I have 4 days to spend in Osaka since Osaka is very close to Kyoto; I decided to have a day trip to Kyoto with my son. I have never seen Kyoto and I wanted to see a glimpse of it. I know one day is not enough to visit Kyoto. So my plan is very simple, I wanted to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nineinzaka, and the famous blue bottle coffee. Only three places should be easy right? Wrong! Hahaha..
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Entrance fee: free
I depart from Shinsaibashi station Osaka at 09.30 am, take Shinkansen to Kyoto within 1 hour. I got off at Inari Station, which is only 8 meters away from Fushimi Inari Shrine gate. I wanted to come to the Fushimi Inari shrine because I have seen beautiful pictures of the orange shrines. It was really pretty, but in reality, there are so many people visit Fushimi inari shrine that day which make it so hard to take a good picture. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings according to https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html.
That time there was a golden week, so everywhere was full of people. I only manage to go through the first set of torii gates. My son cannot handle a crowded place. No chance to take a decent picture of my son inside the torii gates, then we just take pictures on the side of torii gates.
Then we walk back to the front gate. On the way back we had matcha ice cream along the way. The ice cream there is a bit too pricey, but the ice cream tastes good. And they only accept cash payment.
Nineinzaka
The next stop is Nineinzaka. I took a bus to go to Nineinzaka from Fushimi Inari Shrine. On a regular day, it is probably would be nice to walk around Nineinzaka wearing kimono. I wish to do that too, however in reality when I travel only with my son, it is just not practical. Maybe I will do it next time. If you are interested in renting kimono, I saw a couple of kimono renting a place near Nineinzaka. I like Nineinzaka because it has a lot of food and souvenir stores. The road is climbing up to the Kiyomizu Dera. The road is pretty steep, so it is pretty tiring.
Blue Bottle Coffee
The last place I visit is the blue bottle coffee. I like coffee, and I heard some people are raving about blue bottle coffee. From Nineinzaka I took a taxi to blue bottle coffee. The place has a minimalist and simple design. There is a long queue inside.
The blue bottle coffee shop divided into 2 building, the front part is where they sell merchandise and instant coffee and behind it is the coffee shop where you can order your freshly made coffee.
I ordered a hot mocha and iced lemonade for my son. The mocha taste is pretty good. Even though the queue is quite long, the lines move pretty fast. Your coffee will be ready in 10 minutes.
On the way back to the train station, we pass by an unused train track; I don’t know what the name of that place is. We stop by to have a look and take pictures.
ND PASSION 