We’re taking a break from theme parks for the day to explore our favorite city on Earth. Chances are that if you’re visiting Tokyo Disney Resort, you’ll also enjoy other spots in Japan. Kyoto should be one of those places! In this post, we’ll share our favorite spots to enjoy while visiting Kyoto.

Kyoto is the former capital of Japan and offers a beautiful blend of history and modernity. There aren’t the neon lights and 3D billboards of Tokyo but there is an active nightlife scene and some of the best restaurants in the world. Surrounding the city are hills full of centuries old temples and shrines. Kyoto boasts a spirituality that can make crowded days contemplative.

We’ve been to the city a couple of times now and have come away fully captivated. Even with being there a few times, we’ve barely scratched the surface of Kyoto. There are hundreds of temples, dozens of museums and many other places to see. You could be there for months and still not make it to all of the temples and ramen restaurants. In some ways, our list feels very general but the highlights everyone mentions are generally worthy of the hype.

On that note, there are a few common stops left off our list. Most notably, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Both are worthy of your time and I’m glad we experienced them. They just felt a little bit touristy, taking away from the wonder that both have. If there are questions about certain places in Kyoto, whether on the list or not, leave us a comment and we’ll try to help out.

I’ve put down seven spots. I opted not to rank them but did decide to put my absolute favorites first. If you can manage 4 days to a week in the city then fitting all of these in wouldn’t be a problem but I know that’s not a luxury everyone can afford. Coming from Tokyo, a shinkansen (bullet train) ride will take roughly 3 hours and is very pleasant. You can use the JR Pass to make your trip more convenient. Let’s get to our list!

Fushimi Inari

Not only my favorite place in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari is among my favorite places in the world. This Shinto shrine has vermillion torii gates lining the path up Mt. Inari. There are roughly 10,000 of these gates on the mountain. Before starting the climb, there are also shrine buildings in that same vermillion tone. Construction of Fushimi Inari dates back to the late 700’s.

There are several loops within the mountain, the first of which doesn’t take much time at all to do. The higher up Mt. Inari you go, the less crowded and more serene the experience gets. Summiting makes way for another shrine although this one is slightly understated. The whole ‘it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey’ saying is cheesy and, more often than not, wrong to me. But when that journey includes passing under 10,000 gates while climbing a mountain, then I agree!

Fushimi Inari can get steep at parts but the hike is paved almost all of the way up. Going up and back down takes a couple of hours but is well worth the time. There are several train stations nearby making access to this spot, that’s completely free and open 24 hours a day, easy. For Wandering in Disney bonus points that may or may not exist, go slurp down a delicious bowl of ramen at Ramen Hiwamatanoboru after finishing the best hike of your life.

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu is a gorgeous Buddhist temple sitting along the Higashiyama hillside. Like Fushimi Inari, this is one of the most popular places in Kyoto and it’s best to go during off hours. The temple was founded in 780 and jumps out of the hillside thanks to it’s vermillion, massive buildings.

Walking up to the temple is a highlight in its own right, as the red tones tower above. If you’ve seen photos of Kyoto, chances are that you’ve happened upon one with a view looking back down onto the city from Kiyomizu’s platforms. The main hall is inspiring and the entire grounds are beautiful to walk around.

We’ve had the pleasure of going to Kiyomizu during illuminations in both the spring and autumn. The colors are beautiful and the whole experience is breathtaking. While visiting here will undoubtedly be busy, I find the whole place incredibly peaceful. I’d recommend either starting or ending your day here to avoid some of those crowds though.

Philosopher’s Path

This stone path along one of Higashiyama’s canals takes guests through a beautiful tree lined journey. There are numerous temples alongside Philosopher’s Path, as well as restaurants and shops. But no matter the time, guests will be met with beautiful color in the trees and hillside. This is especially pretty during cherry blossom season.

The path got its name thanks to famous Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who walked here on his way to and from Kyoto University. While we’ve still enjoyed the walk in the middle of the day, it is another place that will serve a peaceful reward if you arrive first thing in the morning. Philosopher’s Path begins and ends at two other spots, Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji, that we’ll mention shortly! Make a day of it!

Kurama-dera & Kibune

This is a little bit of a two for one, as we move to northern Kyoto’s mountains. Kurama-dera is a Buddhist temple about 30 minutes away on the wonderful Eizan Railway. The temple was founded in the 700’s and has many shrines winding the mountainside before reaching the summit (around an hour hike if you’re taking your time). There is also a cable car visitors can take for a nominal fee. There are hot springs and an onsen near the temple!

The temple itself is much quieter than any other spot on this list. Being more remote and having to climb a mountain will do that! But the reward is sweet. The temple’s buildings are more understated but the hike is beautiful and a nice respite if you’re tired of crowds. Even after reaching the top of the temple, there’s a path down to the town of Kibune which is a beautiful little area in its own right. Making an afternoon of these two places is a nice way to get out in nature and see some less popular places in Kyoto.

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)

Though named the Silver Pavilion, there is nothing silver about this Zen temple. Humorously, Ginkaku-ji is named that because this was built as a retirement villa for the grandson of the Golden Pavilion’s (Kinkaku-ji) estate. He modeled the grounds after his grandfather’s retirement villa before passing and this space was turned into a Zen temple. Even without the silver, we far prefer this to the Golden Pavilion.

Ginkaku-ji is built in northeast Kyoto, along the hillside of Higashiyama. As I mentioned, the Philospher’s Path starts (or ends) right below the temple. The grounds interact with nature well, having a path that winds up a few stairs and looks toward Kyoto. The gardens are some of my favorite in the entire city, intricate and colorful. Ginkaku-ji feels so precise and artfully conceived that it’s hard not to be wowed by the experience.

Iwatayama Monkey Park

From precision to a little bit of chaos, Iwatayama Monkey Park sits in western Kyoto. Right above the beautiful river in Arashiyama, guests embark on a 30 minute hike up the hillside before finding over 100 monkeys. The hike can get steep in parts but is not overly difficult. Once among the monkeys (the first time I’ve written that phrase but hopefully not the last), there are beautiful views of Kyoto and, well, domesticated creatures that are running around like mad.

The monkeys are a little feisty but nothing to be afraid of. They are very used to humans and guests can go feed them at the park, for a nominal fee, if they so choose. Really, it’s a strange and pretty unique experience. I thought it was very enjoyable and a nice break if you’re feeling a little bit of temple fatigue. Eating lunch along the river and then enjoying an afternoon here will be memorable.

Nanzen-ji

Last but not least, Nanzen-ji is a fantastic Zen Buddhist temple. This is another spot along the Higashiyama mountains and at the opposite end of the Philosopher’s Path as Ginkaku-ji. The halls here are massive and the temple also sports an aqueduct that was constructed in the late 1800’s. Nanzen-ji has an interesting history that has seen its buildings destroyed and rebuilt since founded in the 1200’s.

For all of the spirituality Kyoto has, there is something unique about Nanzen-ji. Inside of the halls is very pretty with manicured gardens. That contrasts to the outside where the halls are grandiose and a large aqueduct is up above. Both parts are beautiful but I’m struck by how different it all feels compared to my other favorite temples in Kyoto. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, that’s why this ends up on the list! Along with that feeling, one of my favorite things to do is to walk on the aqueduct down as far as it goes until it reaches back into Kyoto’s streets. Nanzen-ji is very unique in all that it offers.

Kyoto has so much to explore and see. I’m looking forward to adding to this list over the years! Thanks for taking a theme park break with us for a day, we’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

What Kyoto spots are you most interested in? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? Check out our planning guide to help you along the way! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog and like our Facebook page. You can find both of those on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!