A Complete Guide To Kyoto's Hidden Fishing Village - The Town Of Ine
- Ollie Toth
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
A complete guide to visiting Ine, a hidden fishing village in the far north of Kyoto
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
Overview
The town of Ine (ii-nay) is a gorgeous fishing village about 2-3 hours north of Kyoto city. This humble town is famous for its uniquely designed boat houses, known as funaya. These are traditional houses built on the water, with a garage for boats on the first floor, and the living quarters on the upper floors. It has been declared a national preservation district by the Japanese government, and is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Japan.
Despite its preservation status and incredible beauty, it remains relatively unknown to foreign tourism, which makes it the perfect escape for people seeking out a more peaceful experience in Japan. It's great for a day trip, and even better if you manage to spend a night or two at one of the funaya.
Table of Contents
Spend a night in a funaya guesthouse
Enjoy beautiful views at the Ine Cafe
Join a boat cruise
Location & Access
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
Ine is located in the far north of Kyoto Prefecture, which is a two-hour drive from Kyoto city. If you take public transport, the journey will take around 3 hours, requiring a train to Amanohashidate station and then a 1-hour bus to reach the town of Ine. Amanohashidate is a popular beach destination and is often included in a weekend trip to the area.
📍 Location
Ine, Kyoto Prefecture
🚗 Car
Travel Time: 2 hours
Rental Cost: ¥8000 - ¥12,000 per 24 hours
🚂 Train & Bus
Travel Time: 3.5 hours
Cost: ¥5200 per person
Tickets: At the station
Seasons
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
The town of Ine is beautiful throughout the year, it expresses all four seasons with sakura, autumn leaves, and occasional snow during winter. Summer is the most popular time to visit due to the increase in visitors to the neighbouring beach town of Amanohashidate.
🌸 Cherry Blossoms
Late March to Early April
🍁 Autumn Leaves
Late November to Early December
☀️ Summer
June - August
Average temp. 32°C
❄️ Winter
December - February
Snowfall: 3-5 times per year
The Best Things To Do In Ine
1. Spend A Night In A Funaya
Image Source: Funaya Kura Guesthouse
Spending a couple of nights at one of Ine's famous funaya boat houses is a unique experience and a fun escape from typical hotels. A handful of the Ine no funaya have been turned into guesthouses, but they are notoriously difficult to book for foreign tourists. To make this process easier, we compiled a list of the best accommodation in Ine which include an online booking option for foreign visitors. We've included this list in a separate article complete with photos and booking links, you can check it out here.
Ine no Funaya Guesthouses
Price Range: $250 - $500
2. Visit The Ine Cafe
Image Source: Ine Cafe
The Ine Cafe is one of the most famous places in town thanks to its photogenic interior, gorgeous views, and delicious cakes. They serve coffee, tea, and matcha, plus a nice selection of cakes, and some simple lunch items. They have two levels of seating available, all the seats have beautiful views and look out onto the bay and funaya houses.
Ine Cafe
Price Range: ¥1000 - ¥3000
Opening Hours: 10:30am - 4:30pm*
*Closed on Wednesdays
3. Check Out The Observation Deck
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
One of the coolest things to do in Ine is heading up to the observation deck at the Funaya no Sato Park. The park features a parking lot, a couple of restaurants and shops, a tourist info centre, and an observation deck offering gorgeous views over the town. Another reason to spend a night in Ine is to watch the sunset from here, or come during the night for some amazing stargazing. If you don't have a car don't worry, it's not too high and is quite easy to walk here from the town, it's about a 20-minute walk from the cafe.
The Funaya no Sato Observation Deck
Cost: Free
Opening Hours: 24 hours
4. Join a Boat Cruise
Image Source: Getty Images
The Ine Cruise Ferry offers scenic boat tours around the bay and funaya and is one of the most popular ways to experience the village. The ferry doesn't require reservations, departs every 30 minutes, and takes you on a 25-minute cruise around the bay, giving you a wonderful perspective of the funaya houses. You can also take one of the smaller sea taxis that offer a more personal experience, these require reservations, which are handled by the tourism office at the Funaya no Sato Park.
The Cruise Ferry is located only a 5-minute walk from the bus terminal.
Ine Boat Tours
Opening Hours: 9am - 4pm, departs every 30 minutes
Time: 25 minutes
Cost: ¥1000
