Best Things to Do and See in Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto is a small traditional Japanese village filled with charming temples, great food, and a lot of history. We spent 3 full days exploring all Kyoto has to offer. Kyoto is becoming more and more popular so expect it to be busy. We went during cherry blossom season so it was exceptionally busy. Still, I’m glad we went because some of the most beautiful temples I’ve ever seen were in this village.

Yasaka Dori

This is an area in Kyoto we actually stayed just minutes from here. Yasaka Dori is known for the traditional Japanese ancient architecture and has tons of food, cafes, and shops to stumble into. You’ll also find the beautiful temple known as Hōkan-ji Temple, it’s tall and just straight in the middle of the street. You must come here to just roam around, grab some street food, and take in the sites.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

While you’re in the Yasaka dori area, you got to check out the Kiyomizu-dera temple. The temple grounds are shockingly very big. Towards the entrance you’ll see these strikingly beautiful temples, they are exceptionally pretty at night lit up and surrounded by cherry blossoms. You can go deeper to the actual temple which you do have to pay a small fee to get into but the grounds and views are beautiful. Definitely recommend checking out this temple! We went here multiple times because it was a 2 minute walk from our airbnb.

Tea Ceremony

Going to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony should definitely be on your bucket list in Japan! You’ll feel like you’ve transferred back in time and you really understand more about the culture. I booked our tea ceremony with Nishiki Orizuruya, they dress you up in kimonos and do your hair in a beautiful traditional Japanese style, then they escort you to the tea ceremony room where you’ll learn the history of matcha tea, the etiquette of serving and enjoying tea, and they teach you how to make matcha. They also have a few little desserts on the side. Overall it was a great experience! They even let you leave with the kimonos on for a bit which was very nice because I got some wonderful photos in front of the cherry blossoms!

Fushimi Inari

This is one of the most iconic spots in Kyoto, known for the thousands of red torii gates leading up to Mount Inari. Along the path there’s many shrines, shops, and restaurants. Best of all, it’s free! You can easily spend 2-3 hours like we did hiking the whole thing, there are some steep spots, or you can simply do a little bit and turn back. It’s VERY busy towards the front but crowds die down after maybe 20 minutes of walking. I would say this is definitely work checking out while your in Kyoto!

Nara Park and Todaiji Temple

Nara Park is a 30 minute train ride outside of Kyoto, it’s a great half day trip to experience the roaming deer and Todaiji Temple which houses one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world and is actually one of the largest wooden structures in the world. When you walk into Nara park you’ll instantly be greeted by the famous deer and be cautious, they will ram into you! They can get very aggressive. After walking a bit in Nara park and feeding the deer, walk over to the Todaiji temple, get your ticket, and take in the breathtaking beauty of this temple. Nara park is huge with shops, cafes, and restaurants, and many places to stop and enjoy the cherry blossoms. Definitely recommend coming here during your stay in Kyoto!

Kinkaku-ji Temple

Known as the gold pavilion, this temple is very unique, covered in gold and surrounded by serenity. It’s even more beautiful in person. You do have to buy a ticket to see this and there’s really not much to do here, you walk in, see the temple, and make the loop around the grounds to exit. Honestly kind of underwhelming but seeing that temple was gorgeous. It’s worth it if you pair this with something nearby, it was about a 25 minute uber for us.

Philosopher’s Path (For Cherry Blossoms)

If you are in Kyoto for cherry blossom season I highly recommend walking along Philosopher’s path. It’s a path along the canal lined with cherry blossoms. You can keep walking for 10-20 minutes along this path. There’s also shops, cafes, and restaurants to stop and enjoy the beauty. You are bound to get some amazing shots of the cherry blossoms here.

Bamboo Forest

You should certainly see a bamboo forest while in Kyoto. I’d recommend checking out the most popular one, Arashiyama, a little out of the way but could be a good half day to pair with the golden temple. From my research, this one is huge and the bamboo is breathtaking. It’s crowded, but I imagine if you just keep walking like Fushimi Inari the crowds will thin out. Just try not to go at popular times. You either have to go super early or maybe wait till the afternoon. I’ve been hearing most people go in the morning around 9am and crowds thin out at places later in the day. We actually did not go to Arashiyama but I wish we had. We went to Kodaiji Temple and watched the cherry blossom illuminations. There’s also a small bamboo forest at Kodaiji, pretty but it’s super short, I’m talking like it takes you 1-2 minutes to walk through. I was underwhelmed here.

Nishiki Market

Nishiki market is huge, it’s a great place to do some shopping, walk around, and try all the street food. It’s right in the heart of Kyoto so it’s easy to get to, if you are doing the tea ceremony, this is nearby so it’s a good spot to walk around after.

Traditional Japanese Garden

Kyoto is a busy town, take some time to relax and enjoy some tea or coffee at a cafe with a traditional Japanese garden. We popped into Hario cafe which is tucked in a quiet back street, you can sip your coffee or tea and overlook the garden. This spot is very peaceful and serene.