3 Days in Kyoto — Allure of Elsewhere

Kyoto was the Imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years (from 794 until 1868) so the city is dotted with numerous structures of historic significance. Over this centuries this city that has survived many wars and fires. It is said that during World War II, Kyoto was spared air raids and bombings because of its priceless historic structures. The city is famous for its temples, shrines, gardens, Geisha and food. It is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and known as 'The City of 10,000 Shrines'.

Kapil and I had 3 days in Kyoto. We knew this was not enough time to cover everything this city had to offer. Still, wanting to make the most of our time there, we came up with an itinerary that would allow us to experience Kyoto for the melting pot of traditional and modern Japan that it now is. We did skip a few Kyoto sights that are on the 'must-see' lists on most travel websites. We did this in favour of an unhurried exploration of the places we did choose to visit. Also, this way, we have plenty of reasons to visit this beautiful city again.

Here's a summary of our 3 days in Kyoto (Scroll down for long version with pics):

Our Kyoto Itinerary: The Long Version With Pictures

Day 1: Kyoto Downtown

Kapil and I used our Japan Rail (JR) Passes for all travel between cities in Japan. These passes made our travel within Japan so much easier and cheaper. We took a Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Tokyo to Kyoto. The trip from Tokyo to Kyoto falls in the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Line. There are 3 types of trains that travel the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Kyoto: Nozomi Shinkansen is the fastest train and covers the distance between these two cities in 2 hours 20 minutes. However, this is not included on the JR pass. Find out more about JR passes here . The Hikari and Kodoma Shinkansen take 2 hours 40 minutes from Tokyo to Kyoto.

We absolutely loved travelling by Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan

We arrived in Kyoto close to lunch time. After a quick lunch at the food court inside the Kyoto Railway Station, we checked into our AirBnB apartment, which was walking distance from the station. We headed out soon after to explore Kyoto Downtown which was a 30 minute walk away.

Downtown is of course bang in the centre of the city; a small square that comprises Kyoto's main shopping and nightlife districts, Kawaramachi Dori, Shijo Dori and the Teramachi and Shin-kyogoku covered shopping arcades. Kyoto Downtown has a great atmosphere with its many shops, restaurants and bars.

First we walked to Nishiki Market. This is Kyoto's largest and best traditional food market and is also known as 'Kyoto's Pantry'. The shops here sell all traditional Kyoto cuisine ingredients including Japanese pickles, tofu, vegetables, fish, and even sweets and tea. There are takeaway shops that sell yakitori and sashimi, and also a few proper restaurants in here.

From the market we walked to the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping arcades. These two covered arcades are the most famous shopping streets in Kyoto, particularly amongst the younger crowd. They are filled with restaurants and shops selling day-to-day things and clothes. There are many souvenir shops too.

Our next stop was the Takashimaya Basement Food Floor, followed by the Daimaru Basement Food Floor. Takashimaya and Daimaru and the two largest department stores in Kyoto. Daimaru's Basement Food Floor is rated amongst the best food markets in Japan, and the one at at Takashimaya competes with it for the top spot as Kyoto's best food floor. Both department stores also have several dining options on upper floors. The array of Japanese food and sweets options in these two basement food floors was absolutely sensational. We gave in and snacked on a few items before heading out in search of dinner.

Dinner that night was at a very traditional looking ramen shop on one of the side streets near Daimaru. We wish we could tell you the name but it was in Japanese. What we will do is share the Google Maps link to the location along pics of our delicious meal.

Day 2: More Central Kyoto, a bit of Northern Kyoto, and the Kyoto Station Area:

Did you know that Kyoto is regularly rated amongst the most bicycle-friendly cities in Asia? We spent most of Day 2 exploring the city on rented bicycles. Here's the post I wrote with details of that. We covered The Imperial Palace and Gardens, and the Nijo Castle in Central Kyoto. Then, we rode to the northwest of the city to visit the iconic Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion).

That evening, after returning our rented bicycles, we decided to explore the Kyoto Railway Station and surrounding area. Our AirBnB apartment was around 200 metres away from the Railway Station. We started by walking around the blocks immediately in front of the station building. Took a few photos of Kyoto Tower and checked out a couple of electronics shops before heading in to the Station.

Kyoto's Railway Station is iconic. It is the second largest station building and one of the largest buildings in Japan. Its tall, futuristic-looking design is said to have caused a stir when it was built, as its appearance is in total contrast to Kyoto's image (amongst visitors) as a symbol of traditional Japan. Today, it is not only a tourist attraction but also a popular recreation spot for locals as it houses a department store, a shopping arcade, a theatre, an art gallery, a food court and numerous restaurants. That's not all, this building also has several walkways and plazas for people to enjoy the futuristic vision of its architect, Hiroshi Hara, a square for musical events, and a skyway tunnel which leads you across the top of the building, running above the central hall, into the restaurant area on the 11th floor.

We had dinner at Ramen Todai on the 11th floor of the station.

Day 3: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Arashiyama and Higashiyama:

Kapil and I started Day 3 early so we could avoid crowds and he could get some nice shots at Fushimi Inari Taisha, which is located in the southeastern part of Kyoto, at the southern end of the Higashiyama Mountains. We took a train from Kyoto Railway station to JR Inari Station. The shrine is a short walk from the station.

The vermillion torii gates of this Shinto Shrine are one of the most recognised images of Kyoto. We are glad we got there early in the morning. The whole place exuded serenity which we would not have experienced if it had been teeming with people.

**The famous vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha**

Our next stop that morning was Arashiyama. We took a train from Fushimi Inari to Kyoto Railway Station where we switched to the JR Sagano Line and got off at the Saga-Arashiyama Station.

The Arashiyama district is located in the far west of Kyoto, at the base of the Arashiyama Mountains. Our first stop here was the Tenryu-ji Temple. This Zen temple is one of Arashiyama's most famous attractions. The main hall of the temple offers the most spectacular view of its beautiful garden and pond, set against the backdrop of the Arashiyama mountains. Despite the crowds outside the temple and around us, there was a calm in the main hall of this temple that made us want to linger a while.

**Tenryu-ji Temple: View of the garden, pond and the Arashiyama Mountains from the main hall**

From the temple we headed to the world famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. This is one of Kyoto's most photographed landmarks so expect to be one of hundreds of visitors here on any given day, and expect as many cameras as people. This grove with its towering bamboos is absolutely magnificient, and the light filtering through these super tall bamboos just gives the this place a surreal aura.

We had a quick lunch in the area before heading back to our AirBnB apartment. Later that afternoon we walked to Higashiyama, one of Kyoto's historic districts. Our first stop here was Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This famous temple is a bit of an uphill climb but is known to offer great views of the city below. We found the area outside this temple extremely commercial and then unfortunately for us, it started to drizzle. We have to admit the crowds and bustle combined with the drizzle totally dampened our enthusiasm for this place. We left there very quickly and did not even take any pictures.

From the temple we headed downhill towards Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka. The annoying drizzle stopped (even if only for a while) and we absolutely loved walking along sloping laneways that offer a glimpse into what Kyoto might have looked like in the old days. It was dusk by the time we got to these two sloping, narrow, pedestrian-only streets, and as the lights came on along the street and inside the beautifully restored old shops, everything seemed even more enchanting. I remember walking around mesmerised, feeling like I'd been transported to a slower, simpler and more romantic time.

Higashiyama: Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka — **Higashiyama:** Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka

**Higashiyama is one of Kyoto's best preserved historic districts**

The gorgeous streets of Higashiyama are lined with tea shops, cafes and shrines. We walked through these at twilight towards Gion, Kyoto's famous Geisha district. There had been sporadic sprinkles of rain that whole evening and although this didn't send us scurrying indoors or dampen our enthusiasm for exploration, it did keep us moving along quickly and prevent Kapil from pulling out his camera for photographs. So this is one part of the city that we will definitely return to on our next trip to Kyoto. We ended our action packed day with a quiet dinner at a restaurant inside the Railway Station.