A First-Timer’s Guide to Kyoto

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by Kyoto, imagining geishas wandering historic streets from a different time. Of all the places I visited in Japan, this is perhaps the one I was most excited to see. Having had several days to get a taste for the city, I’d say it lives up to the hype! 

The fun started even before I’d arrived, as I got to take my first ride on the bullet train from Hakone to Kyoto. I knew it’d be fast, but I don’t think one can truly understand the bullet train until one flies by while they’re waiting on the platform. Just wow. Such a fun part of experiencing domestic travel in Japan! 

I decided to stay at a hostel in the Gion district, and I’m so glad I did. After evening each day, the crowds really cleared out and I was able to wander the streets and get a better feel for the district. On a few occasions, I even saw maiko walking the paths, sporting their colorful kimonos and beautiful hairstyles. 

Because I only had a few days in Kyoto, I broke up the sites I wanted to see by district and picked one district per day to explore. Read on for more on these perfect days in Kyoto!

East (Gion)

After dropping my bags at my hostel, I set right out to start exploring the Gion district, featuring traditional buildings and ancient cobblestone streets. I loved walking through the narrow streets of the Higashiyama area, including the Sannezaka Slope which has beautiful views of the 5-tiered pagoda. I wandered all the way up the hill towards Kiyomizu-dera Temple which boasts some of the most famous views of Kyoto. I was there right before the turn of the season, and I can only imagine how gorgeous this city would be in autumn - I’ll definitely plan my next visit to Kyoto for October or November. 

Aside from wandering the beautiful streets of the district, I also wanted to make sure I could attend a traditional tea ceremony and learn more about the significance and history of matcha. I signed up for a session through Tea Ceremony Nagomi and thought they did a great job. Our group was small - only myself and two other visitors - so we were able to ask questions and try our hand at preparing the matcha for ourselves. An experience I’ll look back on so fondly!

Inari and Central Kyoto

For my first full day in Kyoto, I started early to get down to Fushimi Inari, with its famous thousand tori gates. I arrived around 8:30 am and, while I won’t say I entirely managed to beat the crowds, it was still a great experience. If you’re feeling adventurous, you’re able to walk the entire loop and summit Mount Inari. Although this may have been the sweatiest experience of my entire life, I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting - there are a lot of stairs involved, but because of this, the crowds significantly drop off the higher you climb, making it much more likely that you can have entire stretches to yourself (and score some epic photos). 

After this morning’s adventure, I’d worked up quite the appetite so I decided to head into central Kyoto and check out Nishiki Market. Cue some of the best bites I’ve had - including this mouth-watering wagyu beef skewer, some fresh hot donuts, and delicious mochi. 

Also near central Kyoto is Nijo Castle. While I was feeling a bit “templed-out” by this point, I was glad I snagged a ticket because it was well worth visiting the site. The best part, in my opinion, was actually being able to walk inside the buildings. Many of the rooms have been restored to what they would have looked like during the time of the Shoguns. It was so interesting to imagine what it would have been like to have been received as a guest there during the days of feudal Japan. 

Wandering the grounds of Nijo Castle.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get better, I discovered my absolute favorite experience in Kyoto - a beautiful omakase sushi dinner at a small hole-in-the-wall shop. I don’t know if I could find it again if I tried… when I first went by, it wasn’t open, so I hopped across the street to a little wine bar where I was the only customer. I had one of the best glasses of wine of my life, plus the cutest complementary truffle amuse bouche. By the time I’d finished the glass and popped back out to the street, the sushi bar was open. I grabbed one of the 8 seats at the chef’s bar and proceeded to enjoy 4 fabulous courses of sashimi, 10 amazing nigiri, plus a fabulous sake pairing. It was definitely a meal to remember! 

West (Arashiyama)

Exploring the main attractions west of the city was definitely the busiest day of my Kyoto trip. I started early with a 9am ticket on the Sagano Romantic Train headed west from Arashiyama. It was a beautiful train ride along the gorge, with plenty of views out over the river. I imagine it’d be even more stunning once the leaves start to change! Perhaps most exciting were the views of the Hozugawa Riverboats cruising down the river below. The train ride pairs perfectly with these, as you can easily hop onto a boat tour back down the river to Arashiyama. I loved getting to cruise down the river and you even go over some exciting rapids! 

Back in Arashiyama, the main attraction is the bamboo forest. Even though it’s a bit crowded, it wasn’t quite as busy as I was imagining, so I still found it fun to stroll around and take photos. On my walk towards the forest, I also toured the Tenryuji Temple grounds and gardens for a beautiful example of Japanese landscape design - I would absolutely recommend it. After such a full day, I grabbed some street food and headed back to catch a train to Kyoto center!

Northeast and Northwest Kyoto

I had fewer organized plans for my time in Northern Kyoto but knew I wanted to walk along the Philosopher’s Path, which follows a stream along a quieter edge of town. I can see why the walk would be highly sought after as a place for deep thought and reflection - I found it so peaceful. As an interesting bonus, several older Japanese people stopped me to ask if they could say a prayer for me - each time, we’d bow our heads and close our eyes as they said a silent prayer. Definitely an interesting experience… 

After exploring more around the neighborhood at the northern terminus of the path, I hopped on a local bus to check out Kinkaku-ji Temple on the other side of town. This temple is famous for its gold-leaf facade and it certainly draws a crowd. I think it is worth visiting once to see, but wouldn’t put it at the top of my list for sites in Kyoto. On the other hand, I visited the jiggly pancake restaurant twice… so all in, a successful first time in this beautiful city!