If you’re looking for a simple list to show you all the best places to visit in Kyoto,
then get your pen ready, or finger if you’re a Millennial. In this video, I’ll be sharing
the places you should visit, practical tips for getting the most out of each, as well
as help on using public transport. If you’re new here we make travel movies from around
the world, hoping you might just find your next holiday inspiration. This is Suitcase
Monkey going through the best things to do in Kyoto.
I’m going to start with my favourite thing we did in Kyoto. The Hozugawa River Cruise
is a 2 hour boat trip rolling gently and sometimes not so gently, through some gorgeous Japanese
countryside. And it’s only a short train ride away. This river was the original transport
route for the timbers that would go on to build many of Kyoto’s temples. As well as
seeing the amazing landscapes, the highly skilled boatmen also brought a great sense
of humour, cracking jokes and making it a really fun experience.
I’ll link in the description more information on how to get there but a popular way is to
take the Sagano Scenic Railway, also known as the Romantic Train. It makes for a fun
journey, especially if you can get the open top carriage. But it isn’t quite as romantic
as its name suggests, what with all those tourists being there. It’s advisable to
get to the station early as tickets can sell out on the day, and can’t be easily purchased
in advance.
The Bamboo Grove is a free walking path that is one of THE Kyoto photo spots and it’s
great to feel the gentle swaying of hundreds of trees in unison. For ease of use in this
video, I’ll link the specific Google Maps name for all locations so it’s easier to
mark them now and find them once you’re there. (Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Path of Bamboo))
Now, if you do want THAT empty, no tourists around Bamboo photo, you have 2 choices: One,
arrive at 5 or 6am before crowds start to build or two, try your luck at some photoshopping.
Hmm. Maybe the early wake up is advisable.
Neighbouring the Bamboo Grove is the Tenryuji Temple. Now, I do find that after a certain
point, temples start to blend into each other, but for me, there are 4 I’d recommend in
Kyoto and this would be one of them.
With its beautiful gardens and peaceful lake, it’s a world heritage site that ranked first
out of the citys five great Zen temples.
All these attractions are located in the Arashiyama district, which probably had my favourite
shopping high street in Kyoto. The whole street had the vibe of a trendy friend, who didn’t
quite know they were trendy. Which is arguably the best kind.
At the bottom of the high street, you’ll pass over the Togetsukyo Bridge, which is
the areas most iconic landmark. Originally built in the 8th century, it makes for a nice
backdrop and we found it a nice spot for an al fresco lunch.
On the other side of the bridge, is the Monkey Park Iwatayama. Following a 15 minute walk
up the hillside, you’ll reach an open area where you can get up close with hundreds of
monkeys in their natural habitat. Making for a nice change, humans can go inside a cage
to safely feed the monkeys on the outside.
Back in the central Kyoto, Kiyomizudera literally translates to Pure Water Temple and is one
of Japans most celebrated. It’s one of the largest to wander around in Kyoto and is broken
up into different sections. Upon arrival you’re treated to beautiful views of the city, being
that it sits higher up within the hills. Moving further into the temple, you’ll enter the
main building with its famous wooden stage that pushes out over the hillside below. We
visited just as sun was setting which I think is the best time to visit since the temple
really comes to life when illuminated.
Almost as enjoyable as Kiyomizudera itself is the walk leading up to it. Allow for plenty
of time to wander the streets of the Higashiyama district. If you are going to Kiyomizudera,
start by walking up this traditional street that’s lined with shops and food outlets.
It can easily take up an hour or two of window shopping and sampling the street food on offer.
Along the way, you’ll come across the Yasaka Pagoda or Hokan-ji, a 5 storey structure that
is the most recognisable in the area and a great picture spot.
Next, a couple of streets and areas you should definitely spend a few hours getting lost
in.
Gion is Kyotos most famous geisha district and a large area that’s worth spending a
few hours just wandering around. This area is very popular with a number of tourist experiences
offered, such as traditional Japanese ceremonies or kimono rental. Just across the river is
the Nishiki Market, a long stretch of food outlets that is great for those rainy days
since it all lives under one roof.
If you’re in the Gion area and have some time to kill, take a walk to Maruyama Park.
It’s one of the greenest parts of central Kyoto so makes for a nice change of scenery.
It’s all free to explore and has several temples you can walk around.
Japanese transport hubs are destinations in themselves and Kyoto Train Station is no different.
If you ever find yourself at the station, take the escalators downwards to a whole other
world of sit down restaurants, shops and food outlets. Here, you’ll find hundreds of counters
covering every type of food you can think of, often with samples being handed out to
try.
Since we’re talking about Kyoto Train station, lets quickly discuss the best ways to get
around the city and see all these sites.
We mostly used the buses to get around and the occasional subway, both using Google and
Apple Maps with success.
One bus journey costs 230 yen but you can get day passes with unlimited travel for 600
so this is what we mostly did and worked really well. We bought our day passes on the bus
itself but you can also get from ticket machines in stations. Otherwise if you already have
an IC card such as the Suica you can just use that instead on the bus. I’ll link below
for 2 good Kyoto transport sites for more detail but generally speaking it’s pretty
simple to get around.
Also, just to say quickly if you’re looking for a good, clean, affordable hotel, I’ll
link where we stayed in the description below! It was literally in the centre of Kyoto so
was one bus or train to pretty much everywhere on this list.
Coming in at number 4 of the 4 temples I’d recommend is the Ginkakuji or Silver Pavilion,
which has stood on these grounds since the 1400s. Personally, its these meticulously
raked dry-sand gardens that make this temple stand out. This cone for example is made entirely
out of sand, standing 2 meters tall. It has a nice stroll around moss gardens and good
views as you make your way around the temple grounds.
If you visit the Silver Pavilion, make sure you approach it along the walkway called The
Philosophers Path, or as its known in the US, The Sorcerer's Path. This walkway runs
alongside a babbling canal with shops and cafes sprinkled throughout. Depending on time
and energy levels, you can join or leave the path at any point and is extra impressive
during Cherry Blossom season.
Speaking of which, if you do manage to hit Kyoto during Blossom season, the Keage Incline
is a must do. Here, you’ll find an unused railway line littered with pink Sakura trees,
making for a unique walk. If you are going to Japan in late March or April I’ve made
a whole video all about seeing Cherry Blossoms which I’ll link to above and below.
Nara is the perfect day trip from Kyoto and is a train journey away. Famous for its deer
and monstrously impressive Todaiji Temple. Check out our 14 More Days in Japan for why
Nara is an absolute must if you have a day to spare.
Pontocho was the destination for our most expensive dinner in all of Japan and that’s
partly because this street is restaurant heaven. Whether you visit for the food or just take
in the atmosphere it’s especially worth a visit at night. Packed into a narrow alley,
you’ll find hundreds of cosy dining experiences and one of the most traditional looking streets
in all of Kyoto.
Probably the most famous temple in Kyoto is the Kinkakuji or Golden Pavilion. It’s a
bus ride away and again I would suggest this is an early morning visit to beat the crowds.
If you can ignore the hundreds of people all trying to take the same photograph, the temple
really is impressive and is worth the trip alone.
Taking a bus or train ride from Kyoto Station will bring you to the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Here you’ll be climbing 230 meters through thousands of Tori gates. Tori gates usually
mark the gateway to a shrine but its the sheer volume that have made this entrance more popular
than the destination itself. You can go all the way to the top if you wish but better
views can be had elsewhere. There’s also a quicker route back to the start so you can
exit a little quicker than your arrival.
I’ve still got more Japan videos coming up so please subscribe for those but for now
I’ll link other Suitcase Monkey Japan videos here. Including our full 14 day travel vlog,
how to plan around seeing Cherry Blossoms in full bloom and much more. Please give this
video a like if you’ve got this far, since it really helps the channel and is appreciated.
Thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.