Kyoto at a Glance | Places to Visit | Best Time to Visit | Travel Tips & Restrictions | Visa | Pts. of Interest (Map) | Day trips | Things to Do | Best Areas | Food Guide
Kyoto is a city of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, of geishas and landscaped gardens far removed from the sensory overload of Harajuku and Akihabara. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy video games and otaru culture too. But when I imagine all the things I love most about Japan – atmosphere, tradition, culture, and food – I see Kyoto.
There is so much to see and experience in this city long regarded as the historical and cultural heart of Japan. If you’re visiting Kyoto for the first time, then I hope this travel guide helps you fall in love with this city as much as I have.
15 Places That First-Time Visitors To Kyoto Must See
Sites and attractions | Any price accom | Cultural Activities
Nishiki Market | famous for its temples-shrines-nature | Sanjusangendo Temple | Nijo Castle | Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) | Giouji Temple | Arashiyama | Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine | Kyoto Imperial Palace | Where to Stay | Ginkakuji Temple | Located in west-central Honshu | Yasaka Pagoda | center of Japanese culture | Gion District | home to 17 UNESCO W.H. Sites | Kamogawa River | 4.000 historical monuments | Bamboo Grove
Located in west-central Honshu, Kyoto is the center of traditional Japanese culture for more than a thousand years. Nowadays, Kyoto is one of the most historic and interesting cities to visit in the whole world. If you are planning to visit Kyoto for the very first time, don’t worry – I know exactly how you feel because I had the same struggle this year! … Struggle, because you will have to choose between more than 1650 temples, 400 Shinto Shinto Shrines, 800 shrines, a castle, 3 palaces, and countless city parks and gardens during your stay in Kyoto!
Japan had been on my list for a LONG time. For some reason though, I always struggled to make a trip happen. But finally, it happened! And since I was excited to make it here, I didn’t want it to be a quick trip.
In the end, we decided to spend 1 month total in Japan.
We spent the first two weeks in Kyoto and it was perfect. Every day was rewarding and we didn’t regret spending two weeks in this city at all. It’s calm, picturesque, friendly and full of activities and places to visit. The food is ever so tasty, it’s easy to get around and it’s also very affordable. It really was the ideal base.
We also were there during autumn and it was gorgeous as a result. The abundant nature and truly spectacular colors were far beyond anything we could have hoped for and it certainly helped make this an even more rewarding trip.
If you’re thinking of going to Kyoto, whether it’s for 2 days or 2 weeks, I hope the information below from my own experience proves helpful!
29 BEST Things to Do in KYOTO Japan | Guide for Solo Travelers
