Kyoto Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Fushimi Inari is the most visited shrine in Kyoto and one of the most photographed sites in Japan. The shrine is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates that line the trails climbing the wooded slopes of Mount Inari behind the main shrine buildings. The gates were donated by businesses and individuals over centuries, each bearing the donor’s name and date in black ink on the back.

The full trail to the summit takes approximately 2 to 3 hours return. The most photographed section, where the gates are densest and closest together, is in the first 20 minutes of the climb. Arrive before 7am to experience these sections with minimal crowds. By 9am the lower trails are extremely busy with tour groups.

• Entry: free, open 24 hours
• Access: 5 minutes walk from JR Inari station on the Nara line
• Best time: early morning or late afternoon for the best light

Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is covered in gold leaf and reflected in the still pond in front of it. The image is one of the most recognizable in Japanese travel photography and the reality genuinely lives up to it, particularly in early morning winter when the pavilion sits above a thin layer of snow and the reflection is perfect.

The site is crowded throughout the day but the viewing path moves efficiently and the main view is available to everyone regardless of how many people are present. Allow 45 minutes for the full garden walk. Combine with Ryoan-ji, the famous rock garden temple, which is 10 minutes away on foot and far less visited despite its equal significance.

Kiyomizu-dera is a wooden temple complex built into the hillside above the Higashiyama district, with a famous stage extending 13 meters out over the valley below supported by 139 pillars joined without a single nail. The view from the stage encompasses the Kyoto valley, the surrounding forested hills, and on clear days the distant mountains of the Higashiyama range.

The approach to Kiyomizu-dera through the Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka stone-paved lanes is as much a part of the experience as the temple itself. These preserved merchant streets are lined with tea houses, ceramics shops, and vendors selling Kyoto specialties. The entire area glows extraordinary colors in autumn foliage season.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in western Kyoto is one of Japan’s most iconic natural sights. The tall bamboo stalks create a tunnel of green filtered light and the sound of the wind through the grove is extraordinary enough to be listed as one of Japan’s 100 Soundscapes to Protect. The grove runs for several hundred meters between Tenryu-ji temple and the Okochi Sanso villa garden.

Arashiyama as a district extends well beyond the bamboo grove and rewards a full day of exploration. The Tenryu-ji garden is one of the finest in Kyoto. Traditional boat rides along the Hozu River offer a view of the gorge scenery that is inaccessible by land. The hillside above the district contains quieter temple trails with views across the Kyoto basin.

Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, centered on Hanamikoji Street and the network of historic okiya (geisha houses) and teahouses that have operated here for centuries. Walking through Gion in the early evening offers the possibility of spotting a geiko (Kyoto’s term for geisha) or maiko (apprentice) moving between engagements, though sightings have become rarer as the community has shrunk.

The district is best explored on foot in the late afternoon, when the lanterns begin to light and the wooden architecture of the machiya townhouses is at its most atmospheric. The Shirakawa canal running through Shinbashi, just north of the main Gion area, is lined with cherry trees that make it one of Kyoto’s most photographed spots in spring.

Higashiyama is the best-preserved historic district in Kyoto, running along the base of the eastern mountains from Kiyomizu-dera in the south to the Heian Shrine in the north. The stone-paved lanes of Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka connect the main sites and are lined with machiya townhouses converted into restaurants, shops, and small guesthouses. Staying overnight in Higashiyama allows you to experience the district after the day visitors have left.

Arashiyama in western Kyoto is centered on the bamboo grove and the Togetsukyo bridge over the Oi River. The district has a slower pace than central Kyoto and contains some of the city’s finest gardens and most atmospheric temple walks. The Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street, a 10-minute walk north from the main tourist area, is an exceptionally well-preserved historic street that most visitors never reach.

Nishiki Market, known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, is a 400-meter covered market in the center of the city selling fresh produce, pickled vegetables, tofu, fresh fish, and Kyoto specialties from over 100 vendors. Walking through Nishiki is one of the best ways to understand Kyoto’s distinctive food culture, which differs markedly from Tokyo or Osaka in its emphasis on vegetables, delicate flavors, and traditional preparation methods.

• Kaiseki: Kyoto’s contribution to world cuisine. A multi-course meal of seasonal ingredients prepared with exceptional precision. Ranges from accessible lunch sets at traditional restaurants to once-in-a-lifetime dinner experiences
• Yudofu: silken tofu simmered in a light kombu broth. Kyoto’s most distinctive local dish, reflecting the city’s Buddhist vegetarian cooking traditions
• Obanzai: small dishes of Kyoto home cooking served in multiple portions. The best way to eat through a wide range of local flavors without a formal kaiseki setting
• Matcha sweets: Kyoto produces the finest matcha in Japan and the range of matcha-based sweets available throughout the city is extraordinary
• Kyoto pickles (tsukemono): available at Nishiki Market and throughout the city. Kyoto’s pickled vegetables are distinct from other Japanese regional styles and make excellent gifts