Kyoto, Japan

Kibune Town, Kyoto

The most charming city in Japan is Kyoto. This is a fact. Don't argue with me! It's a great place to experience some authentic Japanese shops and eat the most delicious food ever. Seriously, the sushi here and the miso soup are unreal. Japan in general is gorgeous, but my time in Kyoto was really special to me. I love how green everything is, and the feeling of being in nature and away from the busy city is nice and refreshing. I stayed at Rakuro Hotel. The location was perfect and upon check in, they will ask if you want American or Japanese breakfast. I opted for Japanese cuisine and it was fantastic. If you find yourself in this cute area, refer to the list below on my top 5 and other places to check out! You won’t be disappointed.

How to get there:

From Tokyo: I used my Japan Rail pass and took the Hikari bullet train, which is the second fastest. The Nozomi shinkansen bullet train, which is the fastest, is not accessible with the Japan Rail pass. Do not take the the Kodama as it stops a lot and is much slower. The overall trip time was about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station.

My favorite spots:

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  • Kinkaku-ji. This is a golden Buddhist temple that is just beautiful. It won’t take you long to visit, probably 1 hour tops you'll spend here. I loved all the shops that surrounded the outside, too. Such great matcha. When you are inside the temple area, you’ll follow the path that takes you around the pond so you can’t get different views of it all.

  • Kibune Town. This place is unreal. This needs to be at the top of your list when you visit Kyoto. It was something out of a comic book. I couldn’t believe how much lush green I saw. Once you are done visiting the infamous Kifune Shrine itself, I highly suggest you take a walk along the road it’s located on. You will see mini waterfalls, a beautiful stream, gorgeous mountains, breathtaking trees, and plants & there’s also really cute, low key & quaint restaurants along the side, too. Oh & bring an umbrella if you’re going during a rainy season: you’ll definitely need it. How to get there: By train. From Kyoto's Demachiyanagi Station, take the Eizan Dentetsu Line to Kibune-guchi Station. From the station, it's a 20-minute walk up a mountain road to the village of Kibune. There are occasional buses from the station to the village. Learn more here.

  • Fushimi Inari-taisha. One of the most popular tourist spot to visit but rightfully so. Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari. It took my friend and me about 2 hours to complete this entire hike up to the top and all the way around. You see some spectacular sights along the way, though. Just make sure you wear comfy shoes & bring plenty of water. You will sweat. A lot.

  • Arashiyama. Here is where you’ll find plenty of beautiful temples, shrines & things to do/see. My favorite attraction in this place was the popular Bamboo Grove. When you walk inside the grove you are immediately taken back by the tall bamboo trees and how they tower over you. It’s also a nice break from the sun ;)

  • Monkey Park Iwatayama. Such a cute thing to do. If you have kids that love animals this will be a great place to check out. You pay a small fee to enter the park and then hike your way up. Not too hard/long of a walk & you’ll end up at a gorgeous park filled with fun monkeys running around everywhere. You’ll even get the chance to feed them & take photos. I loved every second of this.

Sightseeing/Activities:

  • Visit Nishiki Market

  • Have dinner in Pontocho

  • Wander the Gion District

  • Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple

  • Higashiyama Jisho-ji

  • Tenryuji Temple

  • Shopping in Sanneizaka (Sannenzaka)

    Food:

  • Gion Tanto- AMAZING FOOD

  • Matsuba - Soba

  • Ogawa - Soba

  • Chidoritei - Great sushi!

  • Hataka Nagahama Miyoshi - Ramen is fantastic here!

Danielle Giordano