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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. Kyoto State Guest House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 98 reviews
Reviewed By elizabethpV8634SC
Are you looking for something interesting, beautiful and a bit different, that not everyone does when visiting Kyoto? Then I recommend making a reservation for a guided tour of the State Guest House which is located in the Gyoen National Garden, that surrounds the Imperial Palace. This is where foreign dignitaries and Heads of State are received and stay during State visits to Kyoto. The Guest House was completed in 2005. The year-round public opening for visitors began in 2016. We elected to take a guided tour. For this, it is best to reserve in advance. Alternatively you can do a self-guided tour without a reservation. Considering that the guided tour costs only 500 yen more, it makes sense to have a guide because you learn a lot more. The tour lasts one hour. Our guide was outstanding. In the main banquet hall, the artistry of the furniture, the individually designed chairs and lacquer banquet table are exquisite. The table is 12 meters in length and no two chairs are exactly alike. The rooms used for meetings, entertaining and receptions are adorned with beautiful tapestries that extend across entire walls. The design of the building is simple, contemporary and elegant and exudes peace and calm. There is a pretty Japanese garden and lake in the middle with enormous golden and orange carp. You will learn about the artisans who crafted all the wonderful works of art, as well as understanding the architectural intricacies of the construction of the building. It is permitted to take photos. It was a fascinating tour and very worthwhile!
2. Rokkakudo
3. Kansai Electric Power Keage Power Plant
4. Konkai-Komyo Ji-Temple Gate
5. Old Kyoto Central Post Office
6. Sacra - Former Fudo Chokin Bank Kyoto Branch
7. Heian Jingu Shrine Otorii
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
8. Nijo Jinya
9. Tanaka Shrine
10. Kyoto City Hall
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By arupbansal - Mumbai, India
Reaching Kyoto- It took us around 4 hours to reach from Narita International Airport to Kyoto station. We had taken JR voucher from JTB travel agent before arriving at Narita. Therefore, it was pretty straight forward to go to the JR counter to get the JR pass. We realised that if we are OK then 3 year old can sit on our lap and we don't need to covert the JR voucher to pass (kids upto 6 years can travel for free as long as they don't want a seat for themselves). Since we already has the JR voucher we were told that we can get a refund from the JTB agent we bought. As we had the green JR pass it was very easy and the cabin was empty. We got the nEX fast train. Also, as it was low season so a ordinary pass would have been as good. At the counter you get the ticket for the entire journey till Kyoto. However, there was only a 15 minute window to transfer from nEX train station to Shinkansen. Instead of Tokyo station we took the transfer from Shinagawa station. It is 8 minutes from Tokyo station but not as complicated as Tokyo station. Highly advisable to take this transfer. It is incredibly easy to transfer and in less than 7 minutes we reached the Shinkansen. The Shinkansen stops for only 2 minutes at the station. The trains are super efficient and have exact timings. Narita to Shinagawa- 15:44 to 16:55 Shinagawa to Kyoto- 17:10 to 19:45 It is advisable to pack a bento box or Starbucks for the journey as there is very little you get on the Shinkansen. We did buy wine and chips on the Shinkansen (4$ for 2 small bottles). From Kyoto station take the central exit and you immediately reach "foreigner friendly" taxi stand. The drivers can speak English and you can take in the vintage Toyota Crown experience. Kyoto is a small city and anywhere will be less than $25; therefore better to take taxi instead of bus/train. However, bus/train are also extremely convenient as long as you still have the patience and energy to stay alert and find your way. We took taxi; it took around $15 and it was worth it. We were staying in an AirBnB and reached a very pretty and clean house. After settling we immediately went out for dinner and found an amazing neighbourhood restaurant. We had Kirin beer and enjoyed very tasty food. Day 2- it was a full of activity and started the day with a cab ride till Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine. We were staying in the south and shrine was in the North. We did not check the train/bus connections and we found it easier to just hail a taxi. It was a 10 km ride and approx $25. If we would have seen the bus/train connection then it would have been cheaper to reach the shrine but we would have lost a lot of time. The shrine is serene and beautiful. It is a lot of walking and the road to the shrine has lot of souvenir shops. We ate at a little tempura restaurant. The best tempuras we ever had. It didn't feel oily and with the rice and noodles they tasted really nice. I wanted to eat ramen but the owner refused to make only 1 batch and therefore I had to give-in and eat the tempura meal but it was worth it. There is also a lot of street food option as well on the way to the shrine. From the shrine we went to the Kiyomiso-dera temple. This time we took the train from the Fuisimi Nari station and then walked for about half an hour to reach the beautiful pure water temple. It was beautiful and a sip of the pure water is a must to do. Also, you can walk into a pitch dark cave, womb of Buddha, to ask for a wish. It's a beautiful walk with a lot of souvenir shops. After this we walked to the cxx market. It was a 45 minute walk but a good experience to see the city. On the walk we also spotted some Gieshas. The market was a long stretch with shops on both sides. Did not like any of the shops also did not find a cool nice place for dinner. So we headed back to our airbnb and decided to venture out nearby. We ate dinner at another local neighbourhood Japanese restaurant. This time it was noodles, Japanese sate, etc. I experienced the suntory ball whiskey for the 1st time. It looks like lemon soda but is nice an refreshing. Day 3- We are not so much into sight seeing and had done enough of the temples. So we decided to go to the bamboo forest walk and boat ride in river near the Arashiyama temple. We changed 2 buses to reach the area; it was similar to Fushimi-Inari shrine with lot of eating options and gift shops. This time we ate soba noodles. The food was very delicious and the broth uniquely cooked. However, when we asked for more noodles they said that we cannot. The process is if you order noodle dish then you can order additional rice serving to fill your stomach. And if you order rice dish then you can order additional noodles serving to fill your stomach. But if it is noodle and noodles then CANNOT. This was little annoying but that is what it is. After eating we went to the bamboo forest walk; it ok and can be avoided. Anyways the river looked nice but we did not want to go for a boat ride. After this we took a direct bus to Nishiki market. To our surprise Nishiki market is the same area as Cxx market. We had heard a lot about Nishiki market but it wasn't anything special just a lot of marinated and dried sea food shops. Nothing much to do here. From Nishiki market we walked to the Gion market area. It is about 15 minutes walk and this is the most crowded area in Kyoto. The Gion market area looks very traditional. However the shops and restaurants inside are very classy and new. This is also the area where there is maximum concentration of ghishas. We spotted a couple. We took a small alley and entered a traditional looking bar. In the inside it was as modern as any other up-market bar in the world. Had couple of drinks and headed back to the hustle and bustle. We walked a little but then decided to come back and eat dinner in our neighbourhood. For dinner we went to the same restaurant as we went on the first night. The beef curry was one of the best I have ever eaten. My wife played some music in the recorder and we had a good time with the lovely owners of the restaurant. Day 4- took the bus to Kyoto station and then Shinkansen to Tokyo. Things to note- 1. There are very few garbage bins so one has to carry the rubbish with them 2. The people are very polite and hospitable 3. People go by the rule so if you want any change in the process then it is not easy 4. The population is ageing and a lot of old people 5. It's a small and beautiful city. There are lot of very clean and fancy toilets; including in the train. 6. It's important to carry exact change for the bus, if you don't have a pass. Every ride, no matter distance, is about 2$. 7. A meal for 2 without alcohol is around 35$. And with alcohol is around 60$.
