We loved Kyoto. If I had to live in a large city in Japan, this would be it!
Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji): This is hands down the best tea garden I saw all throughout Japan. It was everything I ever imagined a tea garden to be, and it was so peaceful and beautiful. Go early in the morning to beat the crowds.
Golden Pavilion: This garden is way more popular than Ginkakuji and had too many tourists. Though the garden is beautiful, I think the Silver Pavilion is much better.
Fushimi Inari: Again, there were way too many tourists, but it’s worth it. On the way up to the top of the mountain, we found a signed turn off that supposedly led to a castle. We couldn’t find the castle, but the path led us to an alternative way to the top that ended up being a real hike and was practically devoid of tourists. Up at the top there are fewer people, great views of the city, and tea stands.
Daimonji Hike and the Path of Philosophy: You can do these two things together. The Path of Philosophy is a beautiful stroll along a river with a bunch of cherry blossoms in springtime. The Daimonji Hike starts near one end of the Path of Philosophy. The destination of this hike is near the summit of a mountain with a giant “dai” symbol made out of giant stones that you can see from anywhere in Kyoto. You get great views of the city, and it’s a proper hike which takes a couple of hours, or more if you just want to keep hiking! There are a bunch of different ways to get down.
Nijo Castle: There are so many castles in Kyoto. We went to Nijo in particular because our AirBnB was only one block away, but what’s noteworthy about this castle is they have a special nighttime tea garden where they light up the whole tea garden with multicolored lights. It feels pretty magical. Moreover, this is the only tea garden that we visited where you can drink your tea while overlooking the garden. All of the other tea gardens have their tea area far removed from the garden.
Fire Ramen (Menbakaichidai): Again, we went here because our AirBnB was a block away. It was quite the experience. They set your ramen on fire in front of you and the flames almost reach the ceiling. The ramen was good but not amazing, but we still had a fun time.
Chao Chao Gyoza: This was the most delicious gyoza I’ve ever had. It was definitely worth the 1.5 hour wait! I think you can make reservations by calling in advance, which would definitely be the way to go. Afterwards you can go to Pontocho, the bar district, or Gion and maybe see a geisha.
Kyoto Handicrafts Center is perfect for souvenirs. You can get paintings and wood block prints for a lot cheaper than you might think. I believe I spent around 20 USD on a 6″ x 8″ woodblock print.
WanderLiz 