The day I walked the most in Japan (no regrets)
Over 25,000 steps between Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama. The physically hardest day of the trip — and one I look back on most fondly.
If I had to point to the physically hardest day of the entire trip, without hesitation it would be the Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama day, in Kyoto. And also, without a second's hesitation, one I look back on most fondly.
We started very early, around 7:00 AM, to get to Fushimi Inari before it filled up completely. Climbing among the red torii up to the highest sections alone takes more than two hours. Our legs felt it, a lot, but the reward of having the mountain almost to ourselves made every step worth it.
After coming down, with barely any rest, we headed to Arashiyama to see the bamboo forest and also climb up to Iwatayama Monkey Park, our legs already begging for a break by then.
By the end of the day we'd well passed 25,000 steps. And yet, looking back, I wouldn't change a thing about that day.
It was exhausting, yes, I won't deny it, but also one of the most complete: temples, nature, a viewpoint overlooking all of Kyoto, monkeys roaming free, and sunset over the river closing out the perfect day.
How much time you need at each place
At Fushimi Inari we spent about 2 hours 30 to 3 hours in total, counting stops to drink water, take photos and rest. At Arashiyama, across the whole area, about 3 hours, although in the bamboo forest we spent one hour at most, because it was full of people.
How to get through it
It's normal to end up exhausted: you walk a huge amount and there's no other way to do it. You don't have to reach the top of Fushimi Inari, but since we were there, we wanted to. What worked for us to recover was an onsen and a quiet dinner. If you want one in Kyoto, Funaoka Onsen is a very local experience. Carrying water and leaving early helps a lot: it's best to reach Fushimi Inari between 7:00 and 8:00.
To sleep in Kyoto, see where to stay in Kyoto and Osaka.
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