Short hike in Kyoto - Stunning panorama of the city and a distant view of Osaka

 


This was the shortest hike we did with Hemid while I was in Kansai, but it was very worth it. I didn't plan to revisit Kyoto, it's way too touristy and I did that last time. But Hemid suggested we go for a hike to a viewpoint, and I liked the idea. He came from Nara and I came from Osaka, since I moved there a couple of days ago. It was nice to see a bit of Kyoto, too, the area where I stayed last time (Gion) even if it was absolutely crowded. Then we looked up a hiking trail on Maps.me, which was supposed to start from a temple, but it turned out it was closed. We ended up walking around the mountain mostly along an asphalt road, but finally we reached the viewpoint of Higashiyama. There is also a temple near the viewpoint that charges an entry fee (¥600) but they have a big terrace that provides a view on an area of Kyoto that cannot be seen from the other viewpoint, plus an elevated lookout terrace that offers an amazing panorama of all of Kyoto. You can also see Osaka in the distance, even the Abeno Harukas building can be spotted, near where my hotel was. We descended via a mountain trail and ended up in a cemetery, then we were back in tourist central. It was another great day with Hemid, unfortunately the last one this time. But I will see him again somewhere, isa, maybe in Sinai.















































































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