Kyoto
Sixteen hundred temples and a grid you can walk. Go at dawn or go in November; ideally both.
Kyoto in eight slides
Wikipedia · 3 Sep 2026
Things to do in Kyoto
Where to stay in Kyoto
Kyoto in a day, two days, three
Landmarks in Kyoto
Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated historic site and place of scenic beauty.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 22 Jul 2026
lumoplank · CC0
Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named Inari, which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 30 Jul 2026
Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gion (祇園) is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 14 Jul 2026
663highland · CC BY 2.5
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 1 Aug 2026
Nacaru · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 30 Jul 2026
Jordy Meow · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square metres, of which 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) is occupied by buildings.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 19 Jul 2026
Unknown · Public domain
Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated historic site and place of scenic beauty.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 22 Jul 2026
lumoplank · CC0
Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named Inari, which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 30 Jul 2026
Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gion (祇園) is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 14 Jul 2026
663highland · CC BY 2.5
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 1 Aug 2026
Nacaru · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 30 Jul 2026
Jordy Meow · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square metres, of which 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) is occupied by buildings.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 19 Jul 2026
Unknown · Public domain
From the airport
When to go to Kyoto: Apr or Nov
The heat breaks and the gardens turn — the best light of the year.
Guides about Kyoto
Six day trips from Kyoto with real train times, plus the March 2026 lodging tax that makes basing in Osaka and commuting in genuinely cheaper.
Rina Matsuda · 3 Sep 2026
Kyoto for the sights, Osaka for the base, and since March 2026 the accommodation tax makes that split cheaper than it has ever been. Six rounds, six winners.
Rina Matsuda · 2 Sep 2026
Kyoto's sights sit at three compass points and the buses are slow. The route that never crosses the city twice, plus the taxi that saves you an hour.
Rina Matsuda · 1 Sep 2026
Kyoto has two subway lines and neither reaches the temples. Which neighbourhood to book, what a night actually costs by month, and the new tax.
Rina Matsuda · 1 Sep 2026