Welcome to
Kyoto
Japan
Kyoto is Japan's cultural heart — the country's imperial capital for over a thousand years and home to more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. The Arashiyama bamboo grove, the thousands of vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari, and the gold-leafed Kinkaku-ji pavilion reflected in still water are images that define Japan for many travellers. Kyoto is also the place to encounter geiko and maiko in the Gion district, participate in a traditional tea ceremony, and eat kaiseki — the refined, multi-course cuisine that is Japan's highest culinary art form.
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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
A cathedral of towering green stalks that turns light into something otherworldly.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Ten thousand vermillion gates climb a sacred mountain above Kyoto.
Gion District
Kyoto's most celebrated geisha district, where lantern-lit lanes meet living tradition.
Heian Shrine
A vivid recreation of ancient imperial Kyoto, framed by one of Japan's great garden landscapes.
Kinkaku-ji
A pavilion sheathed in gold leaf, mirrored perfectly in a still garden pond.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
A wooden stage jutting over a forested cliff, built without a single nail.
Nijo Castle
The shogun's Kyoto palace, where nightingale floors still sing underfoot.
Nishiki Market
Four hundred years of street food culture packed into one narrow covered arcade.
Philosopher's Path
A canal-side walking path where cherry blossoms fall like slow snow.
Ryoan-ji
Fifteen rocks, infinite interpretations — Japan's most enigmatic garden.
Why should you go to Kyoto
What other travelers have to say, based on real reviews.