Must-see attractions in Kyoto

  • Vendors prepare chestnuts to sell at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Japan on 22 November 2016.
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    Nishiki Market

    Downtown Kyoto

    The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…

  • ktoyo,japan - May 21,2018 : Mt.Hiei-zan Enryaku-ji Temple in Kyoto,Japan.Enryaku-ji Temple was founded by the priest Saicho In 788.

    Enryaku-ji

    Kyoto

    Located atop 848m-high Hiei-zan (the mountain that dominates the skyline in the northeast of the city), the Enryaku-ji complex is an entire world of…

  • Kiyomizu or Kiyomizu-dera temple in autum season at Kyoto Japan
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    Kiyomizu-dera

    Southern Higashiyama

    A buzzing hive of activity perched on a hill overlooking the basin of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Kyoto's most popular and most enjoyable temples. It…

  • (GERMANY OUT) The bell at the Chion-inTemple in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan  (Photo by Forster/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Chion-in

    Southern Higashiyama

    A collection of soaring buildings, spacious courtyards and gardens, Chion-in serves as the headquarters of the Jōdo sect, the largest school of Buddhism…

  • Full length of young maikos holding red umbrellas during rainy season. Beautiful geisha girls wearing traditional dress called kimono. They are walking on wet street.
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    Gion

    Southern Higashiyama

    Gion is the famous entertainment and geisha quarter on the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa. While Gion’s true origins were in teahouses catering to weary…

  • KYOTO, JAPAN - March 27, 2014: The Nijo-jo Castle on March 27, 2014 in Kyoto, Japan. The Nijo-jo Castle was the residence of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto, who had been ruling Japan for over 260 years
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    Nijō-jō

    Downtown Kyoto

    The military might of Japan's great warlord generals, the Tokugawa shoguns, is amply demonstrated by the imposing stone walls and ramparts of their great…

  • Meditation room, Shoren-in temple.

    Shōren-in

    Southern Higashiyama

    This temple is hard to miss, with its giant camphor trees growing just outside the walls. Fortunately, most tourists march right on past, heading to the…

  • Byodo-In or Byodoin Temple Buddhist temple, Unesco World Heritage Site, Phoenix Hall building, Uji, Kyoto, Japan.; Shutterstock ID 763950445; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Byōdō-in

    Kyoto

    Byōdō-in is home to one of the loveliest Buddhist structures in Japan: the Hōō-dō hall (Phoenix Hall), which is depicted on the back of the Japanese ¥10…

  • Kōdai-ji

    Southern Higashiyama

    This exquisite temple was founded in 1605 by Kita-no-Mandokoro in memory of her late husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The extensive grounds include gardens…

  • Autumn at Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

    Daigo-ji

    Kyoto

    Daigo-ji is a World Heritage–listed sprawling temple complex located in the Daigo district of Kyoto, which lies on the east side of the Higashiyama…

  • KYOTO, JAPAN - 2016/07/19: Yasaka Shrine or in Japanese Yasaka Jinja was once called Gion Shrine includes several buildings, a main hall and a stage on which kendo and noh performances are held.   The shrine was constructed in the year 656 and was under imperial patronage during the early Heian period.   In the year 869 the mikoshi portable shrines or divine palanquins of Gion Shrine were paraded through Kyoto to help ward off an epidemic  which was the beginning of the Gion Matsuri, an annual festival which has become an intangible UNESCO world heritage artifact. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Yasaka-jinja

    Southern Higashiyama

    This colourful and spacious shrine is considered the guardian shrine of the Gion entertainment district. It's a bustling place that is well worth a visit…

  • KYOTO, JAPAN - APRIL 3, 2014: Crowds enjoy the spring cherry blossoms by partaking in seasonal nighttime Hanami festivals in Maruyama Park.

    Maruyama-kōen

    Southern Higashiyama

    Maruyama-kōen is a favourite of locals and visitors alike. This park is the place to come to escape the bustle of the city centre and amble around gardens…

  • Sanjūsangen-dō Temple

    Southern Higashiyama

    This superb temple’s name refers to the 33 sanjūsan (bays) between the pillars of this long, narrow edifice. The building houses 1001 wooden statues of…

  • Gekkeikan Sake Ōkura Museum

    Kyoto

    The largest of Fushimi’s sake breweries is Gekkeikan, the world’s leading producer of sake. Although most of the sake is now made in a modern facility in…

  • Kyoto International Manga Museum

    Downtown Kyoto

    Located in an old elementary school building, this museum is the perfect introduction to the art of manga (Japanese comics). It has 300,000 manga in its…

  • Yasui Konpira-gū

    Southern Higashiyama

    This interesting little Shintō shrine on the edge of Gion contains one of the most peculiar objects we've encountered anywhere in Japan: the enkiri…

  • Ponto-chō

    Downtown Kyoto

    There are few streets in Asia that rival this narrow pedestrian-only walkway for atmosphere. Not much to look at by day, the street comes alive at night,…

  • Kyoto National Museum

    Southern Higashiyama

    The Kyoto National Museum is the city's premier art museum and plays host to the highest-level exhibitions in the city. It was founded in 1895 as an…

  • Ninen-zaka & Sannen-zaka Area

    Southern Higashiyama

    Just downhill from and slightly to the north of Kiyomizu-dera, you will find one of Kyoto’s loveliest restored neighbourhoods, the Ninen-zaka–Sannen-zaka…

  • Kawai Kanjirō Memorial Hall

    Southern Higashiyama

    This small memorial hall is one of Kyoto’s most commonly overlooked little gems. The hall was the home and workshop of one of Japan’s most famous potters,…

  • Kennin-ji

    Southern Higashiyama

    Founded in 1202 by the monk Eisai, Kennin-ji is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. It is an island of peace and calm on the border of the boisterous Gion…

  • Rokuharamitsu-ji

    Southern Higashiyama

    An important Buddhist pilgrimage stop, this temple was founded in 963 by Kūya Shōnin, who carved an image of an 11-headed Kannon and installed it in the…

  • Mibu-dera

    Downtown Kyoto

    Mibu-dera was founded in 991 and belongs to the Risshū school. It houses tombs of pro-shogunate Shinsen-gumi members, who fought bloody street battles…

  • Museum of Kyoto

    Downtown Kyoto

    This museum is worth visiting if a special exhibition is on (the regular exhibits are not particularly interesting and don’t have much in the way of…

  • Shiori-an

    Downtown Kyoto

    Located in a large merchant’s house, this kimono-shop-museum walks visitors through the architecture of a traditional building built in the daibeizukuri…

  • Ebisu-jinja

    Southern Higashiyama

    This small shrine near Kennin-ji honours Ebisu, the god of prosperity. Naturally, it's a popular spot with local businesspeople. The Tōka Ebisu festival…

  • Kizakura Kappa Country

    Kyoto

    Kizakura is worth a look if you're in the Fushimi area. The vast complex houses both sake and beer breweries (these are not open to the public), courtyard…

  • Rokkaku-dō

    Downtown Kyoto

    This tucked-away temple makes for a worthy detour when hitting the boutiques and restaurants downtown. The name refers to its unique hexagonal shape, and…

  • Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto

    Downtown Kyoto

    This one-room museum is filled with unexpected wonders in a wide variety of kaleidoscopes. Not sure who will enjoy this more, children or the adults…

  • Entoku-in

    Southern Higashiyama

    This subtemple of Kōdai-ji has a lovely Zen garden and is a pleasant retreat from the busy touristy surrounds. You can buy a combo ticket with Kōdai-ji…

  • Higashi-Ōtani

    Southern Higashiyama

    This is one of the largest Buddhist graveyards in Kyoto. It's an atmospheric (if spooky) place for a walk.

  • Kyoto City Hall

    Downtown Kyoto

    Built in 1927, this imposing building takes up one block on the corner of Kawaramachi-dōri and Oike-dōri.

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