Kyoto Top Attractions for First-Time Visitors

Founded in 711 AD, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of all Japan's shrines dedicated to Inari, the god of rice, sake, and business prosperity. The path leading up 233-meter-tall Mt. Inari is dotted with many smaller shrines and marked by thousands of torii gates. WIth its ancient origins, this long tunnel of vibrant red and orange torii gates is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto that a...

Kiyomizu-dera, formally Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera, is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage site. (Wikipedia) Founded in 778 and dedicated to the deity of love and compassion (Kannon), the Kiyomizu-dera Temple has long been open to citizens of all classes. The grounds, which spread over 130,000 square meters along the...

Kinkaku-ji, officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, "Deer Garden Temple"), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Its Japanese name, 金閣寺, literally means "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" as the main pavilion is covered in a thick layer of gold leaf. It is the best known temple of Japan and one of the most popular attractions in Kyoto. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special L...

Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. (Wikipedia)

Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. (Wikipedia)

Tenryuji (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most popular temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked the first among the area's five great Zen temples, and is registered as a UNESCO world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Built in 1482 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Ginkaku-ji is the second most famous temple in Kyoto and the little brother of Kinkaku-ji. Ginkaku-ji consists of the main hall, Silver Pavilion, a few other temple building, a beautiful moss garden and a Zen sand garden. Despite its name, the Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver. Ginkaku-ji is one of the major structures that represents the ...

Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社, Yasaka-jinja), once called Gion Shrine (祇園神社, Gion- jinja), is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is dedicated to Susanoo as its chief Kami, with his consort Kushinadahime on the east, and eight offspring ...

Tōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. Tōfuku-ji takes its name from two temples in Nara, Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji. It is one of the so-called Kyoto Gozan or "five great Zen temples of Kyoto". Its honorary sangō prefix is Enichi-san. (Wikipedia)

Nishiki Market is a marketplace in downtown Kyoto, located on the east end of Nishikikōji Street, one block north and parallel to Shijō Street and west of Teramachi Street. Rich with history and tradition, the market is renowned as the place to obtain many of Kyoto's famous foods and goods. (Wikipedia)

Ninenzaka, or Ninen-zaka, is a stone-paved pedestrian road and tourist attraction in the historic Higashiyama district, Kyoto, Japan. The road is lined with traditional buildings and shops, and is often paired with the similar road, Sannenzaka. (Wikipedia)

Founded in 796, To-ji Temple was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty. Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures: the Lotus Flower Gate, the Miei Hall, the Golden Hall, the five- storied Pagoda, and t...

The Philosopher's Path (also known as Tetsugaku No Michi) is a pedestrian walk way that follows a cherry-tree lined canal in Kyoto, Japan between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. The path is so-named because two 20th-century Japanese philosophers, Nishida Kitaro and Hajime Tanabe, are thought to have used it for daily exercise. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the walk, although many people spend mo...