Kyoto

Downtown, Kyoto Station or Gion? Compare the pros, downsides, transport links and best hotels in each Kyoto neighborhood to pick the right base for your first trip.

Beyond its famous temples, Kyoto rewards slower exploration — a canal-side walking path, one of Japan’s most studied rock gardens, and a centuries-old market street where locals still shop daily. This guide covers three spots that show Kyoto’s quieter, more contemplative side. 1. Philosopher’s Path The Philosopher’s Path is a two-kilometer stone walkway following a…

Kyoto’s traditional culture lives on most vividly in its historic districts — preserved streets, sprawling bamboo forests, and a shogun’s castle that helped shape modern Japanese history. This guide covers three distinct sides of that living history: the geisha district of Gion, the towering Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Nijo Castle. 1. Gion District Gion is…

Kyoto served as Japan’s imperial capital for over a thousand years, and its temples and shrines remain some of the best-preserved in the country. This guide covers three of its most iconic sites — a mountain shrine famous for thousands of vermillion gates, a centuries-old wooden temple built without nails, and a pavilion covered entirely…