Kyoto Travel Diaries: Temple-Hopping along the Philosopher’s Path

Another day another bus ride. Most of Kyoto’s top sights are spread across the city; yesterday we explored Arashiyama on the western edge of the city and today, our plan is to temple-hop along the Philosopher’s Path in the east. Later on, we’ll head south to Fushimi for a spot of sake tasting. We load up our Suica Card to cover today’s travel, pack our 7/11 pastries for a breakfast on the go and head out for our final day in Kyoto. And it ends up being one of my favourite days in Japan.

Kyoto was the second stop on our long-awaited Japan trip. You can view all the rest of my Japan content here – and there’s a lot to share!

**This blog post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you go on to make a purchase or booking after clicking through one of my external links, then I may make a tiny bit of commission, at no extra cost to you!**

Kyoto Day 2 in a nutshell

Temple hopping, from Ginkakuji to Eikan-dō along the Philosophers Path. Spectacular autumn colours. Sake and snacks. Visiting the overcrowded Fushimi Inari shrine at the perfect time. Bar-hopping in Pontocho Alley.

How to get to the Philosopher’s Path from downtown Kyoto

We caught the No 32 City Bus from Shijo Nishinotoin, the most convenient route from our hotel, the Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei in Nakagyo. As our first stop on the trail was Ginkakuji Temple, at the northern end of the Philosopher’s Path, we got off at Ginkakuji-michi, a 5 min walk from the temple itself. From Kyoto Station, the No 7 City Bus also goes direct to Ginkakuji Temple.

The Philosopher’s Path stretches 1.6km all the way down to Reisen-Dori, perfect to visit Eikan-dō Temple. We caught the No 203 City Bus back to our hotel from Higashitennocho Bus Stop. If you’re staying near Kyoto Station you can connect to the Karasuma Line at Karasuma Oike. Of course, you can start from either end of the path!

Philosophers Path, from Ginkaku-ji to Eikan-dō 

We get off the bus, and a handy announcement tells us that the temple is straight up the road behind us. The approach is lined with stores and coffee shops; we stop for a quick cuppa at AG Coffee before making our way up to Ginkakuji, or the “Silver Pavilion”. Which confusingly, is not silver.

Ginkakuji Temple (Jishō-ji 慈照寺)

Founded in 1482, Ginkakuji (officially known as Jishō-ji Temple) is a Zen Temple. It’s construction marked a significant change in local Higashiyama culture, from conflict and politics to more aesthetic, spiritual and philosophical pursuits. As such, it’s modest and understated, in contrast to the opulence of the similarly named Kinkakuji Temple – the Golden Pavilion. That one is actually covered in gold leaf.

The best views of the two-storey wooden pavilion are from the elevated path that winds behind the building. The grounds are beautiful, from a perfectly raked “Silver Sand Sea” with it’s “Moon Viewing Mound”, to lush gardens with all the serenity and harmony expected from Japanese landscaping. The autumn foliage makes it all the more striking.

We spend about 45 minutes at Ginkakuji – and spend plenty of yen in their well-stocked gift shop. It’s the perfect place for small souvenirs. Although we don’t factor in the fact that we need to carry them round for the rest of the morning.

Open from 8:30am-5pm March-November (9am-4:30pm during the winter months), admission is ¥500 (around £2.50)

Walking Tetsugaku no Michi – the Philosopher’s Path

Leaving Ginkakuji, we retrace our steps to locate the northern end of the Philosophers Path (or Tetsugaku no Michi). It’s named after university professor Nishida Kitaro, who used this path alongside the Shishigatani canal for meditative strolls. And if anywhere is going to make us contemplate existence, it’s this picturesque walkway. It helps that the trees are putting on an impressive autumn display, creating an ethereal canopy of red and gold.

We meander southwards, stopping for photos and pastries. Artists and musicians along the route give us a glimpse of Japanese art and culture. Serene temples nestle amongst residential streets, far from the madding crowds. I feel wise just being present here. A few shops and cafes along the way don’t detract from the beauty and tranquillity of the route.

🚲 It’s also a popular cycling trail! If you fancy taking an e-bike tour which covers Ginkakuji and the Philosopher’s Path, check out this one! Best of Kyoto: Ginkakuji & Path of Philosophy E-Bike Tour | GetYourGuide 🚲

Eikan-dō Temple (Zenrin-ji)

We hadn’t initially planned to visit Eikan-dō temple, but our hotel had recommended it as one of the most breathtaking places to visit in autumn. And they weren’t wrong. Built on multiple levels, covered corridors, stairways and paths weave up the hillside amongst over 3,000 maple trees.

The temple itself dates back to around 835AD. Inside, we remove our shoes (each guest is given a plastic bag – why so much one-use plastic Japan?) to stroll along covered wooden walkways. Thankfully, I’m having a good sock day. The temple is famous for its Buddha statue which unusually has its head turned to one side rather than facing forward. Hōjō Pond lies beyond, with stunning reflections of the crimson maple leaves in the water. The elevated Tahotō Pagoda peeps between the trees.

Eikan-dō is definitely one of the best places to see autumn colours in Kyoto – don’t take my word for it though, have a look at some of Mr Fletche’s photos below.

Eikan-dō is open from 9am-4pm, admission is ¥600 (around £3.00)

It’s easy to get temple fatigue in Kyoto. It’s overwhelming thinking of visiting them all, even without factoring in trying to avoid crowds and how to navigate the Kyoto public transport system. But strolling along the Philosopher’s Path is the perfect blend of spirituality, religion and nature. You can pop into as few or as many temples as you want. We only intended to do the walk, yet we were completely captivated by Ginkakuji and Eikan-dō.

Fushimi Inari Taisha by night

As we’re in the area it would be rude not to pay a visit to Kyoto’s popular Fushimi Inari Shrine, even though it has just started to lightly rain. And even though we have a slight sake fuzz. We hop back on a train and emerge almost directly at the entrance to the shrine. It’s raining a little heavier now, but this just seems to add to the atmosphere. There are a few people milling around, but certainly not the heaving crowds I’ve seen on YouTube videos and Instagram reels. And as we stroll further, to the beginning of the vermillion torii gate trail that winds up the sacred Mount Inari, we are virtually alone.

In fact, I AM completely alone at one point. There’s a junction; I choose one path, Mr Fletche chooses the other. I assume he’s going to follow. And then there’s no-one else around. It’s all a bit eerie. I end up phoning Mr Fletche to find out where he is. Turns out I went the wrong way up a “no entry” tunnel. Rulebreaker that I am, I continue until we’re reunited.

We don’t climb all the way up, in fact we stop after about fifteen minutes of the ascent. At busy times it’s recommended to climb as high as possible for a bit of solitude, but at 6:30PM we really don’t have to go far to escape the crowds. I highly recommend visiting Fushimi Inari after dark; the grounds and torii gate trail are open 24 hours a day although the shrine office and amulet stalls are only open between 9am and 5pm.

Think the inscriptions on the torii gates of Fushimi Inari are meaningful? Spiritual maybe? Nope, it’s advertising, generally showing the name or company of the donor.

Nikishi Market and Pontocho Alley

We jump on the Keihan Main Line at Fushimi-Inari Station and return to downtown Kyoto. We’re going to have ourselves a little Kyoto date night to finish off our stay. Our first stop? Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto’s Kitchen. It’s actually best to visit this food hub during the day, but amongst the vendors shutting up shop for the night there are little food court areas, perfect for sampling multiple single-serve dishes. Mr Fletche and I go our separate ways, gathering various fried items on sticks before assembling with a veritable buffet. I’m a particular fan of the pint of fried chicken and a very perky dessert.

Did you know that it’s frowned upon to eat whilst walking in Japan? Food should be always be consumed at the stall where you purchased it; some vendors have seating areas inside or upstairs. Make sure you return any empty packaging to the vendor – it’s very rare to find rubbish bins on the streets.

Now we have full bellies we head to Pontocho Alley to continue our Kyoto Date Night. Narrow stairways off this atmospheric pedestrian alley lead up to izakayas and restaurants; the choice is almost endless. The sake fuzz has worn off so we bar hop for a while.

Favourite for beer: Beer Bar Miyama 162 – we nabbed the last two seats in this small but popular craft beer bar, thanks to a kind couple who let us share their table

Favourite for cocktails: Fly Me to the Moon – Google delivered when I asked it to point us in the direction of a bar that would satisfy Mr Fletche’s hankering for an Old Fashioned.

Favourite random find: Stand Miyama – Very friendly standing bar, football on the telly and Oasis on heavy rotation. Location of my first plum wine (umeshu), a pleasant light alternative to sake and highballs.

Saying goodbye to Kyoto

It feels like we’ve fallen in love with Kyoto by surprise. It crept up in stealth mode, enchanting us with its beautiful autumn colours, quirky little bars and traditional districts that made us feel like we had been transported back in time. All of a sudden, 48 hours in Kyoto have passed, and it hasn’t been enough.

Looking forward to Day 7 of our trip? We’re leaving Kyoto behind and heading for Osaka! Via a stop-off at Nara to visit some very inquisitive deer.

I try my hardest to keep the information in this travel guide up to date; however if you notice anything has changed please let me know! Happy travels, Emmalene

📸 Thank you to Mr Fletche for kindly sharing all his photos with me so that I can share them with you! The slightly fuzzy, out of focus ones are all mine 😉