Kurama is a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto, less than one hour from the city centre.

Kurama's main attraction, Kurama-dera, is a Buddhist temple located along the steep wooded mountainside above the town. The temple is a national treasure, featuring Buddhist influenced sculptures and the Yuki-Jinja shrine.

It takes about 30-45 minutes to climb up to the temple's main buildings from the town below. A cablecar (200 yen one way) leads about halfway up the mountain. Along the ascent to Kurama-dera stands Yuki Jinja, a shrine famous for its Fire Festival (Kurama Hi Matsuri), held annually on October 22.

Kurama-dera's main buildings stand on a terrace on the mountain slope, overlooking the wooded valley.

Behind the temple's main building, the hiking trail continues through the forest past several other temple structures to Kibune, a small town in the neighboring valley. The hike from Kurama-dera to Kibune takes about one hour and is steep at times.

Kurama is also known for one of the most easily accessible hot springs from Kyoto, Kurama Onsen; however, the complex closed during the pandemic, and it is not clear when or if it will reopen.