For a first stay in Japan, it seemed obvious to us to focus on Kyoto and its surroundings first, rather than Tokyo. What if I told you Arashiyama and its bamboo forest, the Torii of Fushimi Inari, the Geisha district? All these are classic images that we can imagine of Japan and we find them in Kyoto.
All this and many other things of course, Kyoto being the ancient capital (imperial city from 794 to 1868, no less!), it is rich in history and has many temples, parks and gardens, all surrounded by mountains.
Kyoto is often compared to a life-size museum, one reason being that the smaller city was spared from the bombings of World War II and therefore has a good number of original old buildings (or rebuilt following fires, but old nonetheless).
An idyllic setting, at least on paper, that we were very excited to discover, despite the important budget.
Our stay was divided into several parts, but combined together, it represents 3,5 days on site. This article should therefore give you an idea of what it is possible to visit in Kyoto if you have 3-4 days, because obviously, you could spend a whole week there and it would not be enough…
Visiting Kyoto in 3-4 days: how to select your visits?
And 3-4 days, believe me, it's very short. Kyoto is still thousands of temples and sanctuaries (it does better than Bangkok and its 500 or so temples!), many gardens, museums and yet on a surface not so big.
It is almost a city on a "human scale" in my eyes if we compare it to Bangkok, because Kyoto is half the size of the latter and has "only" 2 million inhabitants, so a lower concentration.
It is also a very bicycle-oriented city (and in general, this can be applied to Japan), many people travel with their bicycles, easily welcoming their toddler(s).
1st day of visit to Kyoto
We just arrived from Osaka that morning and it took us a while to get our bearings on the first day. Especially in using the machines for the train and metro. After having to go to the south of the city to do the procedures in order to be able to driving in japan for later and to make life easier, we started with the place to visit closest to our hotel, just 1 station away.
Nijo-Jo Castle
This castle located in the heart of the city was built from 1603 until 1626, when the Tokugawa shogunate began. A shogunate could be summed up as a feudal government based on the military, supplanting the power of the emperor.
The Tokugawa are at the origin of Tokyo since they made Edo, a small fishing village by the sea, their military base and then their capital. A very influential family therefore who built Nijo-jo as a residence in Kyoto.
Nijo-jo is a complex of two palaces, each surrounded by a wall and a moat. The whole covers an area of 2 hectares and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 27. Its history has been marked by important dates, since it was at the palace that power was officially returned to the imperial authority, putting an end to the shogunate. A year later, in 1994, the Meiji Restoration began.
Arriving by direct metro from our hotel, we entered the complex through the main entrance to the east. I left my bag in a tent at reception to avoid having to lug it around during the visit (300 yen).
Here we go for our first visit to Kyoto!
We are not really surprised, but there are people, many students on a school trip in particular. We start with the visit of the great Ninamoru palace, which covers an area of 3 m². We take off our shoes at the entrance and are informed that photos are forbidden inside. Fine.
Built mainly of cypress wood, you walk through a maze of corridors on a floor that seems to “float”.
The parquet floor is actually special, when walking, it produces like a little bird chirping. The set of vibrations of the visitors passing by gives the impression of a "singing" parquet floor. We file past the rooms, covered with tatami with the murals in the background, decorated with pines, tigers, symbols that served to impress the visitors (there have never been tigers in Japan).
The whole thing gives a slightly "empty" side, all in sobriety. We go around and come out. We then pass by the gardens surrounding the palace and head towards the inner palace of Honmaru, which is a more recent reconstruction, the original having been destroyed during a fire that ravaged Kyoto in 1788.
This is also the case of a 5-story pagoda, of which only the base remains on the southwest corner of the ramparts. Today it serves as a viewpoint over the garden and the Honmaru Palace. Before returning to the entrance, we passed in front of the Seiryu-en garden, which borders the moat on the northern part of the castle.
Without seeming to, taking our time (including a quick stop at the souvenir shop), we spent a good 2 hours there. Originally, we planned to visit the international manga museum not far from there, but we were running out of time because we had to go back to get our license translation.
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Ponto-Cho and the banks of the Kamo River
Time passed quickly and after returning from the JAF to pick up our license translation, we decided to spend the late afternoon in Ponto-Cho, on the river. It is a neighborhood known for its many restaurants, along the Kamo River.
A great setting for a beautiful end to the day. Some go jogging, many sit along the banks to chat, take selfies or simply daydream, bikes pass by, but the pedestrian remains king.
All the restaurants have set up a terrace spanning a canal next to the river. The restaurant terraces are already starting to fill up, and we can also see a few Geishas at tables, even though their district, Gion, is, in fact, just opposite, on the other side of the river.
We enjoy the setting sun while wondering where we're going to be able to eat, knowing that at noon, not finding a restaurant open near the Nijo-jo Mae metro (don't ask me how we did it...), we had just nibbled a few things at the 7/11 next to the JAF...
We walked between 2 bridges, from the one on Oike Dori Avenue, not far from our hotel (the Gran Ms Kyoto, see info below) to the bridge on Shijo Dori Avenue 800 m further. It was also when we were coming back on this avenue that we literally crossed 2 m further, the entrance on our right to go to the small alley of Ponto-Cho (also spelled in one word Pontocho).
A busy alley with a special atmosphere, geared towards dining given the large number of restaurants lining it.
On Shijo Avenue right next to Ponto Cho.
In the alley where many restaurants line up.
Perfect timing to go and eat a bite. Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be the best choice... Not great food, attractive price at the base but in fact full of taxes after almost doubling the starting price. Besides, the comments on Google are pretty unanimous, so as not to make the same mistake as us, it was this restaurant.
2nd day of visit to Kyoto
Here we are on our 2nd day in Kyoto. A full day that we were able to spend in Kyoto itself. We started off gently by simply walking next to our hotel, where the Nishiki market was located.
Nishiki Market
For once we got up early (well, earlier than usual), because we were thirsty for sightseeing, and since it was next to our hotel (see section below), we started by taking a tour of the Nishiki culinary market.
A covered alleyway lined with shops offering fresh produce, from generation to generation. And generations, that's a lot, because the market celebrated its 400th anniversary! (some shops are said to have opened as early as the 14th century, originally selling mainly fish).
This time, we were almost too early, because the stores were just starting to offer. The advantage was that there weren't too many people, but we came across quite a few shutters that were still closed.
Any market is always a treat for the eyes and taste buds and always allows you to get a good idea of the specialties of a country, or failing that, of a city and what characterizes its cuisine and its identity.
In this maze of covered alleys, we stopped to take a look in 2 small sanctuaries nestled between 2 stores, a strange contrast. We also went to the local temple next to our hotel, which has the advantage of being completely deserted if not really interesting.
The street of our hotel
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Kyōto-gosho: the imperial palace
We continued our visits with the Imperial Palace. Based in Kyoto until 1868, as if to sulk the military power of the shoguns who were in Tokyo, the current buildings date from 1855.
What I didn't know is that it used to be necessary to book to visit the place (this is no longer the case since July 2016). So it was quite natural that we went there and that we did indeed have open doors.
The palace sits in the middle of a large 63 hectare park. As it was a Saturday for us, it was a day for picnics and relaxation, the weather was perfect. The big plus? It's free. You just have to go through the main entrance where they give you a pass with a number and you have to follow the predefined route.
We can't go inside the buildings so we just wander around the beautiful gardens, looking at the beautifully carved doors and the facades of the large wooden buildings. The tour will take us almost 1h30.
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Kinkaku-ji: The Golden Pavilion
A must-see in Kyoto awaited us for our next visit. Kinkaku-ji is the common name of the Rokuon-ji temple. With the very famous Kiyomizu-dera, a temple inseparable from a visit to Kyoto, the Golden Pavilion is certainly the one whose image comes back most often. Consequently and by its particularity, it is probably one of the most crowded places to visit in Kyoto.
Nestled at the foot of the mountain north of Kyoto, the original pavilion, set on the water's edge, dates back to the 14th century. At the top, a sculpture of a phoenix looks down on us, to recall the eternal aspect of this temple which was intended to be a strong symbol of the power of the shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga.
With his bright blue uniform, you're sure not to miss him!
The path leading to the golden pavilion.
A particularly well-chosen symbol since the temple rises from its ashes each time... Indeed, the current version dates from 1955, rebuilt identically after the last fire (because there wasn't just one...) in 1950, started by a fanatic monk... It "earned" its inscription on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1994.
Of course, what catches the eye is its beautiful golden color, because the pavilion is covered with gold leaf on the two upper floors. But the world that circulates prevents you from fully appreciating the place.
Seen from the other side, here is the crowd that was next to me….
Even though I got the photos I wanted, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly at this spectacle of hundreds of wandering selfie-takers, some of whom don't hesitate to jostle for position... Caught up in the crowd, we don't really enjoy it, or at least, it's difficult.
However, it would be just as difficult to miss it, because the site is impressive. The setting is pretty, the garden surrounding the pavilion is immaculate and it's not every day that you get to see this kind of unique building where gold predominates.
The phoenix on its roof.
Seen from another angle.
In the garden surrounding the Golden Pavilion.
Maybe try an early morning visit when it opens to enjoy it a bit more (although I doubt that in high season it makes much difference…)
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Gion: the Geisha district
It was on our way to Gion that we came across a large number of fire trucks in full action. They were finishing putting out a big fire that had started in an old restaurant in an alley perpendicular to where we were going (according to this newspaper, it was the Chihana, a 3-star restaurant in the Michelin guide).
Fire, firefighters, firefighters are burning!
Gion is a maze of cobbled streets, lined with pretty traditional houses with their wooden facades, the possibility of perceiving the feeling of a Kyoto of yesteryear (essentially from the Meiji era).
If you want more information, head to my article on Higashiyama district, where Gion is located.
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3nd day of visit to Kyoto
Coming back directly from Miyama Mountain, we drove to Arashiyama, a must-see visit in Kyoto. After spending 3 hours there, we still didn't have time to see Kiyomizu-dera, so we ended the day in the historic district of Higashiyama to get a glimpse of the old Ninenzaka streets (we will see the other street, Sannenzaka after our visit to Kiyomizu-dera the next day).
Arashiyama, temples and bamboo
Arashiyama, which literally means "storm mountain," refers to the mountain base south of the Katsura River. By extension, it refers to the entire area, including the Sagano Bamboo Forest, which gives the place its fame.
Given the "unmissable" nature of the neighborhood, I wrote a dedicated article on Arashiyama, a district that is very characteristic of Kyoto, I won't go into more detail about it here, but it is there, to the west of Kyoto.
Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka: the old districts of Kyoto
Located in the Higashiyama district, these are 2 sloping streets lined with houses with wooden facades and paved floors. A Kyoto with an old-fashioned feel, we still appreciate the district despite the crowd, which thins out in the late afternoon as the temples begin to close and the souvenir shops with them.
All in good time.
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4nd day of visit to Kyoto
I count it as the 4th day but since we only had the afternoon on site the day before, it counts more as the 3rd full day. So it was a full day in Kyoto that awaited us and something to hope to enrich our visits with some classics, including the Kiyomizu-dera temple that we still hadn't been able to see due to lack of time.
But we started with an initiative from Jitima, who wanted to see a craft market taking place in the courtyard of a temple.
Tezukuri ichi: the craft market at Chion-ji temple
It was my darling's wish, to see a local craft market. Knowing that it also takes place in the courtyard of a temple, I said to myself why not. The atmosphere was not unpleasant, lots of people, both exhibitors and curious onlookers.
We didn't come back empty-handed, which is proof that there were some interesting things. As for coffee, there were at least 3 stands, all offering "old-fashioned" coffee, not bad for starting the day.
For the record, that day was May 15th. However, it turns out that there is an important parade and festival that day in Kyoto, the Aoi Matsuri. If I had come across the information the day before, I had not dwelt on it too much. I had seen that the procession was to pass not far from the market.
I was thinking, given the time, we could go to the market first and then watch the procession go by. I thought it would be long and given its route, we should be able to see it... Coming out of the metro, we could clearly see that people were heading towards the place of passage and the roads in the area were closed.
Except that when leaving the market and returning to the Kamo Ohashi bridge, we quickly understood that we had missed the boat… The roads were reopened! However, I was sure that the procession had only one direction… Except that no, according to this site which talks about Aoi Matsuri, after a break at the local Shimogamo temple, the procession resumes later, heading north of the city…
The hazards of travel!
At least on the way back to the bridge we will have enjoyed a good meal in the area while watching the students playing in the river at low level, while many eagles dance in the sky.
Is it pleasing?
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Ginkaku-ji: The Silver Pavilion
Although we missed the Aoi festival, our morning visit combined perfectly with our next objective. Originally, it was only supposed to be to walk the path of philosophy (one could also say the path of philosophers), which starts right at the foot of the Ginkaku-ji temple, known as the "silver pavilion".
So it would have been stupid not to go. I consoled myself there with a glass of home-made beer, at the entrance to this shopping street next to the path of philosophy and we continued to the entrance of the temple.
Despite this nickname, do not expect, unlike its gold-covered "counterpart", that this one is covered in silver... No, here, it is ultimately a pavilion with a standard appearance and surrounded by a beautiful garden, some parts of which are covered in a green moss with the most beautiful effect.
The pavilion is made of lacquered wood dating from the 15th century and although it may not look like much, it does have one merit: it is indeed original. The nickname of the silver pavilion could come from that of its minimalist garden made of sand, called "the sea of silver sand", or a certain Karlos also offers us several versions on the origin of the title.
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Tetsugaku no michi: Path of Philosophy
The Philosophy Path is a path lined with trees (sakuras that are in bloom in April, it must be the most beautiful effect), in the middle flows a stream. This real green flow in the middle of the city is a relaxing stop to enjoy a little calm and shade on this hot May day.
The origin of the name is not certified, it could have been given because of the monks of the surroundings who liked to come to meditate while walking along the canal. When another, somewhat more logical, would be due to the frequentation of philosophers and professors of the University of Kyoto, who liked to take this path to think about life.
If the walk in total follows a 2 km route, during which you can come across cafes, houses offering pottery classes and a nice atmosphere (a word that I use too much for my taste), we were content with about half, preferring to cut it short in order to be able to (finally) visit the main temple of the city, the Kiyomizu-dera.
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Kiyomizu-dera, the water temple
Another must-see in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is a complex of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in eastern Kyoto. Its main attraction is the Kiyomizu-dera Hondo building, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1941.
Its special feature? It literally dominates Kyoto, being placed on an impressive “floating” wooden platform 13 m above the ground. In spring with the sakuras and in autumn with the maples (momiji), it is one of the most photogenic places in Kyoto.
Main entrance at the foot of Kiyomizu-dera temple.
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There are also evening openings in early spring and late fall from 18:30 p.m. to 21:30 p.m., see precise information on the official website (English)
Fushimi Inari Taisha
After the bamboos of Arashiyama, this was probably the most anticipated and photogenic place I could hope for. I preferred to write an article dedicated to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, because it is an important symbolic place. I will just add here that we met a lot of people there again, but that it is possible to fully appreciate the place anyway, you have to be patient, and if you have time, there is a lot to explore and it can be easy to get away from the crowds.
The visit combines very well with going to Nara since it is on the train line going there.
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Among the things that we had also noted but were unable to do due to lack of time, there were:
– the forest walk between Kuruma and Kibune, north of Kyoto
– take an Onsen (hot bath) for your feet
– visit the Imperial Villa (further north)
– the Museum of Traditional Crafts (next to the important Heian-jingu temple)
For next time (who knows) and spotted on other blogs, I could also mention the Higashi Honganji, the oldest wooden building in the city or Daigo-ji Temple, recommended by an expat to Amandine and which has become one of her favorites.
My good addresses in Kyoto
In summary, after this short stay in Kyoto, here is my advice on accommodation, restaurants tested and transport.
Our hotels in Kyoto
We tested 2 different hotels since we split this stay into 2 parts.
- Gran Ms Kyoto, very close to Kyoto Shiyakusho Mae subway, it's clean, small modern room, quiet, good reception, next to Nishiki food market and well centralized to the main attractions. Price paid: €77 per night
Our room at Gran Ms Kyoto.
- Traditional Kyoto Home Bifuku Roujiya, for the 2nd part, we wanted to test a hotel with traditional-looking rooms. Very warm welcome, room actually typical of the Japanese style, with sliding door, and futon as a bed. The door is also without a padlock (only the main door closes with a code), and the bathroom is shared. The downside is that there is no insulation, so the quiet will depend on the other guests (there are 2 rooms upstairs, one opposite the other, and a larger one downstairs). Price paid: €62 per night
Some ideas for restaurants in Kyoto
We can't say that we chose very well during this stay. The fault among other things was the paper guide, too big, too heavy that we didn't carry around during the day, so we never knew where to eat... Usually, if I have wifi or internet, I take a look at Google Maps to see what's in the area, the few times I did it, either the restaurants I found were closed, or too far away...
Among the goods tested were the Matsuya Imadegawa, a small local restaurant on the corner of the street northwest of the Kyoto-Gosho royal residence.
1 km from there to the east, adjacent to the Kamo Ohashi Bridge, there is the Good Good Coffee. On the other side of this same bridge continuing towards the east, there is a nice little bakery for a little snack, the Treat.
In Arashiyama, it is at Kotokikichaya, right at the foot of the Togetsu-kyo Bridge where we sat our butts.
In Gion, we tested the surprising Issen Yoshoku, an attraction in itself due to its exterior and interior decor (with its dolls) and its unique dish (a sort of Japanese pizza, a Kyoto specialty, no need to worry about what to eat...).
Not far from there we ate at French Gion Bar Maruhashi offering French-sounding cuisine, reasonable price but still disappointing (if only in quantity).
We also had a good bite to eat in 7/11s or similar, taking advantage of their decent and really cheap coffee.
Transportation from Osaka: Train
We had opted for the option that seemed best in terms of cost/speed ratio and so we went to Kyoto from Osaka by train. Leaving from the main station Osaka Station, we arrived directly at Kyoto Station.
It was a local train on the Tokaido-Sanyo line, so it stopped at every station, wasn't super fast (about 1 hour to travel the 50 km between the 2 stations) but at least it was affordable: 560 ¥ per person (less than €5).
Waiting for our train to Kyoto at Osaka Station.
For fun, we could have taken the famous Japanese TGV, the Shinkansen, which makes the journey in only 15 minutes, but that costs 5 times more (3 ¥), for this distance, it was not worth it/the cost...
For other means and from other destinations, see the complete information on the website of Gaijin Japan.
A ninja train, no doubt, we are definitely in Japan.
Getting around Kyoto
On site, you have plenty of local train lines (JR Line), subways as well as buses to get to the different spots, often well served. Apart from the first day when we had taken a pass (600 ¥), we operated on a case-by-case basis after that.
Knowing that we could have studied the possibility of taking a JR Pass for the KANSAI region but we were not sure if it would be profitable. The other solution to avoid the machines each time is to use a prepaid card, there are 2 options for this, the Suica card and the Pasmo.
The cards are to be recharged with cash and only allow a saving of time and a chaouia of practicality rather than a saving (some say that it gives the right to a reduction of around 5%, others that it is only a rounding down to the nearest ten compared to single tickets).
There is a 500 yen deposit to obtain it, which can be recovered by returning the card at the end of the stay (same principle as with Octopus card in Hong Kong).
Because of the price, we never used taxis. However, we used the bus a few times. Payment is made in cash when getting off the bus, there is a machine next to the driver that allows you to both change money and pay. The journeys are generally around 200-250 yen.
The stops are mostly well-informed about the bus route, particularly around tourist sites, which makes the task quite easy.
In absolute terms, the car remains a good means of transport since we didn't encounter any traffic jams, whatever the time (a dream!).
Right in the center, and yet deserted…
Smooth traffic in Kyoto
Kyoto: assessment – too fast, could we do better?
It's true that I was fooled like a fool... By imagining this somewhat perfect image of Japan, I expected a lot from Kyoto, and if on the one hand we missed out on peaceful, "authentic" places (an ugly word), due to lack of preparation but especially time, I hoped to come back absolutely conquered.
So not that I haven't been, but let's say, not completely and for that, friend Brice's article sums up my feeling very well.
I was hoping that it wouldn't be high season already and I didn't expect there to be so many people almost everywhere. Since we didn't even make the effort to get up, we ended up with the Kyoto of the "basic tourist", without any "special" time (our fault anyway...). Afterwards, not that it's "shameful", but it's generally not what we're looking for, at least, we try to avoid, hence our few more original excursions outside the city, which were good despite the bad weather.
I have a hard time transcribing what we felt because Jitima also had the same feeling when we returned, but both of us have a hard time targeting what really disappointed us, while feeling that we missed something. Even the word "disappointed" is not really appropriate, let's say to summarize that it could have been better, not delighted, but not to criticize Japan either, far from it. And cold, I would add that we probably rushed too much, miscalculated our stay, which made us fit into a "mold" of the "classic" visitor.
At least there's no one there!
Kyoto, you have to tame it and we went there a bit like "savages", eager for perfect photos. We were cruelly short of time (I told you, 3-4 days is not much), because precisely, we like to take our time, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the places, we finally flew over the city in many ways.
Conclusion, leave with this in mind, Kyoto is a city full of traditions, charming, but look for them, be curious (and early) and don't let yourself be sucked in by classic sites with these perfect images of zen places.
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