Walking Kyoto's eastern hills: from Ginkaku-ji to Gion via the Philosopher's Path

The long walking version of northern Higashiyama: 6 km on foot from the Silver Pavilion, along a canal lined with cherry trees, through a brick aqueduct inside a Zen temple, past a giant torii gate, and on to a kaiseki dinner in Gion. A day that is all gentle downhill.

The long version of the eastern hills, on foot from morning to evening. You start at the Silver Pavilion, walk south along the canal of the Philosopher's Path, pass through Eikan-do, have lunch, continue to the giant gate and the aqueduct of Nanzen-ji, and walk down the Keage boat railway to the red gate of Heian Shrine. In the evening you continue south to Yasaka Shrine and Gion, to the Shirakawa canal and dinner. About 8 km on foot, mostly flat or downhill. A day pass does not pay off: there is only one bus, in the morning.

Verified online, October 20268 stops · 08:30 to 20:30¥13,200 · ≈ $84 per personWalking between stops: 72 min6 km walkShabbat-friendly (partly)Sakura and autumn foliageShabbat-friendly

The day on a map

8 stops, in order

Stops: 8
Walking minutes: 72

Stop number on the timelineWalkingBase map: © OpenStreetMap

Open this day in Google Maps

The same stops with the same numbers, and the way from stop to stop. On a phone it opens in the app, and that is what you navigate with in Japan. Pin names on the map are in Hebrew.

On Shabbat: The Philosopher's Path, Honen-in, the Nanzen-ji grounds and the aqueduct, the courtyard of Heian Shrine, Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine: all free and in one continuous walk. Ginkaku-ji, Eikan-do and the Heian garden charge admission, so skip them. Sleep in Higashiyama or Gion.

Getting there: From Kyoto Station take city bus 5 or 7 to Ginkakuji-michi, ¥230. On a weekday morning the ride takes 36 to 41 minutes: bus 7 leaving at 07:50 arrives at 08:26. From the stop it is about 9 minutes on foot to the temple gate. If you are staying in Shijo-Kawaramachi, board the same lines there, 22 to 25 minutes. The day ends in Gion, about 5 minutes on foot from Keihan's Gion-Shijo Station.

08:3009:45
Stop 1Temple and gardenMust
Ginkaku-ji: the Silver Pavilion and the sea of sand
You start at the Silver Pavilion, which was never coated in silver, with a sand garden and a sand cone, and a moss path that climbs to a viewpoint. From March to November the temple opens at 08:30, and from December to February at 09:00. Since April 2026 admission is ¥1,000, double what it was, and children pay ¥500. At this hour there are no crowds yet.
¥1,000 · ≈ $6Open in Maps About this place
Down to the path
- Walk · 5 minLeave the temple and walk west down the approach street, about 250 meters, to the bridge over the canal. The path starts there, and you turn south.
09:4511:00
Stop 2WalkMust
Philosopher's Path and Honen-in
2 km along the canal, between 500 cherry trees, which usually bloom in early April. On the way there are cats, cafes and potters' studios. Halfway along the path you turn off for a 20-minute stop at Honen-in: a small temple in the woods, with a thatched gate and white sand mounds. Free, and almost empty.
FreeOpen in Maps
On to Eikan-do
- Walk · 6 minFrom the end of the path, near Nyakuoji, continue south along the street about 400 meters, pass Hinode Udon and reach the gate of Eikan-do.
On the way you can stop at:
Kanou Shojuan: The tea house of a long-established wagashi maker, at the southern end of the path: matcha with the sweet of the season, ¥1,650. 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays and Thursdays, and open only from March to June and from November to mid-December.
11:1012:25
Stop 3TempleRecommended
Eikan-do: the Buddha looking back
The temple with the Buddha statue whose head is turned backwards, a pagoda on the hill, wooden corridors and a pond. ¥1,000 most of the year, since April 2026, and entry until 16:00. In autumn foliage season, in November, ¥1,500 and a queue. Then you can skip it, or come back for the night illumination, ¥1,000.
¥1,000 · ≈ $6Open in Maps About this place
Walk to lunch
- Walk · 3 minTo Hinode Udon, about 200 meters north. To Junsei, about 500 meters south, at the gate of Nanzen-ji, on the way to the next stop.
12:3013:30
Stop 4LunchRecommended
Lunch break near Eikan-do
Between Nanzen-ji and Eikan-do there are several places for lunch, from cheap udon to tofu in a garden:
- Hinode Udon¥1,000 to ¥2,000
  A family restaurant in an old house, 40 seats, about 200 meters north of Eikan-do: udon in a thick curry sauce. No reservations and cash only, and there is a queue at lunchtime. 11:00 to 15:30, closed on Sundays and on the first and third Monday of the month.
- Junsei, yudofu at the Nanzen-ji gate¥3,850 for the basic meal
  Yudofu, tofu simmering in a pot, in a large garden at the temple entrance. 11:00 to 15:30, closing days vary, usually Wednesday.
- Botanic Coffee¥1,700
  A cafe in the basement of an old building on Shishigatani Street, about 6 minutes from Eikan-do, with antique furniture and a green terrace. At lunch, 11:00 to 14:00, a croque madame with salad and a drink. Closed on Mondays and on other, irregular days.
- Kosher or vegan? Every kosher and vegan place in this city
¥1,500 · ≈ $10Open in Maps
Down to Nanzen-ji
- Walk · 8 minFrom Hinode about 600 meters south, past the gate of Eikan-do, to Nanzen-ji. From Junsei, right by the gate, 2 minutes.
13:4015:00
Stop 5Zen templeMust
Nanzen-ji: the Sanmon gate and the brick aqueduct
The Zen temple with the huge gate, the Sanmon. You climb it for ¥600 and see the city. Through the grounds runs a Roman-style brick aqueduct, from 1890, free. The Hojo garden, with the tiger paintings, is ¥600. Behind the aqueduct a path climbs to a small temple with a waterfall, also free. Nanzen-in, the sub-temple behind the aqueduct, is closed for a roof replacement until spring 2027.
¥600 · ≈ $4Open in Maps About this place
Down to Heian Shrine
- Walk · 25 minLeave by the main gate and walk west to the top of the Keage Incline, walk down along the tracks to the canal, and continue north through the Okazaki district to the red gate. About 1.9 km.
- or: Walk · 17 minWithout the incline: straight west through Okazaki, about 1.3 km.
On the way you can stop at:
Blue Bottle Kyoto: The coffee chain's first branch in Kansai, from 2018, in a traditional wooden house more than a hundred years old, 44 seats. 09:00 to 18:00, every day.
Keage Incline: A sloping railway of about 582 meters that carried boats on carts along the Lake Biwa Canal. The tracks remain, you may walk on them, and along them stand about 90 cherry trees. Free.
15:2516:45
Stop 6Shinto shrineRecommended
Heian Shrine and the 24-meter gate
In the Okazaki district stand a red torii gate 24 meters tall and a courtyard that recreates the imperial palace of 794. The courtyard is free, and the garden with the ponds and the weeping cherry trees is ¥600. Museums all around. The shrine closes at 18:00 from March to September, at 17:30 in October and at 17:00 from November to February, and last entry to the garden is half an hour before. On 22 October 2026, the day of the Jidai Matsuri, the garden is open only 09:30 to 11:30.
¥600 · ≈ $4Open in Maps About this place
On to Maruyama Park
- Walk · 20 minFrom the great gate walk south, along the foot of the hills, to the northern end of Maruyama Park. Yasaka Shrine is on the other side of the park, about 1.8 km from Heian Shrine.
17:0518:00
Stop 7Park and shrineMust
Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine: the lanterns come on
The weeping cherry tree stands in the park, and Yasaka Shrine, beyond it, lights its lanterns at sunset. Both are free and always open. The orange gate facing Shijo Street, the west gate, is the oldest building in the shrine, from 1497. From here you enter Gion.
FreeOpen in Maps About this place
Into Gion
- Walk · 5 minLeave by the west gate, cross Higashioji Street and continue northwest through the lanes to the Shirakawa canal, about 500 meters.
18:0020:30
Stop 8DinnerRecommended
Dinner in Gion
You finish with a walk along the Shirakawa canal, with its willows and stone bridges, and then dinner. A kaiseki of 8 to 10 seasonal courses at a restaurant in Gion costs ¥8,000 to ¥15,000 per person, and you book ahead, through the hotel. Kyoto-style okonomiyaki or yakitori in Pontocho, across the river, about ¥3,000. From here you head back from Keihan's Gion-Shijo Station, about 5 minutes on foot, and to Kyoto Station on the Keihan Line to Tofukuji and from there JR, 18 minutes, ¥330. Within a ten-minute walk:
- Izuu
  A sushi restaurant from 1781 in Gion that started out delivering to the tea houses. The dish is saba sugata-zushi, a whole cured mackerel on rice. 11:00 to 22:00, until 21:00 on Sundays and holidays, closed on Tuesdays.
- Yasubee¥1,000 to ¥1,500
  Okonomiyaki in Pontocho since 1982, across Shijo Bridge: made in the kitchen and served on a hot plate on your table. On weekdays 16:00 to 21:00 (last order), closed on Tuesdays, no reservations.
- Omen, Pontocho branch
  A branch of the udon restaurant from Ginkaku-ji, at the southern end of Pontocho: thick udon you dip in broth, with seasonal vegetables and sesame. In the evening 17:00 to 21:00, closed on some Thursdays.
- ChoiceVegan, not kosher
  A vegan, gluten-free cafe near Keihan's Sanjo Station, north of Gion: burgers, brown rice risotto and pancakes. Dinner 17:00 to 20:00 (last order), closed on Wednesdays.
- Kosher or vegan? Every kosher and vegan place in this city
¥8,500 · ≈ $54Reserve kaiseki in advanceOpen in Maps

Walking Kyoto's eastern hills: from Ginkaku-ji to Gion via the Philosopher's Path

8 stops, in order

Ginkaku-ji: the Silver Pavilion and the sea of sand

Philosopher's Path and Honen-in

Eikan-do: the Buddha looking back

Lunch break near Eikan-do

Nanzen-ji: the Sanmon gate and the brick aqueduct

Heian Shrine and the 24-meter gate

Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine: the lanterns come on

Dinner in Gion

Fushimi Inari: the torii gates at sunrise, Tofuku-ji and the sake district

Higashiyama: Kiyomizu-dera in the morning, the Sannenzaka lanes, and Gion in the evening

Arashiyama: the bamboo grove at sunrise, Tenryu-ji, monkeys and the Romantic Train

Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Nijo Castle and Nishiki Market: the north and the center

Ginkaku-ji, the Philosopher's Path and Nanzen-ji: northern Higashiyama on foot

Kurama and Kibune: a walk on the tengu's mountain, the water shrine, and a meal above the stream