Getting there
Fushimi Inari station: how to get there from Kyoto in five minutes
This is the easiest journey to any major sight in Kyoto, and it is worth saying so plainly because a surprising number of people book a taxi or a tour for it. Two stops on a local train, about five minutes, roughly a dollar, and the shrine entrance is directly across the road from the station exit. There is no walk and nothing to find.
Quick answer
Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station two stops to Inari station — about five minutes, roughly $1.10, and covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The shrine entrance is directly opposite the station exit. From Gion, Osaka or anywhere on the Keihan line, take the Keihan Main Line to Fushimi-Inari station instead; that one is a five-minute walk from the shrine.
Getting to Fushimi Inari, at a glance
- From Kyoto Station
- JR Nara Linetwo stops to Inari
- Journey time
- ~5 minuteslocal trains only — not the rapid
- Fare
- $1.10¥150 at the time of writing
- JR Pass
- Coveredone of the few Kyoto sights it helps with
- Walk from Inari station
- ~1 minutethe entrance is opposite the exit
- From Gion or Osaka
- Keihan Main Lineto Fushimi-Inari station
- Walk from Fushimi-Inari
- ~5 minutesthrough a small residential street
- By taxi from central Kyoto
- ~20 minand far slower in traffic than the train
- Parking
- Very limiteddo not drive; the streets are narrow
- Luggage lockers
- At the stationsthere are none at the shrine
The JR route
How do you get to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto Station?
Local train, not rapid. Two stops. The entrance is opposite the exit.
Walk to the JR platforms inside Kyoto Station and find the Nara Line. Take a local train — this matters, because the rapid services skip Inari and the next stop is Uji, which is a long way past where you wanted to be. Two stops, about five minutes, and get off at Inari.
The station has one exit and the shrine is directly across the road from it. You will see the first torii before you leave the platform. It is roughly a one-minute walk and there is no way to get it wrong.
The fare is ¥150, about $1.10, paid with an IC card or a paper ticket. If you are carrying a Japan Rail Pass, the JR Nara Line is a JR service and this journey is included — genuinely useful, because most Kyoto sights are reached on subway or private lines that the pass does not cover.
Every way in
Five routes to Fushimi Inari, and when each one makes sense
Where you are staying decides which of these is right, and the difference is real.
- JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station — the default
Two stops to Inari, five minutes, $1.10, covered by the JR Pass. Use a local train; the rapid does not stop.
- Keihan Main Line to Fushimi-Inari — from Gion
The better option if you are staying in Gion, Kawaramachi or anywhere along the Kamo river. Five-minute walk from the station to the shrine.
- Keihan from Osaka — without changing in Kyoto
From Osaka’s Yodoyabashi you can run straight through to Fushimi-Inari on the Keihan line, which avoids Kyoto Station entirely.
- On foot from Tofukuji — twenty minutes
Tofukuji temple is one JR stop closer and the walk between the two is pleasant and flat. A good pairing for an autumn morning, since Tofukuji is one of the best maple sites in Kyoto.
- By taxi — rarely worth it
Twenty minutes from central Kyoto without traffic and considerably more with it, for many times the fare. The one case for it is arriving before the first train at half past five.
Coming on a tour removes the journey entirely — and the coach day also reaches Nara and Arashiyama, which are far harder to add by train.
Every tour that includes the shrine→Two stations
Inari station or Fushimi-Inari station: which one do you want?
Inari is JR and closer. Fushimi-Inari is Keihan and five minutes away.
They are different stations on different railways, about five minutes’ walk apart, and the similar names catch people out constantly.
Inari is on the JR Nara Line and is the closer of the two — the shrine entrance is directly opposite the exit. Use it if you are coming from Kyoto Station or if you are carrying a Japan Rail Pass.
Fushimi-Inari is on the Keihan Main Line, about five minutes’ walk from the shrine through a narrow residential street lined with food stalls. Use it if you are coming from Gion, from the Kawaramachi area or from Osaka on the Keihan line. The walk is short and the street is one of the more pleasant approaches to any Kyoto sight.
Either way you end up in the same place. The only real mistake is boarding a JR rapid service at Kyoto Station, which does not stop at Inari at all.
Every trip, current fare
Tours that collect you instead
Six tours, cheapest first. The coach days use set meeting points in Kyoto or Osaka; the private days pick up where you are staying.
| Tour | Length | Price | Other stops | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nara, Fushimi Inari & Arashiyama Bus TourThree sights, one coach, the lowest price here | 9–10 h | $50 | Nara, Arashiyama | $5.26 | 4.8 · 3,168 |
| Early Morning Fushimi Inari & ArashiyamaThe only one that beats the crowd to the gates | 6 h | $62 | Arashiyama, Kinkakuji | $10.33 | 4.9 · 1,597 |
| Kyoto Full-Course: 10 Must-SeesTen stops for a single day in Kyoto | 9.5 h | $92 | Ten in total | $9.68 | 4.9 · 194 |
| Fushimi Inari, Kinkakuji & Bamboo GroveSix sights with every entry ticket included | 8.5–9 h | $93 | Kiyomizu, Kinkakuji, bamboo | $10.63 | 4.8 · 5,297 |
| Customized Private Tour with Licensed GuideA licensed guide, and the route is yours | 4–8 h | $201 | Your choice | $33.50 | 4.8 · 523 |
| Private Highlights Tour by Luxury VehicleA car and driver for the whole day | Full day | $295 | Your choice | $36.88 | 4.9 · 121 |
On arrival
Five practical things at the station
Small, and all of them save time on the day.
- Leave your luggage before you come
There are no lockers at the shrine. Inari station has a few and Kyoto Station has hundreds, typically ¥400 to ¥700.
- There is a convenience store by the station
The last easy water before the mountain. There are vending machines on the path, but they get expensive with altitude and the summer heat is real.
- The approach street is where the food is
Between the station and the shrine. Inari-zushi is the local speciality and the stalls thin out after about five in the afternoon.
- Toilets are near the main hall
Before you start climbing, not after. There is one more part way up and then nothing.
- Trains run late
The last JR service back to Kyoto is usually around half past eleven, which makes an after-dark visit entirely practical. Check the board rather than trusting this.
Common questions
Getting to Fushimi Inari, answered
How do you get to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto Station?
Take the JR Nara Line two stops to Inari station — about five minutes and roughly $1.10. Use a local train, because the rapid services do not stop there. The shrine entrance is directly opposite the station exit.
Is Fushimi Inari covered by the JR Pass?
Yes. The JR Nara Line is a JR service, so the journey from Kyoto Station to Inari is included in the Japan Rail Pass. It is one of the few Kyoto sights the pass genuinely helps with.
What is the difference between Inari and Fushimi-Inari station?
Inari is on the JR Nara Line and is closest — the shrine is opposite the exit. Fushimi-Inari is on the Keihan Main Line, about five minutes’ walk away, and is more convenient from Gion or Osaka.
How long does it take to get to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto?
About five minutes on the train from Kyoto Station, plus a one-minute walk. From Gion on the Keihan line it is roughly ten minutes plus a five-minute walk.
Can you walk to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto Station?
You can, and it takes about an hour along fairly ordinary streets. Almost nobody does, because the train takes five minutes and costs about a dollar.
Is there parking at Fushimi Inari?
Very little, and the streets around the approach are narrow. Driving here is the least good option by a wide margin; every tour on this page arrives some other way for a reason.
Can you get to Fushimi Inari from Osaka?
Yes. The Keihan Main Line runs from Osaka to Fushimi-Inari station without changing in Kyoto, or you can take the train to Kyoto Station and switch to the JR Nara Line. The coach tour on this page also picks up in Osaka.
Are there lockers at Fushimi Inari?
Not at the shrine itself. Use the coin lockers at Inari station or at Kyoto Station before you come — the path up the mountain is four kilometres of stone steps.
Go deeper
More on Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Shrine
What it is, what it costs, and the hour to arrive.
The gatesTorii gates Kyoto
Where the ten thousand gates are, and how to photograph them empty.
By colourThe red gates of Kyoto
What they are called, and the three other red buildings people mean.
ToursWhich tour is worth it
Six compared, and the two situations where a tour earns its price.
CostTickets and entrance fee
There are none. What a visit actually costs, and why other sights charge.
HoursWhen it is open
It never closes. Hour by hour, and when the crowd arrives.
