Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the home of the Emperor for over 1,000 years, up until 1868. No wonder it’s so packed with history and beautiful national treasures! If you are planning to visit this city of priceless historical value, you may like to check out our Quick Travel Guide to Kyoto.

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Top Things to Do in Kyoto

Top top Kyoto tourist spots are the temples and shrines. The problem is that there are just so many to choose from, how do you figure out the best Kyoto temple or shrine to visit? You can see most of them by using the excellent Subway network combined with short taxi rides. You should at least try to see some of these most popular Kyoto places of interest:

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine – This is the number 1 Kyoto Shrine to visit, and is depicted at the top of the page. It’s the one with the bright orange monuments stretching all the way up a mountain side.

Nijo Castle – Built in 1603 this castle is right in the centre of town, and is one of  the most popular Kyoto tourist spots.

Kyomizu-dera Temple – Not far from the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, this is a hillside temple which offers incredible views of Kyoto.

Kinkakuji Temple – Also known as the Golden Pavillion because this 1397 residence of a Shogun was completely covered in gold leaf. There’s a big chance you’ve seen photos of this gorgeous Kyoto Temple all over the internet.

Ryoan-ji Temple – This 1488 UNESCO World Heritage temple houses the most famous Zen Garden – Rocks surrounded by swept pebbles. Wait until you see how popular these rocks are. And it’s so close to Kinkakuji Temple that you can make it part of your very own Kyoto walking tour. Here are some of the best Kyoto tours to choose from:

Day Trips from Kyoto

The train network is so amazing in Kyoto that you can easily catch a train virtually anywhere for wonderful day trips from Kyoto.

• Nara Deer Park – The most popular Kyoto day trip, because it’s so simple to get there by train. Actually Nara has so much more that just the deer park. Like Kyoto, Nara is filled with amazing historical shrines and temples, as well as several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Osaka – This city is shopping heaven, and is less than half an hour away on the insanely fast bullet train from Tokyo. There are also stacks of other historical attractions to see in Osaka.

Best Place to Stay in Kyoto

Downtown is the best area to stay in Kyoto for tourists, because it has good access to the awesome Kyoto train station. This station is a subway station, a regional train station, and a bullet train station. You can see all the Kyoto tourist spots by catching a train from Kyoto Station in any direction.

Kawaramachi is another great place to stay, because it is close to the famous Gion District, and also close to the most famous Kyoto shrines and temples. Kawaramachi is a perfect starting point for your Kyoto walking Tour.

Budget Accommodation

We have a favourite “secret” guesthouse to stay in Kyoto. It’s not fancy but it’s very safe, private, fantastic value, and just 8 minutes walk from the nearest subway station. There’s a convenience store right next door and it’s in a charming neighbourhood. Check out the Guesthouse Sanjyokakakura Hibiki.

Mid Range

Also highly recommended is the 4 star Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Sanjo, which is in an unbeatable location in downtown Kyoto. It’s just 3 minutes walk to the subway station and 10 minutes walk to the famous Gion District

Affordable Luxury

The Hotel Granvia Kyoto is just 230m from the Kyoto Central Train Station, so you will be able to easily travel anywhere for sightseeing. 5 star luxury in a perfect location.

Deals on the Best Hotels in Kyoto

We recommend you always shop around for discounted deals on the best hotels, and the Booking.com deals finder is a great place to start.

Quick Travel Guide to Kyoto

Plan Your Trip to Kyoto

Read More about Kyoto

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