 Kyoto (京都), Japan Travel Guide
Gokogu-jinja in Kyoto, Japan
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Kyoto Travel Guide assembles useful information to help budget travelers plan their trip to Kyoto. You can find information on all the major tourist attractions in Kyoto, with details on how you can get there, preferably using public transport. This guide is intended for independent travelers who plan to explore Kyoto on their own. At times I may recommend joining a local tour if that is the most practical option.
Guide to Kyoto Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Kyoto that you can book online, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites.
More on Kyoto
Kyoto (京都) is a major city in Japan. Modern Kyoto has a population of 1.5 million people. Located on the island of Honshu, it was formerly the imperial capital of Japan, and is today the capital of Kyoto Prefecture.
Kyoto is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Japan, owning to the numerous heritage sites found throughout the city. 17 properties in Kyoto and neighbour cities of Uji and Otsu are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, under the title Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion), Kyoto
Author: Stephane D'Alu (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
The area around Kyoto has seen human settlement going back to approximately 10,000 BC.
Kyoto became the capital of Japan in AD 794, when Emperor Kammu decided to move the capital away from Nara, where the powerful Buddhist clergy is seen to interfere in political affairs. The site chosen was in the village of Uda, and a new city called Heian-kyo (meaning "tranquility and peace capital"). In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto, meaning capital city.
During World War II, Kyoto was spared from large scale bombing - there was also a consideration to drop an atomic bomb there but was not carried out. As a result, Kyoto is one of the few major Japanese cities that still has a good number of prewar buildings.
Kyoto was the biggest city in Japan for much of Japanese history until the 16th century, when it was surpassed by Osaka and then Edo. Today it is the 7th largest city in Japan, behind Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Kobe, with Fukuoka and Kawasaki fast catching up and expected to overtake it soon.
Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto
Author: Bernard Gagnon (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Nijo Castle, Kyoto
Author: Araisyohei (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
Planning your trip to Kyoto
By Plane
Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay is the airport serving Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Buy a one-day JR West Kansai Area Pass, available only to foreigners, and costs ¥2,000. It allows you to ride the JR West Haruka Kansai Airport Limited Express Train from Kansai to Kyoto Station. The JR West Kansai Area Pass saves you ¥980 less than the regular Haruka Limited Express ticket. The train runs every half an hour, and takes 75 minutes to reach Kyoto Station.
Alternatively, you can board the limousine buses from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station. There are two buses every hour. The journey takes 90 minutes (or more, if there is heavy traffic or jam) and costs ¥2,300 one way and ¥3,800 round trip.
By Train
The Shinkansen bullet train takes approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to go from Tokyo to Kyoto. The fare is ¥13,520 one way. You should buy an "open date" ticket from a travel agency in Tokyo, where you can board the train at any date, as long as it is not full. Just register your agency ticket and you will be reserved a place.
If you hold a Japan Rail Pass, you can board the slower Hikari train (2 hours 45 minutes) that makes several stops between Tokyo and Kyoto, at no additional charge.
Kyoto station (30 March, 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Shops in Higashiyama, leading towards Kiyomizu-dera Temple (30 March, 2007)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Planning your travel within Kyoto
The most convenient option for budget travelers to Kyoto is to use its trains. There are, at last count, eleven railway lines in Kyoto. Each station is sighposted in English as well as the obvious Japanese. For riding the trains, you have the option of buying the Kyoto Sightseeing Card, for unlimited rides, or the Traffica Kyoto Card, with stored value.
The Kyoto Sightseeing Card costs ¥1,200 for one day and ¥2,000 for two days. You can use it for unlimited rides on the subway and city buses.
The Traffica Kyoto Card has a denomination of ¥1,000 or ¥3,000, and can be used up to its face value. They also offer a 10% bonus over buying a single-journey ticket.
Gate and towers of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto (30 March, 2007)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Shrine at Kurama Temple, Kyoto
Author: KENPEI (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
Heian Shrine, Kyoto
Author: Stephane D'Alu (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
Kamigamo Shrine, Kyoto
Author: Fg2 (public domain)
Higashi Hongan-ji, Kyoto
Author: KENPEI (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
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Sights within Kyoto
- Chion-in Temple
Headquarters of Jodo Buddhism in Japan.
- Daitoku-ji Temple
Temple intimately connected to the tea ceremony.
- Domoto Insho Museum
Museum housing works by nihonga master Domoto Insho.
- Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavilion)
The Japanese garden in which the tea ceremony, Noh, flower arrangement and ink painting developed to new heights of refinement.
- Gion District
Kyoto's best-known geisha quarter.
- Gion Kobu Kaburenjo
Kabuki practice hall for geishas in Gion district.
- Hanamikoji
The most classy part of Gion district.
- Heian Shrine
Shinto shrine built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto.
- Higashi Hongan-ji Temple
The Eastern Temple of the Original Vow is a Jodo-Shinshu temple with one of the largest wooden structure in the world.
- Higashiyama district
An outskirt district of Kyoto that has been charmingly preserved.
- Ichiriki Ochaya
The most famous ochaya, or tea house, in Kyoto.
- Imperial Park
Spacious part in the heart of Kyoto.
- Jingo-ji Temple
Shingon Buddhist temple in the Takao mountains.
- Kamigamo Shrine
Kamo shrine dedicated to the god of thunder at the northern reaches of the Kamo River.
- Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion)
Famous pavilion built by the shogun Yoshimitsu as his retirement villa.
- Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine
Shrine dedicated to Tenjin-san, the deity of learning. Popularly visited by students praying for good results in exams.
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple
One of the most famous temples in Kyoto.
- Kongo Nogakudo Theater
Noh theater across from the Imperial Palace grounds.
- Koryu-ji Temple
Temple with the oldest Buddha image in Kyoto.
- Kozan-ji Temple
Omuro Buddhist temple in the Takao mountains.
- Kyoto City Museum of Fine Arts
Museum that often hosts exhibitions by American and European artists.
- Kyoto National Museum
Museum with good collection of pictorial works and Heian-period sculptures.
- Kyoto Station
A destination and an attraction in its own right, the massive station brings futuristic architecture to heritage-rich Kyoto.
- Maruyama Park
Park famous for viewing cherry blossoms in Kyoto.
- Minami-za
One of the oldest kabuki theatres in Kyoto.
- Myoshin-ji Temple
Temple of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple founded in 1337.
- Nanzen-ji Temple
The temple that is closely connected to the history of Zen Buddhism.
- National Museum of Modern Art
Museum exhibiting works by Kyoto artists.
- Nijo Castle
Castle erected by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to symbolize the power of the Edo-based shogunate.
- Ninna-ji Temple
Temple of the Shingon Buddhist sect founded in AD 888 by Emperor Uda.
- Nishi Hongan-ji Temple
The Western Temple of the Original Vow is a Jodo-Shinshu temple with the oldest Noh stage in Japan.
- Philosopher's Walk
A scenic trail in Kyoto along a cherry-tree lined canal.
- Pontocho Alley
Alley with geisha houses and traditional tea houses.
- Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre
Practice hall for geishas at Pontocho.
- Ryoan-ji Temple
The most famous rock garden in Japan.
- Saiho-ji Temple
The famous Moss Temple of Kyoto.
- Sanjusangen-do Temple
Temple with 1,001 identical statues of Kannon, the goddes of mercy.
- Shimogamo Shrine
Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of thunder on the southern part of the Kamo River.
- Shinbashi
Street in the Gion district lined with tea houses.
- Shoren-in Temple
Beautifully landscaped temple with ancient camphor trees.
- Tanuki Shrine
A small shrine on Pontocho Alley.
- Tatsumi Daimyo-jin
Small shrine on the eastern end of Shinbashi.
- Toji Temple
Temple founded in AD 796, headquarters of Shingon Buddhism, with the tallest pagoda in Japan.
- Yasaka Shrine
Shrine established in AD 656 in the Gion district.
Sights in the vicinity of Kyoto
The following are places of interest near to Kyoto, with description of the different districts which which you may also want to explore.
- Daigo-ji Temple
Temple with some of the best works of art from the Momoyama period.
- Enryaku-ji Temple
A mountain-top temple that was once a huge monastery.
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
Shrine to the god of rice and sake, famous for its path lined with hundreds of vermillion torii gates.
- Katsura Imperial Villa
Garden with one of the best Japanese landscape design.
- Kurama District
Once a rural village, this district is today a suburb of Kyoto. Venue of the annual Fire Festival.
- Manshu-in Temple
Tendai-sect temple with a beautiful Japanese garden.
- Ohara District
A district with thatched farmhouses and two famous temples.
- Sagano District
A rural district with rice fields and bamboo groves.
- Shisen-do Temple
Villa constructed by a samurai as a retirement villa, now a Soto-sect Zen temple.
- Shugaku-in Imperial Villa
Garden created by retired emperor Go-Mizuno.
- Takao District
A district with mountain temples and sceneries.
Sights in Arashiyama District
Arashiyama District is an area with unspoilt natural beauty just outside Kyoto. You can visit it as a day-trip from Kyoto.
- Iwatayama Monkey Park
Park with over a hundred Japanese macaques.
- Okochi Sanso
Villa of late silent-movie star.
- Tenryu-ji Temple
Temple founded by the Ashikaga shogun to venerate Buddha.
- Togetsu-kyo Bridge
Bridge in Iwatayama district.
Sights in Uji City
Uji City is a city within the Kyoto Prefecture. It grows some of the best green tea in Japan. Uji City has two temples listed below which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kyoto.
- Byodo-in Temple
Temple that appears on the Japanese 10-yen coin.
- Ujigami Shrine
Oldest existing Shinto shrine in Japan.
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