Kyoto Travel : General

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. There are so much thing to see in Kyoto. Kyoto is the traditional Japan you might think of. The best time to visit Kyoto is in the spring and autumn. Kyoto’s summer is not the best experience but it is compensated by loads of festivals.

There are things you must not miss during your visit in Kyoto though. Temples, food, and some experiences you should not miss when you’re there.

Since I am a backpack traveler, I opted for minimum budget, maximum experience (lol).

I will list it here as how the best route in my knowledge.

Depends on where you stay, if you come at night and have some time to sleep. Rise up early in the morning, buy some breakfast at nearby konbini and be ready to travel Kyoto. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes since you might walk around a lot.

Places to see in Kyoto

There are more than 100 temples in Kyoto. Its completely up to you if you want to visit each and every one of them. But here are the famous temples in Kyoto.

1.   Kiyomizu Dera

2. Fushimi Inari

3. Kinkakuji

4.   Arashiyama

5. Nijo Castle

6. Sanjusangendo temple

7.   Kyoto Imperial castle

8.  Toji Temple

9. Chion in temple

10. Gion

Festivals

1.  Gion festival

2.  Aoi festival

Experiences

Kyoto might makes you want to experience the traditional Japan. There are some experiences that you could try here that makes you feel the authentic Japan feeling (I have no idea what I am saying).

1.   Stroll around in yukata/kimono

2.  Dress up as maiko (geisha apprentice)

3.  Eat in ryokan (Japanese traditional dining)

If you like matcha (powdered green tea), then I suggest you to visit Tsujiri. It’s a caffee specialized in matcha. You could buy the matcha drinks, or buy a pack of matcha powder as souvenir. Their matcha drink are delicious.

Transportation

The train is not as extensive as in Tokyo. But have your JR pass ready (if you have one). Its easier to go around with bus. You can buy one day bus pass at your hotel or at the station. If you go to more than 2 places, then I suggest you to take the one day buss pass.

One day bus pass in Kyoto will cost you 500 Yen

While one time taking bus will cost you 220 Yen per ride.

More about Kyoto transportation will be discussed in other post.

There are good resources for your Kyoto travel planning.

1. Kyoto travel guide : http://kyoto.travel/assets/travel/kyototouristguidebook-bbce8e98f8bccdc52eecaadc32157899.pdf

2.  Inside Kyoto: http://www.insidekyoto.com

3.  Google map https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=zoY6R7XpLLys.kgoI667xGgAQ&hl=en_US