Travel Log: Kyoto, Japan

  If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen a peek at my recent Japan and Bali trip. This trip was a pandemic reschedule centered around the destination wedding of two of my longtime dear friends. I was over the moon to be invited to their rescheduled wedding, be able to attend, and plan out a two week Asia trip around it. Our itinerary included time in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Bali. You can read my Tokyo travel log here, my What I Packed and Wore in Japan post here, and please stay tuned for a Bali travel log coming soon.

Kyoto is a beautiful city with history dating back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Japan for a period of time and visitors are fortunate to be able to see a wealth of historical sites including Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and even a castle. My last visit to Kyoto was back in 2009, but I honestly think the area looked exactly the same this time around--like nothing has changed. During my last visit to Kyoto, I spent time visiting multiple temples and shrines including the iconic Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) which I think is amazing and absolutely worth seeing if you have not already. There is so much to see in Kyoto, but since we had limited time we narrowed this trip's focus to specific temples and shrines that are famous for their fall foliage. Please continue reading to see where we went along with photos and details for you to consider if you plan your own Kyoto trip.

We had one day to explore Kyoto's gorgeous fall foliage and we were determined to make the most of it. We walked almost 25,000 steps in total! We started at our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, made a quick stop for takeaway coffee, and then headed to Tofuku-ji Temple. The walk including coffee took about 25 minutes. This temple is very well known for its brilliant red Japanese maple trees and there are multiple angles for guests to view them. The easiest is to see them for free from a lower wooden bridge (you can check out my Kyoto Instagram reel to see the iconic view) or you can pay ~$10 USD to view the leaves from the higher Tsutenkyo bridge. We chose the free option, but I am sure the paid option is even better. After you see the leaves, you can also explore the temple grounds and the majority of the area is free to visit.

After Tofuku-ji Temple, we continued on to Fushimi Inari Shrine to explore the famous Senbon Torii (thousands of torii gates). It is said that this shrine was founded back in 711 AD, before Kyoto became the capital of Japan. When you approach this area, the street is full of shops and food stalls that are certainly worth having a look and the torii gates are free to access. You will pass the main gate and start walking up the stairs to the start of the over 10,000 bright orange gates that wind their way up and back down Mount Inari. These gates have been funded by companies and individuals from different areas of Japan (I read the cost is anywhere between 400,000 yen and 1,000,000 yen) in hopes of gaining good fortunate and prosperity. A person could spend hours exploring Mount Inari and these gates! It does get very crowded, but just keep in mind that most people don't walk very far up the mountain. The farther you go, the thinner the crowds will be and the better the chance of finding some space to yourself to take photos and videos.

A visit to Kyoto would not be complete without a visit to Nishiki Market. This narrow five block shopping street has over one hundred stalls with all kinds of amazing things including fresh seafood, seasonal delicacies, knives, cookware, and more. Typical hours for Nishiki Market stalls are 10am - 6pm. After walking through Nishiki Market, you can continue a couple of blocks toward the river to Kiyamachi-dori where you will find more restaurants and bars to explore. It felt like this was "the" place to be to experience Kyoto nightlife. We stumbled across a really cool little bar called The Bee's Knees that was ranked one of Asia's 50 best bars in 2023 (#44 spot) completely by accident, but were so glad that we did. I did not take any photos, but the cocktails were artfully created and delicious. I am so glad we found it!

Finally, as I mentioned previously our trip was centered around the wedding of two dear friends. I am so happy that our friends were able to reschedule their dream wedding in Kyoto during the fall season, and that we were invited and able to attend. The wedding was beautiful and so special to see two of our longtime friends finally tie the knot.

Have you visited Kyoto? If so, please be sure to leave me a comment below to let me know your favorite experience when you were there. Thank you for visiting my blog today, and I hope you have a fabulous week!