The Jingo-ji Temple in Takao is a famous scenic spot for enjoying autumn leaves. The best time to admire the red leaves usually starts from early November. The nearby Kozan-ji Temple is also a World Cultural Heritage site and worth visiting. Therefore, if you want to plan a trip to the Kyoto-Takao area during the maple viewing season, you need to first understand the transportation options to Takao. Fortunately, the transportation in Kyoto and Takao is simple, and you can only rely on buses, although there are fewer bus schedules.
Location of Takao Transportation – Jingo-ji Temple, Saimyo-ji Temple, and Kozan-ji Temple.
Even in the scenic city of Kyoto, the areas where you can enjoy the autumn foliage early are the Sanbi area, which consists of the Togano-o, Makino-o, and Takao regions. Togano-o’s Kozan-ji Temple, Makino-o’s Saimyo-ji Temple, and Takao’s Jingo-ji Temple all transform into temples with beautiful autumn leaves in the fall. These three temples are close to each other and can be reached on foot.
In the Sanbi area of Takao, located in the northwest corner of Kyoto, the elevation gradually increases from north to south. The order of the temples is Kozan-ji Temple, Saimyo-ji Temple, and finally Jingo-ji Temple. I have referred to Google Maps and my own visit experience to create the following map.
You can see that Kozan-ji Temple is only served by JR buses. The bus stop is called “Togano-o”. Similarly, Saimyo-ji Temple is also only served by JR buses, with the bus stop called “Makino-o”. On the other hand, “Takao (Jingo-ji)” is the main bus stop for Jingo-ji Temple, but it is a shared bus stop for both JR and Kyoto City buses.
In addition, there is also a “Nishiyama Takao” stop for the Kyoto bus. This bus stop only operates and stops on the day of the spring equinox each year! Therefore, there are no buses coming here on regular days.
Transportation to Kyoto Takao
If you want to go to the Takao area, besides walking or driving, the only option is to rely on buses. Currently, there are three bus companies that can take you to the Takao area:
1. JR Bus – Takao・Keihoku Line
2. Kyoto City Bus – Route 8
3. Kyoto Bus – Route 90 (limited dates)
JR Bus – Takao Keihoku Line
■ Departure and arrival stations: Kyoto Station ~ Togano-o (partially to Shuzan)
■ Routes:
There are three routes, namely: the route passing through Ritsumeikan University, the route passing through Ichijodori, and the route passing through Karasuma. Regardless of which route, all will travel to “Togano-o”. If you want to go to other places (such as Iwato-ochiba-jinja Shrine), then you need to pay attention!
a. Route via Ritsumeikan University (Japanese: 立命館大学経由)
b. Route via Ichijodori (Japanese: 一条通経由)
c. Route via Karasuma (Japanese: 烏丸経由)
■ Timetable: Please refer to the official website for any adjustments as they may vary each year.
■ Travel time: 50 minutes (theoretical value)
■ Cost: One-way ¥230 (Kyoto-Togano-o falls within the same fare zone)
■ Average departure frequency: Approximately 1-2 departures per hour.
■ Attractions in the Takao area: Kozan-ji Temple (Togano-o), Saimyo-ji Temple (Makino-o), Jingo-ji Temple (Takao)
■ Valid tickets: JR Bus Takao One-Day Pass, JR West Pass Kansai Edition, Kyoto Subway and Bus One-Day Pass
■ Itinerary Suggestions:
a. If you want to visit all three temples, it is recommended to start with Kozan-ji Temple, then Saimyo-ji Temple, and finally Jingo-ji Temple. The advantage of this route is that it is easier as you go downhill.
b. If you only want to visit Jingo-ji Temple, you can go in the order of Jingo-ji Temple → Ryoan-ji Temple → Kyoto City Center.
■ Boarding location in front of Kyoto Station.
Bus boarding area in front of Kyoto Station, JR3.
JR3 Bus Stop
Kyoto City Bus – Route 8
■ Departure and Arrival Stations: Shijo Karasuma ~ Takao
■ Route: Shijo Karasuma → Shijo Omiya → Uzumasa Tenjingawa → Fukuoji → Takao
■ Travel Time: 52 minutes (theoretical value)
■ Cost: One-way ￥230 (Shijo Karasuma to Takao)
■ Average Departure Frequency: Approximately 1 train per hour.
■ Attractions in Takao Area: Jingo-ji Temple
■ Valid Tickets: KTP, Kyoto Subway, Bus One-day Pass
■ Itinerary:
Since it can only reach Takao (Jingo-ji Temple), if you want to go to Kozan-ji Temple, you will need to take the JR bus or hike up. From Takao Station, walk to JR Togano-o Station, which is approximately 900 meters away.
■ The boarding locations in the Shijo Karasuma area are indicated by the blue circles in the following image.
Kyoto Bus – Route 90
■ Departure and arrival stations: Hankyu Arashiyama Station to Nishiyama Takao
■ Route: Hankyu Arashiyama Station → Keifuku Arashiyama Station → Toriimoto → Nishiyama Takao
■ Explanation: Due to its low usage, the train only operates once a year on the day of the spring equinox. Therefore, there is not much information available about it. (News)
Reference Materials
■ JR West Japan Bus Official Website
For more information on transportation in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Nara, please refer to the Kansai Transportation Guide page.
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1059/』
