Visiting Snowy Kurama Trip with Kids
We went on a family trip to see snowy Kurama with our child.
For everyone who wants to enjoy Kyoto in winter—
Hello!
This is skydolphin-M- (^^♪
Our child had been saying,
“I want to see snow!”
So last Sunday, with the clear goal of “seeing snow,”
we decided to visit Kurama.
And the result?
A huge success! (^^♪
Before I got married,
I often visited Kyoto with my camera,
so I already had a rough idea of how to plan my movements efficiently.
Based on that experience,
I’ll share a real-life report including important
points to watch out for when traveling with children to see snow.
Please note:
This blog contains affiliate links.
Introduction
On Snowy Days, the Train Is the Best Choice!
The first thing we worried about was transportation.
Our car has normal tires,
so driving on snowy roads was absolutely not an option…
So we parked the car at a coin parking lot near
Neyagawa-shi Station
and decided to travel by Keihan Railway.
Since it was My husband first time seeing snow,
we thought it would be nice to stop by other places as well.
At Demachiyanagi Station,
we purchased the Kurama & Kibune Pass♪
If you want to know more details,
click the image below to jump to the official Eizan Railway website.
With this pass, we had unlimited rides on the Eizan Railway,
and even got a discount on the Kurama Temple entrance fee—
so it was a lucky choice!
…But you know what?
I’ll share more about that at the end.
By the way,
it honestly shocked me that the Kurama & Kibune ticket—
which used to be available in Neyagawa City—
is now more expensive and can only be purchased at
Demachiyanagi Station ( ;∀;)
A Must for Families: Leave the Stroller in the Station Lockers (Limited Availability)
When we went,
we could already see a light layer of snow from around Iwakura,
and by the time we reached Ninose, there was clearly a heavy snowfall.
The moment we arrived at Kibuneguchi Station,
I really wanted to get off and explore—
but we held back and continued on to Kurama.
As soon as we stepped off at Kurama Station,
the crisp, icy air hit my face, and
I couldn’t help but smile, thinking,
“Long time no see, winter.”
While fixing our bags and fully switching into mom mode,
I completely forgot to take photos of the retro waiting room… oops.
There are only two large lockers at Kurama Station,
and we managed to fit our stroller into one of them.
Last year, I had asked the staff
near the Niomon Gate to keep our stroller,
because I wasn’t sure if my child’s stamina would last.
This year, though,
I felt it might be inconvenient for them,
so we decided to use the station lockers instead.
Honestly speaking—
it’s much easier to explore Kurama without a stroller.
Next, we took some photos with the
big Tengu statue in front of the station.
Covered in snow, it looked surprisingly cute!
Fun fact: back in 2017, the Tengu’s impressive nose was actually broken.If I find those old photos, I’ll share them here later.
Update: February 11, 2026
This photo was originally posted on Instagram.
At that time, my account name was different from
my current one, skydolphin-M-,
so it appears under another name — but it is my account.
If you click on the photo,
you will be redirected to the gallery I am currently creating on this blog.
There was also enough snow near the station
itself for some quick snow play,
which made my child absolutely thrilled.
Even my husband ended up throwing snowballs and having fun like a kid.
Take the Cable Car Straight into a “Silver Wonderland”
After passing through the Niomon Gate,
I strongly recommend using the cable car
—don’t overdo it, especially in winter.
For those who find the location confusing,
I’ve included a Google Map below (click to open).
In simple terms, the cable car station is located
on the second floor of a building called “Fumyoden.” 「普明殿」
The Kurama Temple cable car is
actually operated by the temple itself,
and it takes only about two minutes to reach the top of the mountain.
Once you get off and walk a little…
you’ll find yourself surrounded by a pure white, snow-covered world.
From there to the main hall, you’ll need to
walk up stairs and slopes for a while.
The snow is soft and beautiful—
but yes, it’s very cold(*_*;
A Tricky Rest Area & Essential Cold-Weather Tips
We eventually reached a rest area along the way,
but here’s an important thing to know:
There are vending machines for drinks,
but no food that will actually fill you up.
So if you suddenly think,
“I’m getting hungry…”
there’s really nothing you can do once you’re up the mountain.
For families with kids especially,
I strongly recommend bringing some light snacks.
For our trip, we packed:
- One large rice ball per person
- Two kinds of connected snack packs
- One bag of chocolate stick bread
As for the rest area itself…
when we visited, it was freezing inside.
So not only handheld warmers,
but also stick-on heat packs for the back and feet were a lifesaver.
Full winter defense mode was the right choice (´ω｀)
You can buy them on Amazon Japan by clicking the photo below.
The Beautiful Contrast of Snow and Vermilion Red
The final stretch was tough—
the stairs were steep, and my legs were already tired.
But at last, we reached the main hall.
Even as pure white snow swirled through the air,
the temple’s vivid vermilion red stood out boldly and powerfully.
Seeing this contrast in person was absolutely worth it,
and we were able to fully enjoy the texture and feel of the snow.
The Key to Traveling with Kids: Don’t Try to Do Everything
This time, we decided to call it a day at the main hall.
Going all the way to the Okunoin would have
been dangerous on snowy paths,
and considering our child’s stamina,
we chose not to push ourselves and headed back down.
Important Things to Know When Using the Cable Car
The cable car is available for those who make a donation.
- Adults: 200 yen one way
- Elementary school children: 100 yen one way
There’s a small machine where you can make the payment—
please use that when boarding.
I forgot to take a photo,
so imagine a cute little illustration here instead LOL
If you’re taking the cable car down,
be absolutely sure to check the final operating time.
(translation by Weblio)
If you miss it, you’ll have to walk all the way down the snowy mountain.
I’ve done that on purpose before…
it’s slippery, exhausting, and completely impossible with kids.
Please be careful ((+_+))
A Recommended Lunch Spot Near Kurama Temple
After descending, we had lunch at a restaurant called
“Nagomiya Ko-Tengu”「和み家 心天狗」, located just near the gate.
I ordered the hot “Chikara Tengu Udon”
for 1,600 yen (current price).
And we also had rice balls:
- Left: Leaf chili pepper rice ball
- Right: Chirimen (dried baby sardines) rice ball
Each was around 180–200 yen (current price—I forgot the exact amount).
I chose the chirimen one (´艸｀)
As for the udon—
the warm broth soaked into my chilled body like magic.
The thick shiitake mushrooms on top were juicy and tender,
and even though I usually avoid shiitake,
I genuinely found them delicious this time.
There was nothing more luxurious than that moment.
The chirimen rice ball, with its gentle saltiness,
was exactly what my body needed
after coming down from the snowy mountain.
It honestly felt like the word “cozy” popped up above
my head in sparkly letters ✨
On the Way Back, “Don’t Overdo It” Is Best
On the train ride home,
I really wanted to stop at Kibuneguchi,
and my child even asked to see the snow one more time.
But after all that playing, She fell fast asleep.
I also wanted to get off
at another station on the way to Dema chi yanagi ,
but with work the next day and a stroller to manage,
we decided to head straight home this time.
To make things even funnier—
I completely forgot to use the
discount for the temple fee that came with the “Kurama & Kibune Ticket.”
So what should’ve been a great deal
ended up costing more than expected LOL
Please don’t make the same mistake!
That said,
our main goal—“I want to show my husband snow!”—
was achieved 120%.
All in all, it was a deeply satisfying and memorable day.
In Closing
For about a week before the trip,
I kept checking snow conditions using
live cameras that show Kyoto’s sightseeing and congestion status.
I even searched for updates late at night
—around 2 a.m. on the day of the trip! (lol)
If snow has already piled up, it’s best to go early in the day.
There’s always a chance it may start melting sooner than expected,
and depending on the weather forecast, it might not snow at all.
For those who actually prefer no snow,
it can feel colder when there’s no snow on the ground,
so please make sure to dress warmly when you visit.
If you’re visiting mainly for the snow and
it doesn’t work out this year,
I hope this article can still be helpful as a reference for next winter.
Check out my Japanese blog post here.
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