Your guide to Kyoto, Japan
Japan is the number one hot spot to travel to right now and I can see why. After recently just visiting myself, I am certain that I will visit and one day. I have never left safer in a country that wasn't my home country of Australia, the food, the culture, the people. Everything about Japan is unique and an experience in itself. My favourite place that I fell in love with was Kyoto. There is a brief guide of all the things do see and do in Kyoto.
I recommend spending 2/3 days in Kyoto, we were only there for a day but I definitely could have stayed much longer and kept exploring. Also as you may know, Japan is always busy! If you are wanting to visit places with less crowds, early mornings are the way to go! We arrived into Kyoto at 7am and it was the perfect time to start adventuring. Here are my top suggestions on things that you need to see and do in Kyoto.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Tenryū-ji Temple
This was the first stop on our day trip to Kyoto and for a good reason, we had seen how busy the forest can get and knew that we wanted to go when it was less crowded. There were a few people there when we arrived but a perfect time to be able to get some photos without anyone in them. The bamboo forest is free & opened 24 hours a day, it is perfect for a nice stroll and not too far from the train station.
We visited towards the end of Autumn and treated to the beautiful warm tones of the surrounding trees. After experiencing the Bamboo forest we waited around until 8:30am when Tenryū-ji Temple opened, this is a small entry cost (around $5 aud). This temple and the gardens surrounding it was absolutely breathtaking, I could have easily spend the whole day walking around and sitting in the gardens here. If you would like to know more about this temple I have included the link here, https://www.tenryuji.com/en/
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha is open 24 hours too and is recommended visiting early hours of the morning or just before sunset. We however visited around 10am and there were plenty of other people visiting the site, it didn't feel too overcrowded and the queues weren't too long. There is plenty to see and do here at this shrine, if you have time you can hike to the summit which is about a 2/3 return trip, or if you are limited on time like we were take a walk through torii gates of Senbon Torii, which is probably the most famous part of the shrine.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside the Nari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station, Hop on the JR Nara line and in about 5 mins and 150 yen ($1.50 aud) you will arrive. I recommend buying a JR rail pass while you are visiting Japan if you will be traveling a lot, it makes it so much easier and you don't have to continue to buy train tickets everywhere you go. https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/index.html
Sweet Treats in Kyoto
Food in Japan is incredible! And if you are like me and think that with all the walking you'll do that you will lose weight... Well think again! Because I couldn't get enough of the sweet treats! A few of my favourites were the Candied Strawberries, Mochi & Rilakkuma soft-serve ice cream.
The Rilakkuma Cafe http://rilakkumasabo.jp/ takeout is right just down from the Bamboo Forest and serves up the cutest food you couldn't imagine! The other sweets I tried were from the street food market next to Fushimi Inari Taisha
Other top spots!
As much as I wished we had more time in Kyoto to explore and see more sites, It just means that I have to go back one day soon. But here are a few other places that I recommend visiting if you have the time!
Nishiki Market
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Day trip to Nara
Kinkakuji Temple
Nijo Castle
Sannenzaka Ninenzaka
If you love Nature, Culture, food and history; Kyoto is the place for you to visit, it has a bit of everything
