Kyoto: A City of Temples & Tradition
Getting to Kyoto from Tokyo is both easy and scenic. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Make sure you book a “mountain side” seat, you get a great look at Mt. Fuji along the way (if it’s out—Mt. Fuji is notoriously shy, and the season impacts visibility.)
Once we arrived, we checked into our Ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese inn with tatami mats, paper sliding doors, and, of course, onsen (natural hot spring baths). If you're ever in Japan, I highly recommend staying in a Ryokan for at least a few nights. The hospitality, architecture, and food are all top-notch.
Kyoto was Japan's capital before Tokyo, and it's known for its temples, shrines, and gardens. We started our exploration on the east side of the city near our ryokan, wandering through the winding streets of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. These streets are lined with shops and food stalls. They can get pretty crowded, especially during high season, but they're still worth the visit.
They also lead up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which was my favorite temple in all of Japan. This temple was founded in 780, and the structure is awe-inspiring, with incredible views of Kyoto from its balcony.
Another shrine I’d recommend seeing is Fushimi Inari Shrine—a Kyoto staple you’ve most likely seen all over social media—which is famous for its thousands of torii gates that extend up a mountain. Interestingly, the gates are all donated by businesses and individuals as an offering to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and sake. Getting to this shrine is simple—it has its own train station (Inari Station), and the shrine is right outside.
Prepare yourself for an uphill walk if you plan to explore the entire shrine. Wear the right shoes, bring some water, and give yourself enough time. This is another attraction that gets crowded—it’s open 24-hours, so go early or in the evening (my friend even walked it at night and said it was eerie, but cool).
The Fushimi Inari Shrine is popular because the torii create an atmosphere unlike any other. The shrine is a place of worship, and you can really get that sense walking through the gates. There are plenty of paths to take, and you can really make it personal to yourself.
We spent each of our three nights bopping around the Kiyamachi and Pontocho districts, which are packed with restaurants and bars with great food and drinks. I had to try a wagyu steak, and it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had.
Another place that had been on my list to visit was a bamboo forest - a scene I have seen countless times in pictures and social media. There are a few places around Kyoto to see these forests, so we started off our next day with the most famous one - Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Getting There: The JR San-In Line leads to Arashiyama Station. It’s about a 30 minute train ride from Kyoto Station. If you do get there early, make sure you grab coffee from your hotel or the bigger train stations—a lot of the food and coffee places around here don’t open until a little later.
Arashiyama is a good place to start a day in Kyoto, as it’s easy to reach from Kyoto city center. This is one of the more popular tourist destinations, so plan to get there before 9 a.m., if you can. That way, you can enjoy the peace the bamboo grove offers while getting in some great golden hour pics. If you want to try to avoid the crowds all together, consider visiting a different bamboo grove in Kyoto, such as Kyoto City Rakusai Bamboo Park, the bamboo forest at Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple and the bamboo grove in Kitasaga.
After the bamboo forest, we headed to Iwatayama Monkey Park. This park is home to about 120 Japanese macaques (snow monkeys), and you can watch them, feed them, and enjoy some great views of Kyoto and the surrounding countryside. It's a bit of a hike to get to the park, but it was worth it.
On day three, we visited Kinkaku-ji, otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion, is another UNESCO World Heritage site (Kyoto is home to 17 of these) and is a masterclass of Japanese Zen architecture in both the structure itself and the surrounding grounds.
You’re guided down a path that takes you through the surrounding gardens before positioning you to get the perfect view of the pavilion. There are plenty of places to relax and take in the sites. This temple also has a traditional Japanese tea house where you can enjoy a cup of matcha (close the exit).
In the afternoon, we went back into the city center and took part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. We booked ours as an Airbnb experience, and we chose to rent kimonos to give us the authentic experience. It was a really cool experience to learn about the traditions and rituals involved in a tea ceremony, and tea itself was some of the best I’ve had.
And of course, no trip to Japan is complete without karaoke. That night found a karaoke bar, after visiting Kyoto’s Nintendo store, and had a blast belting out some tunes. It was an adventure figuring out how the system worked, but we had a lot of laughs.
3-Day Kyoto Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kyoto
Arrive in Kyoto and check into the Ryokan.
Explore Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka Streets.
Visit the Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Day 2: Explore the Natural Beauty
Go to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and explore the surrounding area.
Visit the Iwatayama Monkey Park and hang out with the macaques.
Day 3: Experience Kyoto Culture
Visit the Kinkaku-ji Temple in the morning to get great shots of the golden pavilion.
Rent a Kimono and partake in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Nightlife (each night)
Explore the Kiyamachi and Pontocho districts for great food & drinks.
Find a karaoke bars and spend the night in a private room.
General Tips
Get an early start. If you want to avoid the crowds at the popular temples and shrines, it's best to get there early in the morning.
Wear comfortable shoes. You'll be doing a lot of walking, especially if you visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest or Iwatayama Monkey Park.
Learn some basic Japanese phrases. Even if you don't speak the language fluently, knowing a few basic phrases will go a long way.
Get a Pasmo or Suica card. These prepaid cards make it easy to get around on public transportation.
Embrace the culture. Kyoto is a city steeped in tradition, so take some time to learn about the local customs and etiquette.
