Day 1 - Kyoto's Best Nature Spots
This itinerary has our three top recommendations for natural beauty in Kyoto. It is a little impractical geographically because the three temples are in different parts of town. The assumption is that you are great with buses. For a change of pace the itinerary ends in Kyoto's old pleasure district.
Morning
Ginkaku Ji Take it slow here and sit in reflection in front of it's famous sand garden.
Afternoon
Kiyomizu-dera
Be sure to drink from the healing waters here and stop for a snack of beer and tofu right inside the temple grounds.
Tenryu-ji Temple
Be sure to walk though the bamboo forest beside the temple it is breathtakingly beautiful.
Evening
Take a walk around the Gion district at night (if you go at dusk you might see some real geisha or maiko on their way to work .... please don't bother them haha)
Day 2 - Kyoto's Best Architecture
Take a look at some of the most interesting points of Kyoto's Architecture. Again, this itinerary is geographically dispersed and assumes you don't mind taking lots of buses.
Morning
Nijo Castle
Be sure to walk listen carefully when you walk on the "nightingale floors" that make a noise when you walk on them. This is a Ninja detection system!
Afternoon
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
This shine is famous for its hundreds of vermilion torii lining the paths to the shrine. Be sure to check out some of the mountain trails around the shine that climb to smaller shrines in the forest.
Kinkaku-ji
This temple is literally covered in gold and is one of the most popular in Kyoto. It is very photogenic.
Evening
For a change of pace, check out Kyoto Station an amazing example of modern Japanese Architecture.
Day 3 - Kyoto's Hidden Gems
This itinerary goes off the beaten path and is geographically organized in the sense that the afternoon temples are quite far from central Kyoto (Ohara) but are right beside each other.
Morning
Adashino Nenbutsu-Ji Temple
There are some 8000 small buddhas collected here, it is quite stunning to see. It is also close to the bamboo forest which is a great place for a stroll if you have time.
Afternoon
Sanzen-in
Sanzen-in has a beautiful Japanese garden. There are lots of shops and restaurants in this area catering to Japanese tourists (there are not many foreigners around usually).
Hosen-in
Hosen-in has a beautiful Japanese garden. The ceiling of the garden viewing area used to be floor panels of Fushimi castle. These panels are blood stained with the blood of Samurais who committed suicide after being defeated defending the castle.
Day 4 - Side Trips
If you are in Kyoto for three days or more it is strongly recommended to take a day trip to Nara, Himeji Castle or Osaka. Each is within day-trip reach of Kyoto.
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