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A quiet stone-paved lane runs between traditional wooden townhouses with dark tiled roofs.

Kyoto

Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years, and its temples, shrines and old streets still show it.

Approved by TravPa Editors, Nov 3, 2026
Wooden facades and stone paving in soft morning light.

Itineraries

Rows of vermilion torii gates follow a stone path through a wooded hillside.
A wooded path beneath rows of vermilion torii gates.
Kyoto in 2 daysFushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Pontochō, Arashiyama, Ryōan-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Nishiki Market, Nijō Castle2 days, JapanPacked pace

Where to stay

Downtown around Shijō for restaurants and trains, Gion for temples on foot, Kyoto Station for day trips.

The areas: Downtown (Shijō), Kyoto Station, Gion and Higashiyama, Arashiyama.

Where to stay in Kyoto: areas and adviceHotels in Kyoto

Places to see

All things to do in Japan
NatureArashiyama Bamboo GroveEntry: Free to visit
ShrineFushimi Inari TaishaEntry: Free to visit. Hours: Open 24 hours
TempleGinkaku-jiThe Silver Pavilion: a Zen temple with a raked sand garden and a moss garden on the hillside.
NeighborhoodGion and Yasaka ShrineEntry: Free; the shrine grounds stay open at night
NeighborhoodGion ShirakawaA willow-lined canal of old teahouses in Gion, prettiest in the evening.Entry: Free to visit
TempleKinkaku-ji
FoodKiyamachi-doriA street of restaurants and bars along the narrow Takase River canal.Entry: Pay as you go
TempleKiyomizu-deraA hillside temple whose wooden stage looks out over the trees and the city.Entry: ¥[fee]
TempleKōdai-jiA Zen temple with landscaped gardens, tea houses and a small bamboo grove.
FoodKyoto Ramen KojiA floor of ramen shops from around Japan, high up in the Kyoto Station building.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumNijō CastleThe shoguns' palace in Kyoto, with painted halls and floors that squeak underfoot like birdsong.
MarketNishiki MarketEntry: Pay as you go
NaturePhilosopher's PathA stone path along a cherry-lined canal between Ginkaku-ji and the Nanzen-ji area.Entry: Free to visit
FoodPontochōA narrow lantern-lit alley of restaurants and teahouses along the Kamo River.Entry: Pay as you go
TempleRyōan-jiA Zen temple famous for its rock garden of 15 stones set in raked gravel.
TempleSanjūsangen-dōA long wooden hall holding 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist figure of compassion.
NeighborhoodSannenzaka and NinenzakaStone-paved lanes of old wooden shops and teahouses below Kiyomizu-dera.Entry: Free to visit
TempleTenryū-ji
TempleTōfuku-jiEntry: Leaf season: about mid-Nov to early Dec
FoodTogetsukyo Bridge and riversideA bridge across the Katsura River, with Arashiyama restaurants clustered around its approaches.Entry: Bridge free; meals extra