Kurama and Kibune

Kurama and Kibune sit on either side of a wooded ridge about half an hour north of Kyoto by a small electric railway, and the standard way to do them is to arrive at one, walk over, and leave from the other - about an hour and a half through cedar forest past the tangled surface roots on the Kurama-dera trail, which are exposed by the thin soil and are the walk's best-known feature. Kurama-dera, founded in 770, sits on the slope with a mountain-temple atmosphere and a legend attaching the tengu to these woods; Kibune Shrine, on the other side, is dedicated to the god of water and is approached up a stone stair between vermilion lanterns. In summer the restaurants at Kibune build kawadoko - platforms out over the stream, so you eat with the water running directly underneath, several degrees cooler than the city. Kurama has a public onsen.

What you actually see

• The ridge walk - about ninety minutes through cedar over exposed root paths.
• Kurama-dera - a mountain temple founded in 770, with tengu legends attached.
• Kibune's lantern stair - the vermilion approach to the shrine of the water god.
• Kawadoko - summer dining platforms built out over the stream.

When to go

June to September for kawadoko; November for maples. A day.

Honest expectations

The walk is steep in places and slippery when wet. Kawadoko restaurants are expensive and require booking. Autumn weekends fill the small railway to standing. The villages are tiny and services close early.

Nearby

Kyoto city is south down the Eizan line; Ohara is east over the hills.