21 interesting things to do in Kyoto

For many people who visit Japan, Kyoto is one of the highlights of the country. The city is the cultural capital of Japan and maybe the world, as it has over 2,000 temples. The temples are the most important sights in Kyoto, but there are way more sights to discover. The city was the capital of Japan from 794 until 1868, and that is one of the reasons that it is still one of the most important sights in the country and also the most visited. Biking is the fun way to go through the city. Kyoto cannot be missed in your itinerary. Below, the sites are categorised by area, but it may not be accurate. 

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How to get here: 3 hours by train from Tokyo, and half an hour from Osaka. The city is easily reached throughout the country and internationally. 

How much time needed: 4-5 days

 

Centre

 

1. Have a visit at NijĹŤ Castle

I was doubting going to NijĹŤ Castle, but it was a great decision to go here. The gorgeous gates are just the beginning of a great sight. After the gates you can get into the castle, and the inside is very special. You cannot take pictures inside, but there is a lot of gold inside, which gives it a very cool atmosphere. Unfortunately, the inside is very crowded. Afterwards, you can walk the lovely gardens and have some views.

Price: ¥1,300

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How much time needed: 1-2 hours

 

2. Have some food at Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market is a very nice market to discover Japanese cuisine. There are some great restaurants (but not a lot), but it is mostly buying food on the market. It consists of one street, which is pretty long. Enjoy all the fantastic fruits, fish, and other products. Visiting markets, especially in Japan, is always a great thing to do.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 1-2 hours

 

3. Have a view on the Kyoto Tower

Kyoto Tower is the tallest building in the city of Kyoto. There is an observation deck at 100 metres, which should give a fantastic view of the city. I did not go in, because I saw many views during my trip in Japan, but the tower is a great point to see from many locations in Kyoto.

Price: ¥700

Tourist occurrence: I do not know

How much time needed: I do not know

 

4. Arrive at Kyoto Station

When we arrived in Kyoto, we were overwhelmed by the crowds, as it was crazy (we also arrived at peak hours), but it turned out to be a very impressive station. It also has some cool modern architecture, which you can admire. The next time I was there, the crowds were more fun than overwhelming. 

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 20 minutes 

 

5. Find fish at the Kyoto Aquarium

The Osaka Aquarium is not a must-do in Kyoto, but it can be a nice stop for a moment. There is one problem: they perform a dolphin show, which you should absolutely not visit (I did not know it beforehand). That is the biggest reason it is not a must-do. There are other parts of the aquarium, which are very cool. Especially the part about the jellyfish is very cool and informative, as they show you the stages of life of jellyfish, and they have many species of these fantastic creatures.

Price: ¥2,400

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: 1-2 hours

 

6. Have a stroll in Pontocho

Pontocho is a lovely neighbourhood close to the river. It holds very cute alleys with many bars and restaurants, which are fantastic to walk through. The waterside is even more lovely, both during the night and during the day. The restaurants from the alley have their terraces on the water side. In the evening many people sit next to the river and have a drink or two.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 1-2 hour, depending on if you have a drink or food. 

 

Arashiyama (west side)

Ayashiyama is a touristic area in Kyoto on the west side of the city. The sights are very close to each other.

 

7. Discover the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

I was pretty sceptical about visiting the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest because I read about the many tourists. However, I really enjoyed the forest, although it was pretty small. I was definitely not alone, but I could easily walk around and take pictures. The path is a couple of hundred metres, and you will be surrounded by the huge bamboo around you. This is fantastic to see.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 30 minutes

 

8. Discover the gardens of Tenryu-Ji

Located right next to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, you can visit the Tenryu-Ji. This is a lovely temple with a gorgeous garden. From one entrance (close to the bamboo forest) you can only buy tickets for the gardens, but that is the highlight here. You can also walk up a bit in the garden to give you a better view. 

Price: ¥500 for the garden.

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 30 minutes

 

9. Have a small walk in the Kimono Forest

Ok, in comparison to other sites in Kyoto, this is not a very important one. It is very close to the main road in Arashiyama, so why don't you have a short stop here? Kimonos are mostly a garment in Japan, and in the Kimono Forest there are a lot of poles showing different cool structures.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 10 minutes

 

10. Admire the Togetsukyo Bridge

One of the threshold sights in Ayashiyama is the Togetsukyo Bridge. The bridge is made of wood, and it is very cool to see. Another highlight of this famous bridge are the great views on both sides of its surroundings. The mountains and the river are spectacular to watch.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 20 minutes

 

11. Find Japanese macaques in Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatama

The Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatama is a bit difficult if you look at ethical issues. The monkeys are held and even fed. Tourists can feed the monkeys (do not do it!). They have more space than in a regular zoo, but as you walk through them, keep your distance and respect the Japanese monkeys. When you enter the Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatama, you first have to walk up 20 minutes to get to the ground of the monkeys. When you are there, observe the monkeys and enjoy the fantastic views of the city at the top.

Price: ¥800 

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 1 hour including walking up and down

 

East

 

12. Visit the beautiful area of Gion

Gion is the famous geisha district in Kyoto. The lovely alleyways, the gorgeous buildings, and the atmospheric streets are things to remember. You can go during the daytime and nighttime, as it is a different experience. If you see a geisha, please treat her with respect and do not take a picture of her. Gion is a great area you cannot miss in Kyoto.

Price: Free, but the restaurants are more expensive than in other areas in Kyoto.

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 1-2 hours

 

13. Enjoy the Kiyomizu Dera

One of the most famous temples is the gorgeous Kiyomizu Dera, which is fantastic. The temple is mostly made of wood, which is fantastic. If you walk further, you will have a great view of Kyoto, including the wooden temple. You can also find a lovely pagoda and some other temples. Many people wanted to catch some water, but there was a large queue, so we skipped that. This is a temple you can't miss in Kyoto.

Price: ¥500 

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How much time needed: 1 hour

 

14. Feel amazed at the Ginkaku-Ji 

The Ginkaku-Ji is one of my favourite temples in Kyoto. The temple is also called the 'Silver Temple', but for me it is not really silver. On the other hand, the temple is gorgeous, and its garden is also fantastic. You can have a very small hike, so you will have an impressive view. There is also a great sand sculpture.

Price: ¥500 

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 30 minutes

 

15. Walk or bike the whole Philosopher's Path

The Philosopher's Path is one of the highlights in Kyoto. The path is a small 2 kilometres long, and you can easily walk past it. Besides, you can bike past it. The path is very scenic, especially when the trees have their pink colours in spring. There are some temples along the route. It starts at the Ginkaku-Ji and will continue to Nanzen-Ji. You cannot miss this path during a visit to Kyoto. 

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 30 minutes to an hour, depending on whether you on a bike or by foot.

 

16. Visit the cool Nanzen-Ji

When we entered the Nanzen-ji, we had already seen many temples in Kyoto, so we did not enter the temple complexes themselves, so I cannot judge them. It is close to the ending of the Philosopher's Path. We had a lovely stroll observing the gorgeous outside of the temples. There are some great trees as well. We did not enter the temples, but even from the outside, it is not the most important temple, in my opinion. 

Price: Depends per different temple complex, but you can walk around for free. 

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: If you do not enter the temple complexes, around 20-30 minutes

 

17. Enjoy a walk in Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka

Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka are very cool streets and neighbourhoods that show the traditional houses of Japan. It is very close to the Kiyomizu-Dera. There are many shops and food options. It is great to walk around, but it is also very crowded. Sannenzaka is a bit less crowded to discover, so it was nicer. We saw a real geisha here, but please treat her with respect and do not take pictures.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How much time needed: 1 hour to see them both

 

North

 

18. Find gold at the Kinkaku-Ji

The Kinkaku-Ji is one of the most popular temples to visit in Kyoto, and that is for a good reason. There is a path you will follow, which brings to pass the couple of highlights of the temple, with the 'Golden Temple' as the best thing to see. The beauty of the place is impressive, and you will enjoy it. Although it is secluded from other highlights of the city, you cannot miss this highlight.

Price: ¥500 

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 30 minutes - 1 hour

 

South

 

19. Feel impressed at Fushimi Inari Taisha

The Fushimi Inari Taisha is my favourite sight in Kyoto. There are over 10,000 red shrines you can go underneath. It is very impressive to pass all the shrines. First you will find a temple with several different complexes. If you are lucky, you can find a ceremony going on. Afterwards, you will find the highlight of the temple, which are the shrines. I would go a bit further in the beginning, as it is a bit crowded. At some point you will have two great views of Kyoto. After this point most people will go back, so you can go further and enjoy the full hike of the temple. Sometimes you have to go up by stairs, so take some rests. The upper levels are cool, as it is less busy and you will see some more nature. Fushimi Inari Taisha cannot be missed, as it is great! Important note: Get here early. We were here at around 7.30 AM, and there were already quite some people. When we were back two hours later, it was very crowded. 

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How much time needed: 2-3 hours, but you can go shorter, but I would not recommend not walking the entire hike. 

 

Other

 

20. Cycle through the streets of Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the best sight, but cycling is my favourite thing to do! We could rent bikes from our hotel, and from then the party started. We are from the Netherlands, so we cycle on a daily basis, so you may think twice if you are not comfortable cycling yourself. We cycled through the whole city, and that was great. You can cycle on the big streets, but we preferred the smaller streets. You can cycle on the street and sometimes (there are signs) also on the pavement. On the way you can cycle from sight to sight. There will be places to park your bike, but it may be a bit further. 

Price: Depending on bicycle rental.

How much time needed: 1 full day with stops at nice sights. You can do this multiple days if you want to. 

 

21. Have a day trip to Nara

Nara is the most popular day trip from Kyoto, and for a good reason. There are a couple of very impressive temples to visit, and that is absolutely recommended. However, the strangest thing in Nara is the many deer walking around town. They are in the city, walking in temples, shops and stations. This is a great day trip to do!

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: 40 minutes by train from Osaka and Kyoto

How much time needed: One day trip

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Things I have not done, but could be cool

Kyoto has over 1,600 temples to visit, so there are a lot more to discover. From Ayashiyama you can have a scenic boat ride as well. However, I think I saw the most important sights of the city, but you need a lot more time to discover all other sights. 

 

Final Thoughts 

Kyoto is one of the absolute highlights of Japan, and although it is very popular for tourists, you cannot miss this city. There are so many reasons that it is popular. The city is gorgeous, and exploring it is best on a bicycle. You will be amazed with the cultural significance of Kyoto, as you can just walk around and find temples randomly. Kyoto should be very high on your bucket list for Japan.

If you want to know more about Japan, please check out: