If Tokyo is Japan's engine, Kyoto is its soul. The former imperial capital has more than 1,500 Buddhist temples, and its historic monuments make up a UNESCO World Heritage listing of 17 sites.
Which Kyoto temples are worth your time, and how should you see them? Choose five and go slowly: Fushimi Inari at dawn, Kinkaku-ji early in the morning, Ryoan-ji on a weekday, Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, and Kiyomizu-dera at sunset. Add a private tea ceremony, and stay at a ryokan or a hotel like Aman Kyoto.
Key facts
- The essential five: Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Tenryu-ji and Kiyomizu-dera.
- Timing: dawn and early weekday mornings, before the tour buses.
- Best months: late March to April for cherry blossom, November for autumn color (both peak season).
- Where to stay: Hoshinoya Kyoto, Aman Kyoto, The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto or Tawaraya.
- Our trip: our Japan Experience is eight days in Tokyo, on the waitlist while dates are set.
The secret is slowness. A few temples seen with intention will stay with you longer than twenty you rushed through for photos.
The Essential Five
Photo: Jean Vella / Unsplash
- Fushimi Inari: go at dawn, when the torii gate paths are nearly empty
- Kinkaku-ji: early morning, before the tour buses
- Ryoan-ji: a weekday morning, so you can actually sit with the rock garden
- Tenryu-ji: an afternoon in Arashiyama, with the bamboo grove next door
- Kiyomizu-dera: sunset over the city from the wooden stage, busy but worth it
Photo: Daniel Beauchamp / Unsplash
The Private Tea Ceremony
Photo: Roméo A. / Unsplash
For me, the tea ceremony is the most meaningful cultural experience in Kyoto. The tea is only part of it. The real point is ichi-go ichi-e (one time, one meeting), the idea that each encounter happens once and deserves your full attention.
We arrange private ceremonies with experienced tea masters, not the tourist versions where 30 people sit in a conference room.
Where to Stay in Kyoto
Photo: Courtesy of HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO
Photo: Courtesy of HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO
- HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO: the only hotel in Kyoto with three MICHELIN Keys, with its own hot spring and a garden near Nijo Castle
- Hoshinoya Kyoto: a riverside ryokan in Arashiyama
- Aman Kyoto: a forest garden hideaway near Kinkaku-ji
- The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto: polished luxury on the Kamogawa River
- Tawaraya: one of Kyoto's oldest and most celebrated ryokan
Before you go, read how Japan changed my idea of luxury and my 48-hour Tokyo food guide.
Our Japan Experience spends eight unhurried days in Tokyo. Book a free consultation to plan your Kyoto trip.
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