We took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto and got lucky to see Mt Fuji on the way! We had ordered tickets for the train ahead of our trip because we were inadvertently there during Golden Week, the busiest time of year for Japanese tourism. We wanted to be sure we could get seats with room for luggage. I think there are enough trains every day that it’s likely not usually an issue to get a spot with your luggage. There is also the option to have your luggage delivered to your next hotel room.
We loved Kyoto, despite warnings that the number of tourists would be overwhelming. There were certainly areas with incredible number of tourists, but we still enjoyed it. I was able to visit most sites at sunrise and then see them later with all the people. It was an interesting contrast to experience.
Below I’ll talk about our favorites.
For more of our restaurant and activity recommendations, we have a longer google doc you can check out here.
Kiyomizu-dera
Established in 778! Crazy. This place was incredible and a must visit. I was there at dawn on a misty, rainy morning. Then returned later with the group. Nobody was there at dawn. Everybody was there at 9. Both were interesting experiences. But the crowds did get intense walking around Gion.
Dragon sculptures get no cooler than this
This lovely woman with the red umbrella was there just for my photo…
Bike Tour with The Good Day Velo - Coffee and Bikes
We had a wonderful day touring Kyoto with our new friend Naoki of Good Day Velo. We booked bikes for the afternoon and he had asked us what kinds of things we wanted to do. He took us to a couple temples and showed us areas of Kyoto, but the most enjoyable part was riding for miles along the river and talking to him about Japan. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
