Kansai International Airport 1 hr 30
Higashiyama Jisho-ji (22 min) This 15th-century Zen temple features picturesque gardens & a sand mound shaped like Mount Fuji. Yasaka Shrine (12 min) This Shinto shrine was erected in 656 A.D. & is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan. Fushimi Inari Taisha (14 min) Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates. Kōdaiji Temple (8 min) Serene setting with a Buddhist temple & gardens, plus tea houses & seasonal light festivals. Heian Shrine (12 min) Classic Shinto shrine complex built in 1895, with a giant gate & museums of modern & municipal art. Kinkaku-ji (24 min) Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond. Nishiki Market (8 min) 400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls offering all manner of Japanese edibles. Kyoto Imperial Palace (13 min) Palace complex & former Imperial family residence reconstructed in 1855, with gardens & gates. Kiyomizu-dera (9 min) Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda. Gion (15 min) Geisha district featuring high-end shops & restaurants, a Zen garden & women in colorful kimonos. Kyoto Tower (8 min) Tower with an observation deck offering binoculars & touch-screen guides, plus a food court. Nijō Castle (11 min) Built in 1603, this cyprus-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu. Toji (10 min) Historic Buddhist temple with a 5-story wooden pagoda & sculptures of dieties from the 8th century. Maruyama Park (10 min) Popular green space with an outdoor music hall, bronze statues & colorful, seasonal cherry blossoms. Arashiyama (25 min) Winding, lush venue showcasing a host of monkeys plus a scenic bamboo forest & water vistas. |