Location: Northern Kyoto
Top Things to do in Northern Kyoto
10 Nature & Parks in Northern Kyoto That You Shouldn't Miss
The shrines and temples of Kyoto offer a rare link between modern life in the city and its very ancient past. The Shimogamo Shrine dates to the 6th century and seems suspended in time, its serenity and spiritual power still palpable. Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, then see the life-sized Thousand Armed Kannon statues of Sanjūsangen-dō. Enjoy traditional geisha performances, then savor a tranquil meal at a restaurant overlooking the Kamo River.
Restaurants in Kyoto
1. Ryogen-in Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
This temple is home to the most famous Zen rock garden in Japan, which has been in existence since the 15th century.
2. Mount Hiei
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
Reviewed By caryn105 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mount Hiei is the highlight of my recent Kyoto trip. My friend and I took the Eizan train at Demachiyanagi Station (Keihan line from Kyoto Station). It was a new train with an 'Oval' and aerodynamic body. We alighted at Yase-Hieizanguchi station. The easiest way to visit Mount Hiei from Yase Hieizanguchi Station is to take the Eizan Cable Car and Eizan Ropeway. You may consider hiking up the summit of Mount Hiei after alighting the cable car (we were too tired to hike up the Mount after 2 days of extensive walking at Arashiyama, Kinkakuji and Fushimi Inari). The Garden Museum was closed on our visiting day (it was scheduled to open on 15 April). We hiked all the way to Enryaku-ji temple, Konpon chu-do, Todo. It is a serene and not so touristy place. We were lucky to experience snow though it was just a split second moment. We took Sakamoto cable car to descend from Mount Hiei to Shiga.
3. Shugakuin Imperial Villa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 399 reviews
Created as an imperial summer retreat, the garden complex is a fine example of Japanese landscape design.
Reviewed By boabin - Seoul, South Korea
A lot of the reviews do agree that you can get access if you are already in Kyoto, sometimes they have free slots in other tours. This can be fine during low seasons but I think during the cherry blossom and fall it would be best to secure a ticket in advance, just in case. It is free, which is brilliant for anyone wanting to rein in their spending whilst visiting the city. The tour itself is in Japanese, you can pick up a free headset in English at reception to understand the grounds and villa. Each site is numbered, follow those numbers to listen to each track. The views are spectacular and worth seeing. There is a lot of culture artistically embedded throughout the buildings and garden. Truly a national wonder. Obviously the pond is the main highlight and most photographed but don't neglect to look carefully at the doors inside the buildings or the hidden waterfalls.
4. Kyoto Botanical Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 381 reviews
Reviewed By YTCHENG - Hong Kong, China
We purposely came here to view momiji by late Nov. and there were quite a number of photo-takers took this chance as well. We were happy to see the colors around the ponds and more than three couples came to take their wedding photos at sunset period. Quite enjoyable but the best timing would be limited to several days only.
5. Haradanien
6. Hakuryuen Garden
7. Daitoku-ji Temple
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 360 reviews
The Daitoku-ji complex of Zen Buddhism consists of 24 temples,including Daisen-in and Ryogen-in.
Reviewed By johnandlizb - Leamington Spa, United Kingdom
There are beautiful walkways and buildings here and some are open to the public. We went into one and had a look at the 5 little gardens. Mostly raked gravel with some lovely moss and plants. I find them peaceful and pretty and it was relatively quiet too. Really enjoyed it. It was quite small but well worth the visit.
8. Garden of Fine Arts
9. Zuihoin Garden
10. Takaragaike Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 55 reviews
Reviewed By G1455XBdavidf - Bentleigh, Australia
This is a spectacular park. Ideal for walking and jogging. There is a track that takes you up a hill for spectacular views of the mountains. There are deer and birds. The air is fragrant with the smell of the trees, On asunday morning it was great to see the community groups walking and talking . The day that I was there , an ecology group was trying to removed introduced species of fish from the lake. This a wonderful place
