Kyoto, the perfect combination of tradition and modernity. If there is a city that we cannot miss in Japan, this is Kyoto. Its more than a thousand Buddhist temples, palaces, beautiful gardens, museums, traditional neighborhoods where we can find a geisha or maiko, a delicious gastronomy or the education of its people make Kyoto our favorite city in Japan. There's a lot things to see and do in KyotoWe have made a list of 50 best things to do in Kyoto after the experience of spending 6 days in the city during the trip to Japan in 21 days for free, in which we made a route from Kyoto to Tokyo.
We start!
1. Strolling along the banks of the Kamo River at sunset while watching the traditional houses with their red lanterns is one of the Kyoto images that you will keep forever in memory.
2. Count the 1001 impressive statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy or that of a thousand arms, in the Sanjusangendo Temple.
3. Take a leisurely stroll along the Way of Philosophy, a path of about 2 kilometers that borders a canal, especially beautiful in spring with cherry blossoms.
4. Visit the beautiful Ginkakuji temple or silver pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple with a spectacular garden, near the Way of Philosophy.
5. Find while you stroll at sunset the beautiful Shinto shrine Yasaka Jinja in the Gion District.
6. Take the train to visit the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine, with its thousands of toriis that make it one of the places to visit in Kyoto.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine
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7. Eat delicious sushi and sashimi, two of the most typical Japanese dishes, in the traditional Kikyo Sushi restaurant.
8. Tour the Nishiki market, the most famous in Kyoto, with many stalls with food and traditional items.
9. Climb the famous stairs that come out in the movie The last Samurai to visit the Chion-in Temple.
10. Visit the Kamigamo Jinga Shrine, one of the oldest in Japan, prior to the founding of Kyoto.
11. Book a day to visit the city of Nara, with a park full of deer where you can not miss the amazing Todaiji temple, one of the best temples of Japan.
12. Enter Nijo Castle through the Karamon gate, a complex with beautiful gardens next to the Ninomaru palace.
13. Do not finish the Way of Philosophy without visiting the Nanzen-ji Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple.
14. If you do not want to miss anything, it is advisable to book a visit with a Spanish guide to learn more about the history and curiosities of the places you visit in the city.
More things to do in Kyoto
15. Walking at night on the traditional and narrow street of Pontocho, the most famous street in Kyoto full of shops, restaurants, tea houses and red lanterns where we can see, if we are lucky, a geisha.
16. Visit the Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku-ji, the most beautiful temple in Kyoto.
Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku-ji
17. Go up to the Kyoto Tower with panoramic views of the entire city that is located in front of the train station and with great lighting.
18. Relax in the famous Zen garden of the Ryoan-ji Temple, arranged according to the kare-sansui style or dry landscape, and stroll through its beautiful Kyoyo-chi pond. One of the best things to do in Kyoto.
19. Eat the best okonomiyaki, a kind of tortilla with many ingredients, also known as Japanese pizza, at the Okonomiyaki Katsu restaurant.
20. Cross the giant torii to visit the Heian Gunju Temple, consisting of a set of sanctuaries built in 1895 and a beautiful film scene garden Lost in translation.
21. Find a hotel with a good location and a good quality / price ratio. We recommend the Citadines Kyoto Karasuma-Gojo, in which we were staying and which has a good location and a fairly large room, considering the average size in Japan.
22. Go down at dusk on Ninenzaka Street, one of the most beautiful and traditional streets of Kyoto.
23. Take the bullet train to visit Himeji Castle or book an excursion that includes the city of Kobe, considered one of the best excursions in Kyoto. Himeji, known as "the white heron", is the most spectacular and best preserved Japanese feudal castle.
24. Take a walk and meet some geisha in the Miyagawacho neighborhood, less known than Gion, but with the same charm, with its traditional tea and geisha houses.
25. Devour the best Kyoto gyozas in the Chao Chao Sanjo Kiyamachi.
26. Stroll through the Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama, one of the best things to do in Kyoto.
Stroll through the Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama, one of the best things to do in Kyoto.
27. Take advantage of the fact that we are in Arashiyama to visit the Tenryū-ji Temple with a beautiful Zen garden, one of the most important temples of the Rinzai Zen school and one of the best things to do in Kyoto.
28. Drink from hot coffee to eat in Kyoto a ramen dish of a jidohanbaiki or vending machine, which has anything you can imagine!
29. Book a day to visit Osaka, a futuristic city with a beautiful castle and the beautiful area of Dotonbori, with a great nightlife full of ad screens. If you do not want to go by train you can book an excursion to Osaka and forget about the preparations.
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30. Get lost in the elegant and futuristic Kyoto train station, a place with a lot of movement at all hours.
31. Take the bus to reach the Shimogamo Jinja sanctuary, declared a World Heritage Site, with very few tourists and a beautiful garden.
More things to do in Kyoto
32. Take a day trip to Hiroshima, where you can stroll through the Peace Park and see the Genbaku Dome. Two of the most essential places to see in Japan.
33. Try the delicious matcha mochis, rice cake with green tea, in the Demachi Futaba.
34. Take an omikuji or small piece of luck in one of the temples, and see your future. If you touch one with bad predictions you can tie it in one of the temple pines and take another.
35. See a geisha or a maiko while touring the beautiful Gion neighborhood. You can book a traditional Maiko show and learn a little more about Japanese culture.
Gion neighborhood in Kyoto
36. Have a tasty tempura dinner at Tempura Endo Yasaka restaurant.
37. Disconnect from Kyoto with a visit to Mount Hiei or Hieizan, a sacred mountain on which the Enryaku-ji temple is surrounded by nature.
38. Stroll through the Ninna-ji Temple with a 5-story pagoda from the 17th century, near the Ryoan-ji Temple, one of the places to see in Kyoto.
39. Enjoy the four principles: harmony, respect, purity and serenity, while watching a traditional tea ceremony at Urasenke School. Another option is to book this tour in advance, which includes the tea ceremony.
40. Buy some souvenirs on Chawan-zaka Street or Teapot Street, full of souvenir shops, near the Kiyomizudera Temple.
41. Learn some Japanese words like Konnichiwa (Hello good afternoon), Sayounara (goodbye), Hai (yes), Iie (do not), Arigatou (thanks), Sumimasen (excuse me). This is one of the best tips for traveling to Japan.
42. Take the train to go to Kobe, with a beautiful Chinatown and incredible views of the port from the Kobe Tower. You can not leave without savoring the famous meat of Kobe in one of its restaurants, we were in Ishida and we would repeat without hesitation.
43. Eat delicious Japanese food in a bamboo garden at Fortune Garden Kyoto, one of the things to do in Kyoto.
44. Visit the Kiyomizudera Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in Kyoto located in one of the hills of the city.
Kiyomizudera Temple
45. Take advantage that closes an hour later than most temples to visit the great Nishi Honganji temple. Next to it we also have the Higashi Honganji temple, which is also worth visiting.
46. Try a good ramen, noodle soup, in the Ramen Sen No Kaze.
47. See the flowers of the Daikaku-ji Buddhist temple, located in the Arashiyama area.
48. Although it is a bit far, we cannot leave Japan without visiting Miyajima Island, with its famous torii on the sea. We recommend you do it in two days and spend the night on the island.
49. Even if you have visited Kyoto at other times of the year, come back to see it in spring, with the beautiful cherry blossoms.
50. Do not worry about the language or losing yourself, you will always find some Japanese to help you. His extreme education and simplicity are one of the many things that will make you return to Kyoto and Japan.
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Book here your JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included
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Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Japan here
The best hotels at the best prices in Kyoto here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book here your JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included
The best travel insurance for Japan
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount hereIf you feel like helping us complete the list of 50 things to see and do in Kyoto, add yours in the comments.
