The start of this thru-hike begins near Tofukuji Station and ends at Inari Station. Both stations connect to the main Kyoto Station via the JR Nara Line with regular service. (JR Rail Pass Accessible)
Tofukuji Station is the first stop on the JR Nara Line when departing from Kyoto Station. Train Information via Google Maps

1. Urban Hike to the Trailhead.

   From Tofukuji Station, it is a short walk through the town past various temples, schools, and shrines before you head off into the forest.
   
   Google Maps Walking Map – Tofukuji Station to Trail Head and #2 on the map below.
   
   Note the grade between #4 & #6. This is a very steep section of stairs and Tori Gates. The Thru-Hike route from Tofukuji to Inari is a much gentler climb to the top of Mt. Inari.
   

2. Follow the loop to see a collection of Tori Gates

   This loop is where we encounter people on the trail for the first time. There are many Tori Gates but as we saw later these initial ones were smaller and more spaced out.

3. Summit Mt. Inari

   This is the turnaround location for many people doing an out and back hike from Inari Station. Some of the main benefits of our thru-hike was avoiding them and not having to see the same things twice.

4. Join the Crowds

   This was towards the end of the hike but it seemed the farther we descended the more crowded it became.

5. Extend the Hike

   There is a side option during the descent to head towards a lake. It looked to be a less crowded path so we took it. However, the lake was unimpressive and this is the only photo we took.

6. Finish at the Fushimi Inari Shrine

   The Inari Station is very close to the Fushimi Shrine and so capturing the exclusive Instagram travel photo is nearly impossible without impeccable timing.