Kyoto.

Where we sleep

1. Day 1 · Thu 13 May

   Gates up the hill

   Fushimi Inari in the morning light, then the terrace of Kiyomizu-dera, and a slow walk through Gion as the lanterns come on.

   • Fushimi Inari Shrine2 h

     The head shrine of Inari, the deity of rice and business, climbing a wooded hill under tunnels of vermilion gates. The grounds are open day and night.

     What to see

     • The dense tunnel of gates at Senbon Torii
     • The stone foxes, messengers of Inari
     • The view over Kyoto from Yotsutsuji

     Time

     Two hours to reach Yotsutsuji and come back.

     Tip

     Go early. By mid-morning the lower gates are shoulder to shoulder, and the hill gets quieter the higher you climb.

     To eat

     Inari sushi, rice in sweet fried tofu pouches, named after the shrine.

     Photos
   • Kiyomizu-dera2 h

     A hillside temple on a UNESCO list, with a main hall whose wooden stage juts out over the trees. It is reached by the old lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka.

     What to see

     • The wooden stage of the main hall
     • The three streams of the Otowa waterfall
     • The lanes of Ninenzaka on the way down

     Time

     Two hours with the lanes.

     Tip

     The temple opens at 6:00, and the closing time changes with the season, so look at its site to plan the afternoon.

     To eat

     Yatsuhashi, Kyoto’s cinnamon rice-flour sweets, from the shops on the way up.

     Photos
   • Gion and Hanamikoji1 h

     Kyoto’s old geisha quarter, where wooden tea houses line a stone-paved street. Geiko and maiko still work here, mostly out of sight.

     What to see

     • The wooden tea houses on Hanamikoji
     • The Shirakawa canal and its willows
     • The lanterns at dusk

     Time

     An hour of slow walking.

     Tip

     Some of the side lanes are private, with signs asking visitors to keep out. Never block or follow a geiko or maiko for a photograph.

     To eat

     Matcha and a wagashi sweet in a tea room as the lights come on.

2. Day 2 · Fri 14 May

   Gold, shoguns and a market

   From the Golden Pavilion in the north-west to a shogun's castle in the middle of town, ending in the covered lane of Nishiki Market.

   • Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion1 h

     A Zen temple whose top floors are covered in gold leaf and mirrored in a pond. It began as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the late 1300s, and the present building dates from 1955 after a fire.

     What to see

     • The pavilion across the Kyoko-chi mirror pond
     • Three styles of architecture, one per floor
     • The tea garden at the end of the route

     Time

     About an hour on the one-way path.

     Tip

     You can’t go inside, and the best view comes right after the gate, so be ready with the camera. Tour buses arrive by mid-morning.

     To eat

     Matcha and wagashi sweets, found in any tea room in the neighbourhood.

     Photos
   • Nijo Castle2 h

     The Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns, built in the early 1600s. In 1867 the last shogun announced here that he was handing power back to the emperor.

     What to see

     • The painted rooms of Ninomaru Palace
     • The “nightingale” floors that squeak underfoot
     • The moat and stone walls

     Time

     Up to two hours, palace included.

     Tip

     Shoes come off inside the palace and photos are not allowed in the rooms. Arrive well before 16:00, the last admission time.

     To eat

     Soba, buckwheat noodles, at a small shop near the castle.

     Photos
   • Nishiki Market1 h

     A narrow covered lane of food stalls running for several blocks, known as Kyoto’s kitchen. Pickles, tofu and seafood have been sold here for centuries.

     What to see

     • The tsukemono pickle stalls
     • Tamagoyaki, the rolled omelette, cooked in front of you
     • The lane itself, a short walk from the Kawaramachi shops

     Time

     An hour of grazing.

     Tip

     Walking while eating is discouraged here, so finish each bite at the stall. Come in the afternoon, as many stalls close in the early evening.

     To eat

     Tsukemono, tamagoyaki and soy-milk doughnuts.

     Photos
3. Day 3 · Sat 15 May

   The court on the move

   At about 10:30 the Aoi Matsuri sets out from the Imperial Palace: courtiers in Heian dress, oxen and a priestess in a palanquin. We watch the start from the park, then follow the procession to the Kamo shrines.

   • Kyoto Imperial Palace and Gyoen2 h

     The old imperial residence stands in a vast park in the middle of the city. The Aoi Matsuri procession sets out from here at about 10:30.

     What to see

     • The courtiers in Heian dress at the start
     • The ox-drawn carriages
     • The Saio-dai, the festival’s priestess, in her palanquin

     Time

     Be there by 10:00; the whole procession takes about an hour to pass.

     Tip

     No flash: it can startle the oxen and horses. The times are estimates, and the buses detour all day, so use the subway.

     To eat

     Onigiri and a bento from a shop on the way, to eat on a bench in the park.

   • Shimogamo Shrine2 h

     One of Kyoto’s oldest shrines, set in the ancient Tadasu no Mori forest and listed by UNESCO. The head of the procession is expected at about 11:40 and the shrine rites run until about 14:20.

     What to see

     • The rites, with the imperial envoy reading the proclamation
     • Horses galloping in the shrine’s forest
     • The Tadasu no Mori woodland

     Time

     Two to three hours, rites included.

     Tip

     Standing room beyond the paid seats is limited, so arrive early. Demachiyanagi station is about ten minutes on foot.

     To eat

     Mitarashi dango, skewered rice dumplings in a sweet soy glaze, said to have started near this shrine.

     Photos
   • Kamigamo Shrine1 h 30

     The northern Kamo shrine, also a UNESCO site, where the procession ends at about 15:30 and the second set of rites begins.

     What to see

     • The tatesuna, the two cones of sand in front of the sanctuary
     • The wide lawn of the approach
     • The final rites of the day

     Time

     An hour and a half, mostly waiting and watching.

     Tip

     The procession can run late, so keep the evening loose. Paid seats here are sold at the shrine on the day.

     To eat

     Kamo nasu, the round Kamo aubergine, grilled with sweet miso, a Kyoto vegetable.

     Photos
4. Day 4 · Sun 16 May

   Bamboo morning

   A short train west to Arashiyama, early, for a Zen garden and the bamboo path before the crowds. If rain pushed the procession to the 16th, we swap this day with Saturday.

   • Tenryu-ji1 h 30

     A Zen temple founded in 1339 by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji, with a pond garden that borrows the Arashiyama hills as its backdrop. It is on the UNESCO list.

     What to see

     • The Sogen Pond garden
     • The hills of Arashiyama as borrowed scenery
     • The north gate that leads out to the bamboo

     Time

     About an hour and a half.

     Tip

     Take the JR line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama and be at the gate when it opens. The tour groups arrive about an hour later.

     To eat

     Yudofu, tofu simmered in kombu broth, or shojin ryori, the vegetarian cooking of temples.

     Photos
   • Arashiyama Bamboo Grove1 h

     A path through tall bamboo that creaks and rustles in the breeze. It is short, free, and always popular.

     What to see

     • The green tunnel of stalks
     • The light filtered through the canes
     • The small Nonomiya Shrine nearby

     Time

     Half an hour on the path, longer with the lanes.

     Tip

     It is busiest from mid-morning. Leave Tenryu-ji by the north gate and you will be on the path in a minute.

     To eat

     Kuzumochi, chewy kudzu sweets, in a café on the lanes.

     Photos
5. Day 5 · Mon 17 May

   The Philosopher’s Path

   A last gentle walk along the canal from the Silver Pavilion to Nanzen-ji, then home.

   • Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion1 h

     A retreat built in the 1480s for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Despite the name, the pavilion was never covered in silver.

     What to see

     • The pavilion above its pond
     • The sand garden with its raked cone
     • The moss garden on the hillside path

     Time

     About an hour.

     Tip

     The Philosopher’s Path starts just outside the gate. Come here first and walk south, with the canal beside you the whole way.

     To eat

     Kyoto-style udon, in a mild, light broth.

     Photos
   • Nanzen-ji1 h 30

     One of Kyoto’s great Zen temples, with a huge wooden gate and a brick aqueduct from the Meiji era running through the grounds.

     What to see

     • The Sanmon gate
     • The brick aqueduct of the Lake Biwa Canal
     • The quiet sub-temples in the trees

     Time

     An hour and a half, no rush.

     Tip

     The grounds are big, so don’t try to see every sub-temple. Late afternoon light through the aqueduct arches is the prize.

     To eat

     Yudofu, simmered tofu, the speciality of the restaurants around Nanzen-ji.

     Photos

Typical weather for these dates, not a forecast: the average of 2016–2025, with data from Open-Meteo.com (ERA5). The chance of rain is an estimate.