Kyoto Travel Guide 京都

Kyoto 京都

Find all you need to know about Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and treasure house of Japanese culture.

Read our Kyoto area guides, find a hotel in Kyoto or budget accommodation, visit Kyoto's temples and shrines, enjoy Kyoto's museums, eat out at the ancient capital's restaurants bars and clubs, maybe even find a Japanese girl or boy to date.

Find information on gay Kyoto, Geisha, Kyoto weather, Kyoto facts, Kyoto travel by subway and local train and ideas for day trips out of the city to Nara, Osaka and Kobe. It's all here. Enjoy!

Kyoto Guides

Kyoto was historically divided in distinct areas; Rakuchu, which is the ancient city center with many of Kyoto's main tourist sights including the Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle; Higashiyama, the area of gentle hills on the east side of the city where many of Kyoto's famous temples are located such as Ginkakuji, Kiyomizudera and Nanzenji; Rakuhoku, the area around Mt Hiei in the north east of the city, thought to be an area haunted by evil spirits; Rakusai, in the west was the summer resort of the court and nobility includes Myoshinji Temple and Ninnaji; Rakunan, the south of the city, famous for its sake production and tea fields.

Kyoto Accommodation & Travel

Kyoto Cuisine & What's On

Kyoto's traditional cuisine includes the elaborate kaiseki ryori and the vegetarian shojin ryori often served in and around Zen temples.

Kyoto Temples

Kyoto has well over a thousand temples with some of them the most famous and iconic temples in Japan including Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Ginkakuji.

Kyoto Shrines

Kyoto's famous Shinto shrines include Heian Shrine, Fushimi Inari and the ancient shrines of Kamigamo and Shimogamo.

Kyoto Museums

Kyoto museums include museums dedicated to Kyoto's traditional arts and crafts as well as more modern museums such as the International Manga Museum and Ritsumeikan's Peace Museum.