Japan / Kyoto, Osaka & Kansai / KyotoKyoto
A Thousand Temples, Torii Tunnels and Geisha Lanes
The imperial capital for over a thousand years, with 17 UNESCO-listed temples, shrines and castles: the thousands of vermilion gates at Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera on its wooden stage, the Golden Pavilion, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and the wooden lanes of Gion. Kyoto is Japan's most crowded city in cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf weeks; go to the big sights at opening time. Temple vegetarian cuisine (shojin ryori) is a real option here.
Highlights
- Fushimi Inari's tunnels of torii gates
- Kiyomizu-dera's wooden stage
- Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion
- Arashiyama bamboo grove
- Gion's lanes at dusk
- Nishiki Market
- Philosopher's Path in cherry-blossom season
- Nijo Castle's nightingale floors
- Shojin ryori temple lunch (vegetarian)
- Tea ceremony
- Day trip to Nara
Things to do
- Fushimi Inari Taisha early morningMorning · 2h 30m
- Kiyomizu-dera, Sannenzaka & NinenzakaMorning · 2h 30m
- Kinkaku-ji & Ryoan-ji rock gardenAfternoon · 2h 30m
- Arashiyama bamboo grove & Tenryu-ji (shojin ryori lunch)Morning · 4h
- Gion & Hanamikoji at duskEvening · 1h 30m
- Nishiki Market tasting walkAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Tea ceremony in a machiyaAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Philosopher's Path to Ginkaku-jiAfternoon · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: March – May, October – November
Worth knowing
Cherry Blossom Peak: Prices and Crowds
Late March to mid-April is the most expensive and crowded time of year: hotels cost up to two or three times their usual rate (Kyoto most of all) and sell out months ahead, and the famous parks and temples are packed. Book rooms four to six months out, and visit the big sights at opening time.
Worth knowing
Autumn Leaves Peak: Prices and Crowds
The maples peak from mid-November to early December, and Kyoto in particular is as full and as dear as in cherry-blossom season. Book rooms months ahead and go to the famous gardens at opening time or for the evening light-ups.
Heads up
Golden Week Crowds (29 April – 5 May)
Golden Week is a run of national holidays from 29 April to 5 May: shinkansen and domestic flights sell out, hotels raise prices, and sights are packed. Book transport and rooms early, or plan around those dates.
Heads up
Obon Holiday Rush (mid-August)
Around 13–16 August Japan travels home for Obon: trains and flights are full (Nozomi trains ran reserved seats only at Obon 2026), and resort hotels charge peak rates. Reserve seats for every long journey that week.
Heads up
New Year Closures (29 Dec – 3 Jan)
Over the New Year holiday many museums, castles, gardens and small restaurants close from about 29 December to 3 January, while the big shrines are packed for the first visit of the year. Check opening days before you plan a sight for those dates.
Heads up
Rainy Season (Tsuyu)
From early June to mid or late July it rains most days, often all day, on Honshu and Kyushu: carry an umbrella, keep outdoor plans flexible, and expect landslide warnings to close mountain roads and some railways after heavy downpours. Hydrangeas are in flower and the crowds are thinner.
Heads up
Typhoon Season
Typhoons reach Kyushu and Honshu from August to October, worst in September. A direct hit stops shinkansen, flights and ferries for a day and closes sights; most pass within 24-48 hours. Check forecasts in the days before travel and keep a spare day before an international flight.
Heads up
Summer Heat and Humidity
Late July and August are often 35 °C and very humid in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and the west, and heatstroke alerts are common. Sightsee early and late, drink water and take breaks indoors; Hokkaido and the mountains are cooler.
- Cherry blossom (hanami) — Cherry trees flower for about a week, from late March in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka to mid-April in the Alps towns and late April in Sendai; Okinawa's come in January and Hokkaido's in early May. Parks fill with picnics under the trees. It is the dearest and most crowded time of year: book hotels four to six months ahead, and expect Kyoto rooms at two or three times the usual price.
- Autumn leaves (koyo) — The maples turn red from late September in Hokkaido, through October in Nikko and the Alps, to mid-November to early December in Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. Kyoto's temples open at night with lit-up gardens; trains, buses and hotels are as full as in cherry-blossom season.
- Golden Week — Four public holidays in a week, when much of Japan travels: shinkansen and domestic flights sell out, hotel prices rise, and sights are packed. Avoid travelling between cities on the first and last days.
- Obon — The festival of the ancestors, around 13-16 August: families travel home, shinkansen and flights sell out (Nozomi trains ran reserved seats only at Obon 2026), and there are Bon dances and lantern floats in towns across Japan.
- New Year (Shogatsu) · 31 Dec — Japan's biggest holiday: temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight on 31 December and millions make the first shrine visit (hatsumode), Meiji Jingu and Fushimi Inari above all. Many museums, restaurants and offices close from about 29 December to 3 January; trains run, but are full around the start and end.
- Gion Matsuri — Kyoto's month-long festival of the Yasaka Shrine. The giant wooden floats parade on 17 and 24 July, and on the three evenings before each, the streets around Shijo close for food stalls and lantern-lit floats. Hot (35 °C) and very crowded; book rooms months ahead.
- Aoi Matsuri, Gozan Okuribi and Jidai Matsuri — Kyoto's other great days: the Heian-court procession of the Aoi Matsuri, the five giant bonfire characters lit on the hills on the last night of Obon, and the costumed procession through a thousand years of history at the Jidai Matsuri.
Part of a longer route
Kyoto is a stop on 2 curated circuits through Japan.