More than 1,600 temples, silent gardens and geishas in Gion – Kyoto is the cultural heart of Japan.
Kyoto was the imperial capital for over a thousand years, and you feel it on every corner: the golden Kinkaku-ji, the thousand red gates of Fushimi Inari, the bamboo grove of Arashiyama and the wooden houses of Gion, where geishas are still out and about in the evening.
The city is calmer than Tokyo and easy to explore on foot and by bus. If you visit the famous temples early in the morning you almost have them to yourself – from ten o’clock it gets crowded.
Kyoto is at its most beautiful during cherry blossom and in autumn – but also at its busiest. Book accommodation several months ahead for those times.
Around the station is practical, Gion and Higashiyama are atmospheric. For a ryokan experience the area around Arashiyama is worth it.
I almost always compare hotels, apartments and guesthouses on Booking.com – with genuine reviews and usually free cancellation.
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