the ancient golden route

1 night 2 days.

For anyone visiting Kyoto City, this area is a must visit. It complements Kyoto City and gives the visitor a chance to see the city’s deep roots.

A two-hour limited express train from Kyoto City brings visitors to the Origin of Japan. This region was Japan’s first ancient kingdom, and that DNA creates the foundation for everything people do here. The artisans are innovators influencing global fashion and design, the sake brewers are exhibitionists creating sake from ancient red rice, wisteria vines, and legendary strains of bacteria found in their centuries’ old breweries. This region traces its roots to the first rice plants cultivated in Japan and the first sacred sake offered to the gods. This region is a utopia for foodies and creatives.

AMANOHASHIDATE

Arrive at Amanohashidate and drop your bags at your hotel or ryokan. The accommodations here are modern, clean, and have natural hot springs to accompany the excellent cuisine.

Walk back to Amanohashidate Station to catch the bus to Ine, or call in advance for a high-speed boat to travel on the water.

Ine, one of the world’s rarest villages

230 boat houses line Ine Bay (one of UNESCO’s World’s Most Beautiful Bays), and visitors are invited to explore the singular street that wraps around the bay, walking between people’s main house (mountain side) and boat house. Boat houses were traditionally used as boat garages and storage, and a few of them have been generously opened to the public for viewing. The English speaking staff at the Ine Tourist Association (where the bus drops visitors off in Ine) offers inexpensive viewing tickets and will explain which houses are open. Other highlights in Ine include:

• sea taxi tour (30 minute small boat tour of the bay and history)

• Ine mondori walking tour (sustainable fishing and Ine lifestyle tour)

• Visit to a world-class sake brewery, Mukai Sake Brewery (making ancient red rice sake)

Ine Tourist Association has more information on all of these experiences

There are quite a few lunch options in Ine as well. For a list of some of the best places to grab some seaside eats, check out the Ine restaurant page

Heading back to Amanohashidate via the bus that picks visitors up in front of the Tourist Association, its a good idea to sit on the left side of the bus coming back for sea views (and the right side of the bus going to Ine).

Once back at Amanohashidate, it will be time to check into the ryokan. There are quite a variety of accommodations ranging from onsen hotels, to modern ryokan with western suites, and even accommodations with gorgeous Japanese architecture set along the sea. The following two links include some of Amanohashidate’s top accommodations. Look for the “Amanohashdiate” next to the accommodation’s name to check if its in this area.

Day 2

Some time to leisurely explore Amanohashidate

The bridge to heaven, and one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views, this area just feels ancient. Incredibly easy to travel around without a car, there are options to walk, bike, or even boat around the area to soak in this 1300-year-old pilgrimage route that nature finally finished creating over 3,000 years ago. here are some highlights regarding the Amanohashidate area.
•3.6km natural land bridge with white sandy beaches and pine forest
•sea kayaking, SUP, swimming, rent-a-cycles, boat tours, and two overlooks
•Chionji, temple of wisdom

For visitors who want to make a full-day of the region before heading back to Kyoto City, or on to their next destination like Kinosaki Onsen or Osaka, there are a variety of experiences created specifically for the English speaking market. And they can all be done with public transportation.

Check out some of our other inspiration courses!