Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Iwatayama Monkey Park photo
Attraction
Kyoto

Iwatayama Monkey Park

Wild Monkeys Above the Arashiyama Treetops

Climb the forested slopes of Iwatayama mountain to encounter over 120 wild Japanese macaques roam...

Kyoto, Japan
Pontocho photo
Neighborhood
Kyoto

Pontocho

A Narrow Lantern-Lit Alley of Traditional Dining Along the Kamo River

One of Kyoto's most atmospheric streets, a narrow lantern-lit alley running along the Kamo River ...

Kyoto, Japan
Ginkaku-ji
Temple
Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji

Silver Pavilion

A Zen temple famed for its elegant Silver Pavilion and meticulously raked sand garden reflecting ...

Kyoto, Japan
Ryoan-ji
Temple
Kyoto

Ryoan-ji

Ryoan-ji Temple

UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple with the famous rock garden of 15 stones on white gravel. From a...

Kyoto, Japan
Arashiyama photo
Attraction
Kyoto

Arashiyama

Kyoto's Scenic Bamboo District

Kyoto's western escape, where towering bamboo groves, a graceful river bridge, and hillside templ...

Kyoto, Japan
Sanjusangendo
Temple
Kyoto

Sanjusangendo

Hall of 1,001 Statues of Kannon

120-meter-long hall with 1,001 life-size gilded Kannon statues standing in rows. Hard to process ...

Kyoto, Japan
Kamigamo Shrine
Shrine
Kyoto

Kamigamo Shrine

Kyoto's Oldest Shrine with Sacred Sand Cone Mounds

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto's oldest Shinto shrines, founded in 678 AD, known f...

Kyoto, Japan
Fushimi Inari Taisha photo
Shrine
Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Shrine of Ten Thousand Torii Gates

Thousands of vermilion torii gates wind up the forested slopes of Mount Inari, creating one of Ja...

Kyoto, Japan
To-ji
Temple
Kyoto

To-ji

Japan's Tallest Wooden Pagoda and Ancient Capital Landmark

A World Heritage Site founded in 796, home to Japan's tallest wooden pagoda at 55 meters and a be...

Kyoto, Japan
Byodo-in photo
Temple
Kyoto

Byodo-in

Byodo-in Temple

A UNESCO World Heritage temple famous for its Phoenix Hall, depicted on the Japanese 10-yen coin.

Kyoto, Japan
Togetsukyo Bridge photo
Landmark
Kyoto

Togetsukyo Bridge

Wooden Bridge Over the Katsura River

Spanning the Katsura River for 155 meters, Togetsukyo Bridge has defined Arashiyama's landscape s...

Kyoto, Japan
Kiyomizu-dera photo
Temple
Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera

Pure Water Temple

A hillside temple where a vast wooden stage, supported by 139 pillars without a single nail, offe...

Kyoto, Japan
Yasaka Shrine photo
Shrine
Kyoto

Yasaka Shrine

Heart of Gion and Home of the Gion Matsuri

A Shinto shrine at the heart of Gion, center of the Gion Matsuri festival every July, one of Japa...

Kyoto, Japan
Amanohashidate photo
Landmark
Kyoto

Amanohashidate

One of Japan's three most scenic views, a pine-covered sandbar spanning Miyazu Bay on the Sea of ...

Kyoto, Japan
Photo from review by Sampo.kuokkanen
Garden
Kyoto

Okochi Sanso Garden

A Hilltop Garden with Panoramic Views of Kyoto and Arashiyama

The former villa garden of silent film actor Okochi Denjiro, perched on a hillside above the bamb...

Kyoto, Japan
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