Kansai International Airport 1 hr 27
Kinkaku-ji (28 min) Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond. Fushimi Inari Taisha (11 min) Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates. Higashiyama Jisho-ji (21 min) This 15th-century Zen temple features picturesque gardens & a sand mound shaped like Mount Fuji. Kyoto Imperial Palace (17 min) Palace complex & former Imperial family residence reconstructed in 1855, with gardens & gates. Kiyomizu-dera (10 min) Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda. Kyoto Tower (8 min) Tower with an observation deck offering binoculars & touch-screen guides, plus a food court. Toji (10 min) Historic Buddhist temple with a 5-story wooden pagoda & sculptures of dieties from the 8th century. Maruyama Park (8 min) Popular green space with an outdoor music hall, bronze statues & colorful, seasonal cherry blossoms. Nishiki Market (13 min) 400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls offering all manner of Japanese edibles. Rengeoin Sanjusangendo (4 min) This iconic Buddhist temple is known for its 1,001 life-sized wooden statues of the goddess Kannon. Nijō Castle (16 min) Built in 1603, this cyprus-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu. Yasaka Shrine (11 min) This Shinto shrine was erected in 656 A.D. & is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan. Gion (6 min) Geisha district featuring high-end shops & restaurants, a Zen garden & women in colorful kimonos. Heian Shrine (11 min) Classic Shinto shrine complex built in 1895, with a giant gate & museums of modern & municipal art. Arashiyama (30 min) Winding, lush venue showcasing a host of monkeys plus a scenic bamboo forest & water vistas. |