Kyoto Bucket List
With two thousand temples to see, this is a city that moves at a speed that forces you to slow down whether you like it or not. And that's the whole idea.
Why Kyoto belongs on your bucket list
Being the imperial capital of Japan for over a millennium has definitely left its mark on the city. The entire place is practically a living, breathing museum, but that's not a bad thing. Between perfectly raked sand gardens and bamboo groves that bow their heads, you'll come across historic shrines, temples, and genuinely ancient teahouses. But Kyoto isn’t all about the past. It’s one of Japan’s best and most atmospheric cities to explore the streets. Food markets here are at least as big a draw as temples and can get a little overwhelming with all the sights, smells, and flavors. The riverside markets, for example, will give you a taste of it all – yakitori, takoyaki, katsu sandwiches, yuba skin, matcha tea that is nothing like what you’ve ever tried before, and a pear that’ll scare you it’s so sweet.
When to go
Late March to mid-April gives you the famous cherry blossoms. Kyoto lights up pink at this time and suddenly you understand all those hokey Japonaiserie tats. Late November to early December brings autumn foliage. If you leave Tokyo in the summer and head to Kyoto or the Japan Alps you can get escape the heat (of the air, not so much of the tap-dancing on the sidewalk). Spring temperatures can vary between sweater-nippy and blood-boiling. Summer is hot and nasty with a chance of advancing forest fires – but oh, that torrid romance! Get your own tales kicking off in hundred-degree heat. Wash it all down with a refreshing glass of typhoon in September. The southern Island of Japan, Kyushu can get hit by these, but coastlines as far north as Tokyo can too. Wrap up warm if you're in town for New Year's (January 1 and 2). See what works best in terms of heat tolerance and snow aversion, and we'll go from there. The humidity – oppressive! – heats you in a sauna in July and August. But remember when you packed your long johns and January spent 90 per cent of your daily allowance defrosting those vending machine hot coffees (I swear by the corn soup) or stalling out every 15 minutes in a toasty pet shop? The plane will be the same.
Must-visit places in Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Walking through ten thousand vermillion torii gates that stretch over a mountain, and all the photos and postcards are so inadequate -- you can't experience what it's like to walk through them from pictures, the light filtering through orange, the path contracting and expanding, the sound of your own footsteps echoing in a way that totally warps your sense of space, how long you've been walking. The walk to the top and back takes about two hours. If you get there before 7 AM or after 5 PM, you'll have the whole place to yourself except the birdsong and the soft light.
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
There are two floors in total with a balcony running along the upper floor. When the pavilion was still in use, some guy had to be stationed there 24/7 right up until it was time to start dismantling it so the workers wouldn’t be struck blind by the pure magic of its beauty. That guy must have been really good at staring straight ahead and acting like he wasn’t only there to keep the pavilion safe from jaw-dropped gawkers.
Kiyomizu-dera
A long wooden stage that seems to float above a sea of trees, and the Kyoto skyline in the background, is Kiyomizu-dera's most popular view. The stage has a large veranda on the main hall toeing the hillside above and juts out like a balcony. It cradles the pure waters of the Otowa Waterfall, one of the tenets of Kiyomizu— drinking the water is believed to extend life, learning, and luck.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
It's smaller than you'd expect but very enchanting. The bamboo towers over you and creaks in the wind. The lighting is so peculiarly green that you feel like you're under the sea. It only takes about ten minutes to walk through and there are many tourists with you. But other than the tourists, it's a very peaceful place. The bamboo forest is located in the Arashiyama district where you can also check out the Togetsukyo Bridge, monkeys in a park up the hill, and boat rides down the Hozu River.
Gion District
The townhouses are traditional machiya and the facades blend a host of cultural and historical features including lattice windows, wooden slats, and sliding doors. Some are made of bamboo and paper while others are darkened wood. More modern structures take design inspiration from the traditional buildings and maintain the sense of symmetry and proportion typical of Kyoto architecture. restaurants are hidden up inconspicuous stairwells. Leading off the main Hanamikoji-dori are some of Kyoto's most exclusive tea houses.
Nishiki Market
This market, which is five blocks long and has been roofed over for four centuries, is the kitchen for the entire city of Kyoto. Stalls overflow with pickled vegetables, fresh tofu, grilled mochi, and matcha in every incarnation, as well as countless items unique to the season and to Kyoto. Best of all, it is still a market, not a performance. People shop here. For an optimal experience, arrive hungry and in the morning, and shake a little chili-toasted salt onto a square of piping-hot nori-wrapped grilled rice ball. Then move to the next stall.
Philosopher's Path
A two-kilometer stone path that runs beside a canal flanked by hundreds of cherry trees. This is where the great Meiji-era philosopher Nishida Kitaro used to walk every day as part of his meditation, and you can understand why; it's astonishingly peaceful for an urban locale, and completely pedestrianized to boot. The path begins at Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion) and eventually ends at Nanzen-ji temple. During the cherry blossom season, the canal fills with pink petals and blossoms, creating a gentle floral "snow."
Ryoan-ji
Sitting on a bed of neatly raked white gravel are fifteen stones. No matter where you sit on the observation deck, you can never see all fifteen at the same time. The temple grounds are a bit larger and include a beautiful moss garden as well as a stone water basin inscribed with a Zen koan about the nature of contentment.
Nijo Castle
The floors actually have thousands of “chirping” nails that sound like a bird when anyone walks on them. The doors can be unzipped (yes, unzipped) into the smallest of spaces and the five intricate buildings are meant to feel as open plan as a Wal-Mart. But really, it’s the floors that will give you nightmares.
Katsukura
Tonkatsu is breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet – a popular Japanese dish. One particular restaurant not only serves amazing tonkatsu but makes it an extraordinary gastronomic experience. For starters, you’re given a mortar and pestle to grind sesame seeds then mix them with 3 types of sauce. The pork is made from heritage breed pigs, the breadcrumbs are extremely light, and the cabbage is shredded super finely. The restaurant is located in a machiya on Sanjo Street. The vibe is so good you'll want to revisit the very next day.
Kyoto insider tips
- Transportation: Rent a bike. Kyoto is a flat and walkable city, and biking between temples is much faster than the bus, which moves at a crawl through the traffic during peak times.
- Temple burnout: It happens. Don't try to see everything. Two, maybe three temples a day, max. Take actual time to explore each one. Kyoto will penalize you for rushing.
- Early starts: Most temples open at 6 or 7 AM. Tourists won't arrive until 10. The quiet, the light, the emptiness – it's a whole different world early in the morning. Set your alarm clock.
- Tea ceremony: Book in advance. Camellia Garden and En do offer intimate, English-speaking tea ceremonies that will teach you the philosophy behind every gesture. It will blow your mind. Think differently about tea.
- Day trips: Nara is 45 minutes by train – massive Buddha statue, friendly deer, done. Osaka is 15 minutes by bullet train for some of the world's best street food.
- Manners: Remove your shoes in temples and ryokan. Bow at shrine gates. Keep it down in gardens. It's the little things. Locals will appreciate them.
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