On our way back to the hotel, we decided to stop by Fushimi Inari – a large shrine that sits at the bottom of a mountain and trails up 4 kilometers into hillside. It was dusk when we made it there, so we only managed to make it about a kilometer up. Unlike parks in the US, this was open at all hours, with lanterns along the pathway. Fushimi Inari was founded as far back as 711, and is famous for having thousands of torii, the orange gates you see. It is one of the most iconic sites in all of Japan, and worth the visit.
We could have spent a lot longer here if wasn’t dark. The entire path up the mountain is beautiful, and feel like you’re miles away from the city. We headed back to our hotel before it got too late with the goal of getting up early to check out the nearby Nishiki Market in downtown Kyoto.