The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove disappoints most visitors who arrive between 10:00 and 16:00. Here is when it works, and what to walk in Sagano-Arashiyama instead: Tenryu-ji, Jojakko-ji, Gio-ji, Daikaku-ji, the Hozugawa river boat, the Sagano Romantic Train, and the Iwatayama monkey-park view back over Kyoto.
Kyoto has more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Here are the twelve worth structuring a trip around: opening hours, admission, photography rules, and the order to visit in.
Walking-route-led guide to Gion: Hanamikoji, Shirakawa canal, Pontocho, Yasaka Shrine, Chion-in, the geiko spotting reality, the 2024 photography ban, where to eat, Gion Matsuri, and what it actually costs.
Most Kyoto guides are temple lists masquerading as travel articles. The temple is the easy part. Hard part: the city is six geographic clusters, not one walkable centre, and the difference between a great Kyoto trip and a forgettable one is which two of those clusters you base around, when you wake up, and which … Read more
Twelve named cherry blossom spots in Kyoto with real bloom timing, district groupings, and a planner-first take, from Maruyama to Ninna-ji.
