike? We're reasonably fit but not hardcore hikers
- Time and activity in Kibune: What else is there to do beyond shrine + eating? Any recommendations for restaurants? I've heard a lot of the restaurants are closed in November.
Thanks in advance!
Update: I was able to confirm one restaurant/cafe open during November, but their Instagram shows that they closed Wednesdays last November 🙁
by heavyheartsonly