| set off national route 1 in the central higashiyama district, this relaxed hotel is 5 minutes' walk from kiyomizu-gojo train station, 8 minutes' walk from the kyoto national museum and 1 km from kiyomizu-dera temple. the snug, unassuming rooms provide wi-fi, flat-screen tvs and minifridges, plus tea and coffeemakers. massage services are available, as are coin-operated laundry facilities. breakfast is served in a streamlined dining room. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:00 am. some feature tatami floors. amenities include gender-segregated, communal indoor bathhouses and a male-only sauna. there's a comic book (manga) library and a modest lounge
Kansai International Airport 1 hr 29
Arashiyama (25 min)
Winding, lush venue showcasing a host of monkeys plus a scenic bamboo forest & water vistas. Nishiki Market (9 min)
400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls offering all manner of Japanese edibles. Maruyama Park (12 min)
Popular green space with an outdoor music hall, bronze statues & colorful, seasonal cherry blossoms. Kyoto Tower (8 min)
Tower with an observation deck offering binoculars & touch-screen guides, plus a food court. Kōdaiji Temple (12 min)
Serene setting with a Buddhist temple & gardens, plus tea houses & seasonal light festivals. Gion (10 min)
Geisha district featuring high-end shops & restaurants, a Zen garden & women in colorful kimonos. Toji (10 min)
Historic Buddhist temple with a 5-story wooden pagoda & sculptures of dieties from the 8th century. Kyoto Imperial Palace (13 min)
Palace complex & former Imperial family residence reconstructed in 1855, with gardens & gates. Kinkaku-ji (24 min)
Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond. Kiyomizu-dera (6 min)
Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda. Nijō Castle (12 min)
Built in 1603, this cyprus-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu. Yasaka Shrine (10 min)
This Shinto shrine was erected in 656 A.D. & is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan. Higashiyama Jisho-ji (20 min)
This 15th-century Zen temple features picturesque gardens & a sand mound shaped like Mount Fuji. Heian Shrine (10 min)
Classic Shinto shrine complex built in 1895, with a giant gate & museums of modern & municipal art. Fushimi Inari Taisha (12 min)
Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates. | 
