23 Best things to see & do in Kyoto

The blossoms of ornamental cherry trees – Japan’s national flower – beguile and dazzle, both visitor and local alike – when the spring wave turns Japan pink.

The place to see Japan’s mysterious and enigmatic geisha – colourful kimonos, elaborate hairstyles and oshiroi make-up.

The stunning, gilded temple of Kinkakuji, casting its golden reflection onto an islet-studded pond, is the iconic Kyoto image. A UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kyoto’s unique, historic (Buddhist) temples and (Shinto) shrines are breathtakingly beautiful to the visitor, and play a pivotal role in local life – from birth to death.

Reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h, Japan’s iconic bullet train revolutionised high-speed train travel and remains a must-do experience.

One of Japan’s most sacred shrines, Fushimi Inari’s thousands of torii gateways also make it one of the country’s most Instagrammable sights.

The pinnacle of Japanese cuisine, this traditional dinner features a succession of up to 12 dishes, artfully presented and culinarily sublime. Tastes range from the familiar to the wonderfully indecipherable.

The traditional tea ceremony, practiced for centuries, combines all the formality and ritual of traditional Japan, capped by a cup of thick green tea.

Japan oozes tradition and there’s no better way to immerse yourself in it than a night at a ryokan, a traditional inn.

Nara was Japan’s first permanent capital, from 710 to 794. Today, it’s revered for eight locations making up the ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’ World Heritage site.

The towering stalks and soft light of Arashiyama’s much-photographed bamboo grove make this iconic Kyoto sight an almost otherworldly experience.

The shrine that protects the Gion geisha district is one of Kyoto’s most distinctive sights. Entered through a roofed gateway painted a vivid vermillion, its grounds include a striking dance stage – used for performances during festivals – that’s adorned with several hundred lanterns lit each evening.

One of Japan’s biggest festivals, the traditional parades and rites of the Gion Matsuri have been held for more than 1,000 years.

Stretching along five shop-lined blocks, Kyoto’s oldest food market immerses visitors in Kyoto’s culinary heritage. Over 100 stalls and restaurants offer all and anything food related.

One of Japan’s oldest art forms, shodo calligraphy is part aesthetic pursuit, part mindfulness. Experience and appreciate the art form for yourself in a special calligraphy workshop.

Established in 1202, this temple at the southern end of Hanami-koji has traditional Zen gardens and incredible ceiling murals of dragons (added in 2002). It claims to be the oldest temple in Kyoto.

Founded in 1236, this large Zen temple (one of the so-called five great Zen temples of Kyoto) is famed for the spectacular autumn colours of its trees, viewed from the Tsutenkyo Bridge. Less-known are its four small gardens built around the temple’s main hall, that are a study in Japanese landscaping.

A Buddhist Zen temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site best known for its unusual, atmospheric moss garden that circles a symbolically-shaped golden pond. Just getting in is an experience – you’re given a written sutra to copy it out onto another piece of paper to ensure you are pure enough to enter!

Learn about and sample some of Kyoto’s best sake at this engaging museum-slash-brewery in Fushimi.

Translating as The Temple of the Dragon at Peace, this Zen temple’s cryptically designed rock garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ‘dry landscape’ Japanese Zen temple garden design featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Originally built as a shogun’s retirement villa in 1482, the ‘Silver Pavilion’ is a rare 15th-century Zen temple and garden that blend beautifully into the natural surroundings. Walk around the circular route.

This temple near the famous bamboo grove in Arashiyama is worth admission for its 700-year-old Zen garden. Although built around a central pond, it’s also a classic example of a garden that employs shakkei (borrowed scenery), with the surrounding mountains adding depth to each scenic point.

Founded in the late 700s, this World Heritage temple in the Higashiyama area is best known for its five-story pagoda and main hall, the latter of which features a photogenic veranda jutting out over a maple-covered hillside.