Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business For more than a thousand years Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan, and it still holds an extraordinary concentration of temples, shrines, gardens and wooden townhouses.
Kyoto was spared the large-scale bombing that destroyed much of urban Japan in the Second World War, so its historic fabric survives on a scale found almost nowhere else in the country.
It is also a city of seasons. Cherry blossoms frame the canals in spring, maples turn temple gardens crimson in late autumn, summer brings lantern-lit festivals and riverside dining platforms, and winter offers quiet temples and the occasional snowfall on golden rooftops.
The eastern hills of Higashiyama hold the densest cluster of classic sights, and Fushimi Inari lies a short train ride south of Kyoto Station. Together they make a natural first day.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the thousands of Inari shrines across Japan, dedicated to the deity of rice and prosperity. Its famous feature is the network of vermilion torii gates, each donated by a business or individual, that climbs Mount Inari in long tunnels.
Thousands of donated torii gates line the trails of Fushimi Inari Taisha on Mount Inari. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Founded in the late eighth century, Kiyomizu-dera is known for its main hall, which stands on a huge wooden stage built without nails and projecting over the hillside. From the stage you look across a sea of maples toward the city.
Downhill from Kiyomizu-dera, the stone-paved slopes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are lined with wooden shops selling pottery, sweets, pickles and tea. They lead past the five-storied Yasaka Pagoda of Hokan-ji, whose silhouette above the rooftops is one of Kyoto's defining views, and on toward Kodai-ji temple and Maruyama Park.
For the classic photograph of the pagoda framed by the old street, walk up the short lane called Yasaka-dori from the Ninenzaka side and look uphill. Be patient and stay out of the roadway, since local residents and delivery vehicles still use these streets.
Sannenzaka is a stone-paved lane of traditional shops leading up toward Kiyomizu-dera. Photo: Andrea Schaffer from Sydney, Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen temple whose upper two floors are covered in gold leaf. Originally a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, it was burned by a monk in 1950 and rebuilt in 1955. Seen across its mirror pond, it is unforgettable.
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is covered in gold leaf and reflected in the Kyoko-chi pond. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, was never covered in silver, but its raked sand garden, moss slopes and modest pavilion are quietly beautiful. From its approach, the Philosopher's Path follows a canal south for about two kilometers, named after the philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who walked it daily. Small temples and cafes sit along the way, including Honen-in with its thatched gate.
The Philosopher's Path follows a canal between Ginkaku-ji and the Nanzen-ji area. Photo: Reggaeman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
On the western edge of the city, Arashiyama combines mountains, river and temples. The Sagano bamboo grove is a short path between towering green stalks that creak in the wind. Beside it, Tenryu-ji, one of Kyoto's great Zen temples, has a garden designed by Muso Soseki that borrows the mountain scenery behind it.
The Sagano bamboo grove in Arashiyama is one of Kyoto's most recognizable scenes. Photo: Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nijo Castle was built in the early seventeenth century as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. Inside the Ninomaru Palace, the famous nightingale floors squeak underfoot, a feature often said to have warned against intruders, and painted screens fill the reception rooms. The surrounding gardens and moats are lovely in cherry blossom season.
Nijo Castle was built for the Tokugawa shoguns and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo: Martin Falbisoner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nishiki Market is a covered shopping street around five blocks long in central Kyoto, packed with more than a hundred stalls selling pickles, tofu, fresh seafood, dashi ingredients, knives and sweets. Allow one hour.
Nishiki Market is a narrow covered shopping street known as Kyoto's kitchen. Photo: Sergiy Galyonkin from Raleigh, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Kyoto's cuisine is refined and seasonal. The pinnacle is kaiseki, a multi-course meal that reflects the time of year through ingredients and tableware.
Matcha from nearby Uji appears in everything from formal tea to soft serve and parfaits, and wagashi sweets are made to match the season. Yatsuhashi, a cinnamon-flavored rice flour confection, is the classic edible souvenir.
Popular dishes to try in Kyoto
The area around Kyoto Station suits short stays and travelers with luggage, since it is the hub for trains, airport expresses and buses, though it feels more modern than historic.
Central Kyoto, around Shijo, Karasuma and Kawaramachi, is the most convenient all-round base, with subway access, shopping, Nishiki Market and evening dining in Pontocho within walking distance.
Higashiyama and Gion put you steps from the old streets, ideal for early morning and late evening walks when day visitors have gone.
Where to stay in Kyoto
Spring is famous for cherry blossoms, usually peaking around late March to early April, and autumn leaves typically peak from mid to late November.
Summer is hot and humid, with a rainy season roughly from June into July, but it brings the Gion Matsuri in July, one of Japan's most celebrated festivals, with its grand procession of floats.
The Tokaido Shinkansen links Tokyo and Kyoto in a little over two hours. From Kansai International Airport, the JR Haruka limited express reaches Kyoto Station in about 75 minutes, and limousine buses also run.
Kyoto's two subway lines, JR lines and private railways such as Keihan and Hankyu are usually faster than buses, which can be packed and slow at peak times.
Start at Fushimi Inari at dawn, then take the train to the Higashiyama area.
Head to Arashiyama early for the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji, walk across the Togetsukyo Bridge, then return to central Kyoto to tour Nijo Castle and browse Nishiki Market.
Visit Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji in the morning.
Take a day trip to Nara for Todai-ji and the deer park, or to Uji for the Byodo-in and a tea tasting.
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