Fushimi Inari Shrine: Explore the 1,000 Torii Gates on an audio walking tour
- 1–1.3 hour
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Fushimi Inari Taisha has welcomed worshippers since 711 AD, founded by the Hata clan after a poor rice harvest. It's now the head shrine of roughly 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, dedicated to the god of rice, sake and business success. Join me on this self-guided audio tour to learn why merchants have donated its vermilion gates since the Edo period — each one a thank-you for a wish granted — and stroll at your own pace through the famed Senbon Torii ("thousand gates") corridor and beyond, into forest most day-trippers never reach. The landmarks include: • The fox statues guarding the shrine — Inari's messengers, not the god itself • The Senbon Torii, an unbroken corridor of vermilion gates donated by grateful businesses • The Omokaru ("Heavy-Light") Stone, where a wish's fate is judged by its weight Take the walk fewer visitors finish, and discover what 1,300 years of gratitude looks like. Beat crowded tour groups & enjoy the tour on your own at your own pace.
Inclusions
What's included
- Directions to the starting point so that when you're in the right place, the tour will start
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Access to VoiceMap's App on IOS or Android, with flexibility to enjoy the tour at your own pace.
- Trace 1,300 years of gratitude, one gate at a time - An experience of Fushimi
What's not
- Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
- Smartphone and headphones
- Food and drink
- Transportation
Itinerary
The tour starts here, opposite the Inari station and in front of a statue of a fox.
This is the second stop on the tour. Here you'll start to learn about the significance of the shrines.
At this stop, you'll learn about a ritual called Hand Water.
You'll have a short stop at this beautiful main hall.
At this stop, you'll learn about Wabisabi.
You'll make your way through the Senbon Torii, the 1000 Torii gates.
You'll make your way through the Senbon Torii, the 1000 Torii gates.
At this stop, you'll learn about the Okusha shrine.
You'll make a brief stop by the Root up Pine Tree where you'll learn more about it.
This is where the tour ends. You'll have the opportunity to keep going or take a quick break before returning to the start.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 56
- 42
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 8 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- The tour starts by the statue of a fox beside a big red Torii Gate across from JR Inari station. Before arrival, install the VoiceMap app and use the code provided on your ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart any time and complete at your own pace.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Kyoto
- Its from-price is 86% below the median of the 1713 experiences we list in Kyoto.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 534 of 1713.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years, is a city of temples, gardens, wooden townhouses and refined traditions.
The city holds many of Japan's most treasured sites. Fushimi Inari Taisha's thousands of vermilion torii gates climb a wooded mountain, Kinkaku-ji's Golden Pavilion shimmers over its pond, and Kiyomizu-dera's wooden stage juts from the hillside above the city. The rock garden of Ryoan-ji and the mossy grounds of Ginkaku-ji invite quiet contemplation.
Top-ranked sights in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine (Fushimi Inari Taisha), Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Special offers in Kyoto
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
