Kansai International Airport 1 hr 31
Nishiki Market (33 min) 400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls offering all manner of Japanese edibles. Byodoin (16 min) Tours are offered of this iconic temple with a scenic pond & garden, plus a building with artifacts. Daigoji (8 min) Buddhist temple with scenic grounds that include a pond, gardens & a 5-story pagoda, plus a museum. Yasaka Shrine (31 min) This Shinto shrine was erected in 656 A.D. & is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan. Fushimi Inari Taisha (19 min) Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates. Kinkaku-ji (47 min) Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond. Gion (27 min) Geisha district featuring high-end shops & restaurants, a Zen garden & women in colorful kimonos. Toji (26 min) Historic Buddhist temple with a 5-story wooden pagoda & sculptures of dieties from the 8th century. Heian Shrine (31 min) Classic Shinto shrine complex built in 1895, with a giant gate & museums of modern & municipal art. Tofukuji Temple (21 min) Large Buddhist temple established in 1236 on scenic grounds with gardens known for fall foliage. Kyoto Tower (24 min) Tower with an observation deck offering binoculars & touch-screen guides, plus a food court. Kiyomizu-dera (30 min) Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda. Arashiyama (45 min) Winding, lush venue showcasing a host of monkeys plus a scenic bamboo forest & water vistas. Nijō Castle (35 min) Built in 1603, this cyprus-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu. Maruyama Park (29 min) Popular green space with an outdoor music hall, bronze statues & colorful, seasonal cherry blossoms. |