Top Kyoto-fu hotels
Gion (Geisha district) Kyoto
64 Reviews It's not a long walk but it really holds a historical look. building looks new but in the old japanese style. Restaurants there are little above the average price wise. at the end of the road you will...
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Kiyomizu Temple Kyoto
98 Reviews I really loved the short visit I made to this place. i like the atmosphere of this narrow streets with souvenirs shops along your way up the hill to the temple. the temple is realllllly huge and you...
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Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) Kyoto
102 Reviews Three-storey Zen Buddhist temple. Each floor was done in different architectural style - the ground floor is Heian imperial architecture, the second floor typifies warrior aristocracy and the top...
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Nijo Castle Kyoto
58 Reviews Nijo Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nijo Castle is different from the other castles we visited in Japan as the main building, the Ninomaru Palace, is a single-storey rather than a tower with...
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Arashiyama Kyoto
29 Reviews Now this was a great day escape from Kyoto. We took a nice ambling bus ride to Arashiyama, a little bit daunting when you don't really know where you are going, but stick with it and you will arrive....
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Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto
26 Reviews Fushimi Inari Shrine is the most famous of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari across Japan. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are thought to be his messengers. Therefore, many...
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Heian Shrine Kyoto
39 Reviews Heian Shrine is a big temple (colour is striking red) near the Kyoto Modern Art Museum and Kyoto National Art Museum. The whole environment at Heian Shrine was very zen, meaning, empty spaces are all...
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Philosopher's Path Kyoto
25 Reviews This is a pleasant walk along the side of the canal, from Ginkaku-ji to Nanzen-ji temple, passing other temples en route It is called the Philosopher's Walk or Path after Professor Nishida Kitaro...
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Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) Kyoto
43 Reviews The Ginkakuji Temple, or Silver Pavilion, is a world cultural heritage site and an ideal place to start or end a stroll along the 'Philosopher's Walk. The temple was originally the mountain retreat...
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Ryoanji Temple Kyoto
33 Reviews Ryoanji (The Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple (1450), located ibn the Northwest of Kyoto. Its famous "Karesansui" rock garden (UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Site) is consists of 15...
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Kyoto Imperial Palace Kyoto
21 Reviews Kyoto Imperial Palace is located in Kyoto Imperial Park along with the Sento Palace. The emperor and Imperial court resided here until 1868, so it is a great place to visit for those interested in...
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Toji Temple Kyoto
26 Reviews Every month on the 21st Toji Temple hosts a huge flea market! The market is full of things from antiques to modern items and of course, many food options! As far as what you can buy, there is a wide...
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Pontocho Kyoto
15 Reviews Pontocho is a long, narrow alleyway lined with traditional buildings, mostly restaurants and teahouses. Pontocho is best experienced in the evening and at night after the sun has gone down. The...
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Kyoto Station Kyoto
21 Reviews It creates such a contrast to see a modern train station in a city of amazing history. This contemporary glass and steel building will be your starting point when you arrive in Kyoto. As we travelled...
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Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka Kyoto
13 Reviews Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka are famous streets in Kyoto, because they have been preserved to keep the stone walkway and many of the buildings that allign them also remain traditional buildings....
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Nanzenji Temple Kyoto
18 Reviews Tenjuan is one of the subtemples of Nanzenji Temple. It was built in honor of the temple's founder, Daiminkokushi, after his death. The original subtemple was burned down and subsequent wars destroyed...
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Kyoto National Museum Kyoto
17 Reviews These rooms are my favorites. The paintings are huge. Some paintings were taken from walls of individual Japanese houses before. In these rooms, you see the Buddhist paintings, ink paintings, and...
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Kyoto Tower Kyoto
21 Reviews ¥ 770 to observatory (at 100m). On a clear day you should be able to see almost all Kyoto from the top. The 131m structure itself, built to withstand strong wind and earthquake, shaped according to...
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Toei Movie Village Kyoto
8 Reviews A film-culture hall with a western-style, academic appearance is a genuine museum of Japanese cinema. Here you can review the careers of the great actors, actresses and directors of Japanese cinema,...
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Nishi Honganji Temple Kyoto
13 Reviews Nishi Honganji is the older of Kyoto's Honganji temples, built in 1591. It is also the head temple of the Honganji sect of the Jodo sect of Buddhism. The main draw of the temple is simply its size....
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Sanjuusangen-do Kyoto
23 Reviews One of my favourite temples. It houses some 31 national treasures which are all statues of buddhist gods and goddesses. This is a Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) Temple. The statues are : 1 Kannon...
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Cities Outside of Kyoto Kyoto
14 Reviews Kyoto has a central location in Japan. If you will not stay only in one city, but travel to a few cities in Japan like we did, you can choose Kyoto as your base. You can reach Nara in half an hour...
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Jishu Shrine Kyoto
10 Reviews This tiny temple enshrines one of the gods of love and marriage, Okuninushi-no-mikoto. If you're single, come here to see if you'll be lucky at love! There are two stones at the shrine located a...
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Yasaka Shrine Kyoto
12 Reviews Yasaka Shrine (formerly known as Gion Shrine) is one of the most visited shrines in Kyoto, mostly because of its proximity to Gion, Maruyama Park, and the shopping centers. Even so, the shrine is...
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Higashi Honganji Temple Kyoto
15 Reviews Higashi Honganji Temple was built to divide the power of Nishi Honganji Temple. It is the head temple of the Otani sect of Pure Land Buddhism. The original temple was built hundreds of years ago, but...
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An interesting view of many generations of Imperial Japan. Things have changed a lot there, but this palace is still used for coronations.Reservations are required in advance. This can be done on-line. I did and there were no complications.
A nice walking tour around Kyoto is the Johnny Hillwalker tour. It takes 5 hours and covers only 3 km up and down narrow picturesque tiny streets.A fascinating exposure the the side of Kyoto that few tourists see. The emphasis is on artists and their homes and on history. We observed some interesting aspects of actual home production, as practiced in Japan, of fans, ceramic work and rope designs. Hajimi san is an excellent guide with a great sense of humor. His joke are worth hearing!
Walking around Kyoto is a marvelous activity. So much to see and absorb. Absolutely amazing.For a better understanding and more enjoyability (is that a word?) I highly recommend the book:"Exploring Kyoto"On Foot in the Ancient Capitalby Judith ClancyIncludes great maps and marvelous colour photos.
The walking tour of "Johnny Hillwalker" is very worthwhile. Run in English it is a slow stroll for about 5 hours covering a small section of the artists and craft section of Kyoto in depth.It is fascinating watching fans being made - they are blown up by mouth individually!Includes visits to a typical Japanese garden, a couple of Buddhist Temples and so on.Hajimi Hirooka san speaks excellent English, is full of energy and even more patience!He provides lots of interesting explanations along the way and is not above making some cute jokes.
The Cherry Blossom dance made me forget everything. I had an exceptionally good seat - right under the musicians, below the entry walkway of the dancers and just 9 rows from the stage. It was an entrancing performance. The dance told the story of one entire year from Spring Blossom time in the life of a Geisha. Included an agricultural scene in the summer, a fight between a palace guard and a Samurai, the loneliness and abandonment of winter and of course, the beauty of re-birth in the Spring. I understood not one word of the minimal amount of dialogue, nor of the songs - but it wasn't necessary. The formal beauty of the dance, the stage scenery done with lights and the costumes made it all comprehensible.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is a shinto shraine dedicated to the spirit Inari, located in Fushimi-ku Kyoto-city.It is especially well known for the thousands of vermilion torii lining the paths on the hill on which the shrine is located. The torii gates are all donations from individuals, families or companies. The Inari spirit is considered to be the protector of grains, especially rice, and has thus historically been associated with wealth. At the bottom of the hill is the Go-Honden Shrine and the Sakura-mon gate. After following the torii lined hiking paths, you can stop at various food stalls that specialize in Kitsune udon, a popular noodle dish named after Kitsune which are regarded as the gods of harvest.
The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine located at East side of Kyoto-city.The torii before the main gate is the largest in Japan, and the main building (shaden), is designed to imitate the Kyoto Imperial Palace.The Heian Jingu was built in 1895 for the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of Heiankyo (the old name of Kyoto).The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei.The former moved the capital to Heian, and the latter was the last before Emperor Meiji, who moved the capital to Tokyo.The Heian Jingu is the destination of the Jidai Matsuri Festival, one of the three most important festivals of Kyoto. The procession of this festival begins at the old Imperial palace, and includes carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Emperors Kammu and Komei to the Heian Jingu.[Back to Home of Kyoto-fu]
Ginkaku-ji is a temple and is definitely worth a visit site.It was built by Shogun Ashikaga Yashimasa as a villa in 1482.The villa's name Ginkaku translates as Silver Pavilion, but the shogun's ambition to cover the building with silver was never realized.After Shogun's death, the villa was converted into a temple
Kitano Tenmangu is a shrine, called tenjinsan, enshraine Michizane Sugawara, also known as the "the god of learning".Many tourists visit the shrine during plum blossom season in the Spring.If you wish to pass a examination, the tenjinsan is a must visit sight.[Back to Home of Kyoto-fu]
Yasaka Jinjya, once called Gion Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto-city. Situated at the east end of Shijo-dori (Fourth Avenue), it was built originally in 656. In 869 the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Gion Shrine were paraded through the streets of Kyoto to ward off an epidemic that had hit the city. This was the beginning of the Gion Matsuri, an annual festival which has become world famous.Today, in addition to hosting the Gion Matsuri, Yasaka Shrine welcomes thousands of people every New Year, for traditional Japanese New Year rituals and celebrations. In April, the crowds pass through the temple on their way to Maruyama Park, a popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) site.
Hotel Granvia Kyoto Kyoto
6 Reviews and 743 Opinions We stayed 3 nights at Kyoto Granvia Hotel from Feb. 27 to Mar 1, 2008. We paid Yen 17,600 per night,...
Hotel Mare Takata Maizuru
14 Opinions
Hotel Royal Hill Fukuchiyama Fukuchiyama
5 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Kyoto-fu attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Kyoto-fu sightseeing.
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Q: Hi, I would like to know which is nicest or more convenient area to stay in Kyoto (I mean night life, transport, etc.), Thanks
A: It all depends on your preferences and budget. You can take a look at my Kyoto page for the details of the hotel we stayed. It was really nice to go around the city with...
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