Kitayama Cedar & Tea
Northern hills, cedar air, and tea above the city.
About this route
The Kitayama hills are where Kyoto goes quiet. This route climbs through a cedar plantation that supplies wood to traditional builders across the city. The air smells like sap and old needles.
At 350 meters you reach tea terraces with a view over the entire city — on clear days you can see Osaka. The Ohara temple district appears without warning: small, forested, and free of the tour buses that crowd the temples closer to the center. The climb is 200 meters total. Bring shoes with grip.
What you'll see
- Kitayama cedar plantation (supply wood for traditional construction)
- Tea terraces with city views
- Ohara temple district without the crowds
- Mountain spring water collection points
Route kit includes
- Washi paper map with elevation profile
- 10 audio stops via QR code
- 2 cafe recommendations (mountain huts)
- Cedar and tree species ID card
- Return bus route + self-guided descent map
Your guide
Alex Torres — Travel writer. Climbs this route twice a month.
5.8 km
4 hours
Hill
Apr–Nov
¥8,500
per person, includes route kit
Route Map
Kitayama-dori Start
Where the city ends and the hills begin
Cedar Plantation Gate
Entry to the managed forest
Viewpoint Bench
First clear view of the city below
Tea Terrace
Working tea fields at 350m elevation
Mountain Spring
Locals fill bottles here
Ohara Village
Temple district entrance
Jakkoin Temple
Quiet temple with a tragic history
Sanzenin Moss Garden
Moss garden that few tourists reach
About Kitayama / Ohara
The northern hills are where Kyoto ends. Cedar plantations climb the slopes. Tea terraces sit at elevations where the air is cooler and the view stretches to Osaka on clear days. Ohara is a village that happens to have world-class temples — not a temple district that happens to have residents.
Best time: 6:00am–10:00am
Explore Kitayama