Kifune Jinja

The standard route is train plus bus: take the Eizan Railway from Demachiyanagi to Kibuneguchi, then the Kyoto Bus (200 yen) to the shrine. The bus is small and fills up fast on weekends and holidays. Driving is possible with a paid parking lot (1,000 yen), but the approach road is narrow and largely one-way, so turning around is genuinely difficult. Crowds are heavy even on weekdays, and the shrine draws a lot of international visitors. Arriving in the late afternoon tends to be calmer than midday.

The stone steps lined with red lanterns are the visual centerpiece, and they look better in person than in photos. The late-afternoon light is particularly good.