Kyoto attractions

A shopaholic’s paradise, Teramachi Street is a covered shopping arcade in the heart of downtown Kyoto. The name translates to “Temple Town” in English due to the street’s 16th-century origins when the area was abundant with temples and shrines. Today, shoppers can find clothing stores, tea shops, art galleries, bookstores, and plenty of great souvenirs.

Pontocho Alley is a popular, atmospheric dining area packed with restaurants and exclusive tea houses lining a narrow, cobbled alley just west of Kyoto’s Kamo River. With no cars, modern buildings, or ostentatious signage allowed, it’s considered one of the most beautiful streets in Kyoto.

Situated near the famous Geisha district of Gion, Kennin-ji Temple attracts Buddhist monks on pilgrimage as well as religious locals, tourists, and curious explorers. Dating to 1202, it’s one of the most important Zen temples in Kyoto, with rooftops that curve upwards toward the sky, as if in prayer.

Kyoto’s main waterway, the Kamogawa River (Kamo River) runs from the north to the south of the city. As well as being a favorite local haunt for riverside walks, bike rides, picnics, and people-watching, the banks are also buzzing with restaurants and nightlife options—most notably, around the geisha districts of Pontocho and Gion.

The tallest structure in a city known for its traditional architecture and ancient temples, Kyoto Tower rises 430 feet (131 meters). Take in the panoramic city views from the observation deck, located 328 feet (100 meters) off the ground and then browse the shopping and dining options at Kyoto Tower Building.

Step back in time to the Edo period in Japan at Toei Kyoto Studio Park (Toei Uzumasa Eigamura), the only theme park in Japan that’s also an open-air film set for period drama (jidaigeki) films. Visitors can watch exciting performances, dress up in period costume, learn fun skills, and enjoy a number of other entertaining attractions.

Known for its crystal-clear waters and stunning forest foliage, the Kiyotaki River runs between Kyoto and Osaka. It is reachable from Takao, a scenic hamlet in the mountains west of Kyoto filled with stunning valleys and several historic temples, as a day trip from Kyoto. Winding through the woodlands, the rocky river is home to the Japanese giant salamander, measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length.

Often touted as Kyoto’s two most photogenic streets, Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are pedestrian-only shopping lanes that lead up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The area’s painstakingly restored wooden townhouses are now occupied by cozy tea houses, traditional restaurants, and shops selling snacks and handmade crafts.

The Kyoto National Museum, established in 1897, houses 12,000-plus artifacts—including art, archeological relics, ceramics, kimonos, pottery, and swords. As one of Japan's four national museums and a major art museum, it’s the perfect place for visitors to deepen their appreciation and understanding of pre-modern Japanese and Asian art.

Designed by renowned architect Hiroshi Hara, Kyoto Station is the second-largest station in Japan. In addition to being the main transportation hub of Kyoto, the futuristic steel and glass structure houses a hotel, museum, theater, several shopping malls, and plenty of food options, making it a popular attraction in its own right.

A manga lover’s dream, the Kyoto International Manga Museum is home to over 300,000 manga-related items, including Edo-period caricature woodblock prints, historical magazines, and manga books from around the world. A highlight is the Wall of Manga—an open-access library with 50,000 publications that visitors can browse and read on-site.

Kodai-ji, founded in the early 1600s, is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district famous for its lacquerware style. It contains the mausolea of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a critical Japanese historical figure, and his wife, Nene. Visitors come to admire the elegant traditional architecture and the formal gardens, particularly the raked rock garden that represents the ocean.

Founded in 1319, Daitoku-ji Temple is a large walled temple complex in northern Kyoto that encompasses Zen gardens and more than 20 sub-temples. It’s the head temple of the Rinzai sect’s Daitoku-ji school of Zen Buddhism and the spiritual center of the Japanese tea ceremony. The complex is a great place to experience and learn about Buddhism in Japan.

Built in 1164, Sanjusangen-do Hall impresses with its 1,001 golden Buddhist statues flanking the giant seated Kannon (goddess of mercy). It’s considered one of the world’s top collections of wooden statuary. The 400-foot (122-meter) hall gets its name from the 33 spaces between its columns.

If you only have time for one day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, make it Himeji Castle (Himeji-Jo), renowned as Japan’s most beautiful historic citadel. Also known as White Heron Castle, the UNESCO-listed hilltop structure was built in 1580 and features a five-story central tower with surrounding moats, walls, and pagodas.

To experience Kyoto in a nutshell, head to Arashiyama. The perennially popular area is rich in temples and a riot of fall colors in November, with pink cherry blossoms in April. The area contains several major sites, including Tenryu-ji, Gio-ji, Jojakko-ji, Daikaku-ji temples, and the famous Bamboo Grove. Another highlight is the Moon Crossing Bridge, which offers views of Mt. Arashiyama.

The Japanese royal family lived in Kyoto Imperial Palace(Kyoto Gosho) until 1868, when the capital moved to Tokyo. It’s located within the Kyoto Imperial Park, which also houses other palaces and shrines. This must-visit attraction allows visitors to gain a greater understanding of Japan’s rich history and culture while enjoying landscaped gardens.

Named after a renowned Japanese philosopher who was said to have walked this path for his daily meditation, the Philosopher’s Path (Tesugaku-no-michi) is a scenic, stone-paved walkway along a tree-lined canal. Popular with locals and visitors alike, it’s one of the best places in the city to view cherry blossoms.

Built in the 17th century by Prince Hachijo Toshihito, Katsura Imperial Villa (Katsura Rikyu) is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Japanese architecture and garden design. With its landscaped gardens, bamboo forests, and traditional teahouses dotted around a central lake; it’s an idyllic spot for strolling.

Beneath the verdant canopy of the eastern mountains, Ginkaku-ji Temple (Silver Pavilion) is among the most visited of Kyoto’s UNESCO-listed temples and renowned for its idyllic gardens. Built in 1482 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, legend dictates that it was to be covered in silver in homage to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)—a feat that was never realized.

Built in the year 678, Kamigamo Shrine (aka Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in the country. Although it predates Kyoto’s reign as capitol of Japan by over a century, it is believed to protect the city from negative influences. The shrine played host to four Emperors between the 8th and 18th centuries.

In the early 14th century, Japanese Emperor Hanazono abdicated to become a monk, turning his palace into what is now the Myoshin-ji Temple. This large complex houses a main temple and 50 sub-temples. Nearly all of the buildings were destroyed in a war in the 15th century and rebuilt over the next 150 years. The reconstructions stand today.

Founded in 888, Ninna-ji Temple maintained a centuries-long status as a royal temple. Members of the Imperial Family served as the temple’s head priest, bringing prestige that lasts to this day. Today, it’s the center of the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism and houses structures relocated from Kyoto’s former Imperial Palace.

The 16th-century Nishi Hongan-ji Temple offers insight into ancient Japanese Buddhist history. This temple, along with its sibling-temple, Higashi Hongan-ji, represent two factions of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

Known to locals as ‘Kokedera’—the ‘Moss Temple’—Saiho-ji Temple is home to lush moss gardens, considered among the most beautiful in Japan. Laid out in the 14th century, the zen meditation gardens are a verdant wonderland, where mossy banks lead to fish-filled ponds and gurgling brooks run through idyllic bamboo groves.

Surrounded by the forested peaks of Mt Arashiyama and the west Kyoto mountains, Togetsu-kyo Bridge offers one of Kyoto’s most photographed views. Spanning the Katsura River, the historic wooden bridge is a landmark in its own right and leads the way to the atmospheric Arashiyama district.

Built in 1884 to mark the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto’s birth, the Heian Shrine is hailed as one of the city’s most attractive landmarks. The multi-tiered Shinto shrine is characterized by its distinctive red color, and being featured in the film Lost in Translation cemented its status as a must-see Kyoto landmark.

Located in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto, Tenryu-ji Temple is one of the five great temples of Kyoto. Make a stop at this sprawling Zen temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates from the 14th century, to experience its traditional Japanese landscape garden.

Known as the "flower temple," Mimuroto Temple in Uji City near Kyoto showcases a vast array of seasonal flowers. Early spring sees cherry blossoms, while azaleas and hydrangeas start to flower later in the spring. Lotus plants complement the bright summer months, and autumn foliage colors arrive in late October or November.

Among Kyoto’s collection of UNESCO-listed temples, Ryoan-ji Temple stands out for its mysterious 15th-century zen rock garden. No matter where you stand gazing out over the rock garden, at least one rock is hidden from sight, and the meditative spot is said to represent ‘infinity’ or an ‘endless sea.’