Two half-days was all we had to explore Osaka, Japan's third-largest city. Needless to say, the timing was tight. But challenge accepted! Here's what we took away from this whirlwind getaway.
Ancient temples, free-roaming deer and large parks: Nara can be easily explored in a day from Kyoto, for a peaceful cultural break.
Short article to talk about visits to Nara, outside of the historical sites: the old town, how to get there from Kyoto, where to sleep etc.
Having just arrived in Nara, we decided to make a detour the next morning to Wazuka, a town in the middle of the mountains, renowned for its tea plantations. The idea, once again, was to get away from it all.
We couldn't leave Japan without spending a night in a ryokan, these typical guesthouses with hot baths. Taking advantage of a walk outside Kyoto, it was in the mountains of Miyama that we tried the experience.
Determined to get out of Kyoto itself, we set off on a little road trip, heading north of Kyoto Prefecture to Amanohashidate. Due to the proximity and the interest of the place, we pushed our excursion that day.
Kyoto is one of the mythical cities of Japan, and spending 3-4 days there can be largely insufficient. But that's the time we had and here are, in my opinion, the must-see places not to be missed.
The shrine with thousands of torii, Fushimi Inari-Taisha is a must-see if you are passing through Kyoto.
Arashiyama, west of Kyoto, is home to the famous bamboo grove: a peaceful walk between nature, temples and a relaxing riverside atmosphere.
Higashiyama is an old, traditional neighborhood in Kyoto. These old-world alleyways are like a trip back in time, with Japanese people walking around in traditional dress (admittedly, for the photo) and its highlight, the Kiyomizu-dera temple.
A quick summary of our 9 days in Japan, a short stay where we mainly focused on Kansai and more particularly Kyoto and Osaka, our starting and finishing points.
A quick summary of the steps to take in order to be able to drive in Japan.