Saihoji (Kokedera)
The Moss Temple Requiring Advance Reservation
A World Heritage Zen temple blanketed in over 120 varieties of moss, creating an ethereal green l...
Sagano Bamboo Grove
Tall bamboo stalks forming a corridor in Arashiyama. Very Instagrammed. Go at dawn or it's a queu...
Sagano Scenic Railway
A Scenic Open-Air Train Ride Through the Hozukyo Gorge
A 25-minute open-air sightseeing train running along the Hozu River gorge between Saga and Kameok...
Ninna-ji
Imperial Palace Temple with Late-Blooming Cherry Blossoms
A World Heritage Site and former imperial palace temple, famed for its late-blooming Omuro cherry...
Keage Incline
Historic Railway Tracks Lined with Cherry Blossoms
An abandoned 582-meter railway incline from 1891, once used to transport boats between canal leve...
Nintendo Museum
Nintendo's Old Hanafuda Card Factory, Open Only to Lottery Winners
Nintendo's museum in its former Uji Ogura card factory, open since October 2024. Tickets come onl...
Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen
Kyoto's Legendary Fire Ramen Experience
A Kyoto ramen counter, open since 1984, where staff pour flaming green-onion oil over your bowl. ...
Daigo-ji
Hideyoshi's Cherry Blossom Temple on the Mountainside
A sprawling World Heritage Site famous for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's legendary 1598 cherry blossom vie...
Kurama-dera
A Mountain Temple of Mystical Energy and Ancient Forests
A powerful mountain temple said to be where Yoshitsune trained as a child. The forested trail con...
Nishi Hongan-ji
A Free Head Temple 15 Minutes from Kyoto Station, Open from 5:30
Head temple of the Hongwanji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, on this site since 1591. Entry is f...
Nanzen-ji
Nanzen-ji Temple
Highest-ranked Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto. The 22-meter sanmon gate has city views from the top. ...
Kodai-ji
Nene's Temple for Hideyoshi, With Gold Lacquer and Lit Autumn Nights
The Zen temple Toyotomi Hideyoshi's widow Nene founded in 1606 to pray for him, with her tomb und...
Kyoto International Manga Museum
A Former School Housing 300,000 Manga Volumes
Housed in a former elementary school, this museum holds approximately 300,000 manga items. Visito...
Gio-ji
A Tiny Moss-Carpeted Temple Steeped in Tragic Romance
A small thatched-roof temple blanketed in luminous green moss, linked to a tragic love story from...
Jojakko-ji
A Hillside Temple Famous for Its Fiery Autumn Foliage
Hillside temple in Sagano, best in autumn. The pagoda surrounded by red and orange maples is the ...