Top 10 Things to Do in Kyoto

Using this list

Ten of Kyoto's defining sights as a checklist — temples, shrines, gardens, and the historic districts. Kyoto has well over a thousand temples, so any list of ten is a starting point rather than a survey.

Early morning is not a suggestion here

Fushimi Inari's torii gates, the Arashiyama bamboo grove, and Kinkaku-ji are all extraordinary at seven in the morning and uncomfortably crowded by ten. Fushimi Inari is open at all hours and is genuinely worth a sunrise.

If you do one thing differently in Kyoto, start earlier than feels reasonable.

Group by district or lose the day to buses

Kyoto's sights sit in clusters at opposite edges of the city: Arashiyama in the west, Fushimi in the south, Higashiyama along the eastern hills. Kyoto's buses are the main way around and get very full; the two subway lines and the JR lines are faster where they go.

Higashiyama — Kiyomizu-dera, Sannenzaka, Gion — is the one to walk rather than ride.

Be a considerate guest in Gion

Gion is a residential and working district, not an attraction. Photographing geiko and maiko in the street is intrusive and some streets have banned it outright with fines. Watch, don't chase.

Seasons change everything

Cherry blossom and autumn colour are spectacular and bring enormous crowds and high prices. Book accommodation months ahead for either.

Timing

Run it plain, or add due dates from your arrival to spread it across the trip.