The one way journey from Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station) to Yoshino by express trains takes about 95 minutes, costs 1030 yen and requires two transfers of trains at Yamato-Saidaiji and Kashiharajingu-mae Stations.
Note that the Kansai Railway Pass is not valid all the way to Yoshino, and that pass holders would need to pay a 520 yen supplement one way.
The one way journey from Nara (JR Nara Station) to Yoshino-guchi Station costs 770 yen, takes 45-60 minutes and requires up to two transfers of trains at Oji and Takada Stations, although, there are also a few direct trains. At Yoshino-guchi Station, transfer to the Kintetsu Yoshino Line to Yoshino (30 minutes, 460 yen, not covered by the Japan Rail Pass).
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Yoshinoyama is divided into four areas: the Shimo Senbon (lower 1000 trees) at the base of the mountain, Naka Senbon (middle 1000 trees), Kami Senbon (upper 1000 trees) and Oku Senbon (inner 1000 trees) at the top of the mountain.
Most visitors arrive via Yoshino Station in the Shimo Senbon (lower) area of the mountain. The road up Yoshinoyama starts off relatively steeply, but flattens out as you enter the town.
The Yoshino Ropeway provides an alternative to walking up the first steep slope and drops you off at the entrance to the town. It costs 450 yen one way or 800 yen for a round trip. There are four departures per hour. Outside of the cherry blossom and autumn color seasons, the ropeway operates only from Friday to Monday and on national holidays, while a substitute bus operates from Tuesday to Thursday.
The town stretches into the Naka Senbon (middle) area which remains relatively flat and is home to most of Yoshino's famous temples and shrines, as well as many ryokan, restaurants and souvenir shops. There are also several small parks that provide pleasant settings for hanami activities.
In the Kami Senbon (upper) area, the town gradually ends and the mountain gets steeper again. The area offers many attractive picnic spots under the trees and nice views over the lower slopes of the mountain. It takes about one hour to walk from the upper ropeway station to Mikumari Shrine at the far end of the Kami Senbon area.
The Oku Senbon (inner) area is covered by forest, which mainly consists of trees other than cherry trees. Despite being located towards the top of the mountain, the Oku Senbon area offer almost no views of the cherry tree covered mountain slopes. It takes 90 minutes or more to walk from the upper ropeway station to Kinbu Shrine in the Oku Senbon area.
Many visitors explore Yoshinoyama entirely on foot. However, besides the above mentioned ropeway, there are also buses which can be used to help cut down on the walking distance or to save time:
During the cherry blossom season, shuttle buses operate between Yoshino Station and the Naka Senbon area near Chikurin-in Temple from late March to late April (March 23 to April 21, 2024; 450 yen one way, 2 buses/hour). From the Naka Senbon area near Chikurin-in Temple, mini buses operate further to the Oku Senbon area of Yoshinoyama until early May (March 23 to May 6, 2024; 15 minutes, 400 yen one way, 1-2 buses/hour).
Outside of the cherry blossom season, mini buses operate hourly from the upper ropeway station (Yoshinoyama Station) through the town into the Oku Senbon area on weekends outside of winter. The fare depends on the distance traveled and ranges between 170 and 500 yen. The ride from the upper ropeway station to Oku Senbon takes twenty minutes. The buses do not operate on weekdays and from early December to early March.
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