Kansai International Airport 1 hr 41
Higashiyama Jisho-ji (8 min) This 15th-century Zen temple features picturesque gardens & a sand mound shaped like Mount Fuji. Kiyomizu-dera (15 min) Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda. Eikan-do Zenrin-ji (9 min) Major Buddhist temple with ancient art, such as a famed statue of Buddha looking over his shoulder. Maruyama Park (10 min) Popular green space with an outdoor music hall, bronze statues & colorful, seasonal cherry blossoms. Nanzen-ji Temple (11 min) Stately Buddhist temple complex with a Zen garden, forested grounds & walking paths. Nishiki Market (14 min) 400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls offering all manner of Japanese edibles. Kinkaku-ji (17 min) Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond. Yasaka Shrine (11 min) This Shinto shrine was erected in 656 A.D. & is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan. Kyoto Imperial Palace (12 min) Palace complex & former Imperial family residence reconstructed in 1855, with gardens & gates. Gion (9 min) Geisha district featuring high-end shops & restaurants, a Zen garden & women in colorful kimonos. Nijō Castle (14 min) Built in 1603, this cyprus-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu. Fushimi Inari Taisha (25 min) Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates. Heian Shrine (7 min) Classic Shinto shrine complex built in 1895, with a giant gate & museums of modern & municipal art. Arashiyama (34 min) Winding, lush venue showcasing a host of monkeys plus a scenic bamboo forest & water vistas. Shimogamo-Jinja (12 min) Legendary 2,000-year-old shrine & excavation site set in a tranquil, riverside forest. |