⛩️ Fushimi Inari Taisha: Firsthand Review & Tips

🍀 Lukiih’s Overall Rating	7.5
🦄 Uniqueness	High
😊 Enjoyment	Moderate
💰 Value	Very Affordable
🎒 Preparation	Very Minimal
🌟 Book a Tour	View Price

Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, famous for its thousands of bright red Torii gates lined up Mount Inari’s trails. Here’s my honest review and firsthand tips.

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🍀 Lukiih’s Verdict

I highly recommend visiting the visually stunning Fushimi Inari Taisha when in Kyoto.

• It’s a culturally important shrine dedicated to one of Japan’s most revered deities. It also offers tranquil walks through a lush forest and is visually unique with its thousand bright red Torii gates.
• The shrine is free to visit and open to the public.
• Minimal preparation is required if you want to see it when there are fewer crowds.

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Japan.

🏆 Where Does It Rank?

Fushimi Inari Taisha ranks as my #3 thing to do in Japan. Here’s how it compares to other experiences on my trip:

#	Experience	Location	Overall Rating
1	👘 Ryokan	Kyoto	8.3
2	🌋 Mt. Fuji Sunrise Hike	Yamanashi	7.6
3	⛩️ Fushimi Inari Taisha	Kyoto	7.5
4	🚲 Shimanami Kaido Cycling	Hiroshima	7.5
5	🍣 Nishiki Market	Kyoto	7.4
6	🎋 Arashiyama Park	Kyoto	7.3
7	🕹️ Akihabara	Tokyo	6.8
8	🌱 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden	Tokyo	6.7
9	🍣 Kuromon Ichiba Market	Osaka	6.6
10	🐠 Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan	Osaka	6.5
11	🏮 Asakusa	Tokyo	6.2
12	🚂 Sagano Romantic Train	Kyoto	6.1
13	🛍️ Ginza Shopping	Tokyo	6.0
14	🚶🏻‍♀️ Philosopher’s Path	Kyoto	5.9
15	🚦 Shibuya Scramble	Tokyo	5.8

My Japan itinerary features the above experiences.

✈️ About My Trip

For context on my review, here’s what to know about my trip:

• I finance my trips and don’t receive sponsorship; this review reflects my honest opinions.
• This post has updated 2024 information, but I visited Fushimi Inari in 2023.
• My Japan trip was in September when it was less crowded and expensive.

🦄 Uniqueness: High

The Uniqueness Score is based on how rare and memorable an experience is.

Rarity: Rare

Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha is a rare experience – I estimate fewer than five comparable shrines exist worldwide.

• The shrine is famous for its Torii gates, which are Japanese gateways uncommon outside the country.
• With around 10,000 Torii gates, the shrine has the highest number in a concentrated location worldwide. Takayama Inari Shrine has the second highest number, with a little over 200.

Fushimi Inari is dedicated to the Shinto god of rice, Inari. Many fox statues surround the shrine, as foxes are believed to be Inari’s messengers.

• Other places in Japan have a line of Torii gates, including Kyoto’s Motomachi Inari Shrine (over 100 gates), Osaka’s Nagata Shrine, and Kashima’s Yutoku Inari Shrine.
• Outside of Japan, Torii gates are sometimes found in Japanese gardens.

Memorability: High

Exploring Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of my many memorable experiences in Japan.

• The endless line of Torii gates is visually stunning.
• The shrine’s ground complex is surprisingly massive.
• There are unique fox statues everywhere that are fun to look at.

• After walking around for about an hour, the shrine can feel repetitive. As the Torii gates become less novel, it can start to feel like a well-paved hiking trail.

😊 Enjoyment: Moderate

The Enjoyment Score is based on how much happiness and reward an experience provides.

Happiness: Moderate

I found visiting Fushimi Inari fun and delightful, with some caveats.

• It has several hiking trails. The higher you go, the better the views are, and the less crowded and more tranquil it becomes.
• The shrine has a dozen or so cats wandering its grounds.

• The shrine is one of Kyoto’s most popular tourist attractions, so it gets extremely crowded, especially during the peak season.
• It can feel commercialized, as several shops sell touristy souvenirs at different points.

Reward: Moderate

Fushimi Inari is a decently rewarding experience.

• It has over two hours’ worth of staircases, so exploring the trails winding up Mount Inari requires some stamina.
• Exploring also increases the chances of finding peaceful spots to enjoy the surroundings.

• There is no epic view or lookout at the peak of Mount Inari; instead, you’ll find more statues and shrines. This is a great place for self-reflection.

💰 Value: Very Affordable

The Value Score is determined by the price divided by the duration of an experience. All prices mentioned here are in USD.

Price: Free

Fushimi Inari Taisha is free and open to the public, so of course, it gets a “very affordable” rating. This is in line with Shinto’s belief that sacred places should be accessible.

If you want to plan less, half-day Kyoto tours that visit popular attractions like Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are available.

See my Japan trip expenses.

🎒 Preparation: Very Minimal

The Preparation Score is based on the required skills & fitness, transportation, and bookings & packing. The higher the score, the less preparation is needed.

Skills & Fitness: Minimal

You need minimal skills and fitness to visit Fushimi Inari.

• No special skills are required.
• If you want to spend over an hour walking up the endless stairs, prepare for a small endurance workout.

Transportation: Very Easy & Short

Fushimi Inari is in the southern ward of Kyoto.

• The shrine is easily accessible by train.
• Inari Station is a 6-minute ride from Kyoto Station, and the shrine’s entrance is a 1-2 minute walk from the station’s exit.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is easily crowded. You’ll have to show up very early to enjoy the tranquility.

Booking & Packing: None

To visit Fushimi Inari, you don’t need to worry much about booking and packing.

• None is required; the shrine is free.
• None is required unless you want to book a tour.
• Bring cash if you plan to buy a souvenir or get a drink from a vending machine. Wear breathable clothes and comfortable shoes for the hiking trails.

Firsthand Tips

Interested in visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine after reading my review? Below are practical firsthand tips.

• Show up early if you want to beat the crowd – During peak season, early is 6 am. During the low season, early is closer to 8 am. I visited in September and got there at 8:15 am.

Learn what it’s like to visit Japan in September.

• Walk about 20 minutes for the first viewpoint – You’ll be mostly surrounded by forest otherwise.

• The stairs aren’t steep – The stairs to the peak are not usually steep, but they are endless in some parts. You will break a sweat if you don’t stop and rest.
• Bathrooms are closer to the entrance – You’ll find multiple bathrooms closer to the entrance. Once you go up higher, you won’t see them anymore.
• Carry cash for vending machines and souvenir shops – They are all cash-only.
• The shrine has off-the-beaten-path trails – Fushimi Inari has less-traveled trails for those who are more adventurous. You’ll recognize them when the path is no longer paved (I hear one leads to a small waterfall).

• Visiting at night can be spooky – You also need to watch out for wild boars.

Japan Trip Planner 2024

To make your travel preparation easier, download the trip planner below. It has destination-specific travel information, itinerary, map, and packing list.

My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my travel planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.