Walk the thousand gates of Fushimi Inari

This is Kyoto's most iconic sight, and it's completely free. Thousands of vermilion torii gates wind up the wooded slopes of Mount Inari in a seemingly endless tunnel of orange, one of the most magical walks in Japan. The full loop to the summit takes a couple of hours, and the higher you climb the thinner the crowds become. Go at dawn or dusk to have stretches of it almost to yourself. We'll tell you how early to arrive and how far up to walk for the best of it without the crush.