Top 10 Things to Do in Kyoto: A Guide to Japan’s Cultural Heart

(Updated in 2023)

Kyoto is a must on any trip to Japan. The archipelago's former capital, it is the heart of Japanese tradition. So far, we are not telling you anything new! But we can save you time in planning your trip, or your free time during our tour, by offering you a top 10 of the things you absolutely must do there. All these activities are offered during our guided tours or can be done in your free time.

Everyone has seen the image of this traditional pavilion, a former Buddhist temple covered in fine gold leaf, surrounded by an elaborate garden and reflected in the lake around it. It is so unmissable that we advise you to get up very early to visit and avoid the crowds. That is exactly what we try to do at Japaventura by taking you there on your very first day in Kyoto.

Do also think about reading "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" by Yukio Mishima, a key writer of modern Japanese literature, to soak up the atmosphere of the place all the more.

Once used by "scholars" and monks for meditation, this lovely walk of almost 2 km along the Lake Biwa Canal lies in the Higashiyama district. Today it is a major tourist spot and a must for every visitor to Japan. To really appreciate the walk, nothing beats dawn or dusk, before or after visiting the surrounding temples. The path in fact links the famous Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) and the Eikan-do Zenrin-ji temple, but other points of interest are accessible from it too, such as Nanzen-ji, Honen-in or Mount Daimon-ji.

Arashiyama is surely the most famous bamboo forest in Japan. This bamboo grove in the north-west of Kyoto draws many travellers and is one of Kyoto's emblematic sights, on a par with the Golden Pavilion described above or Fushimi Inari (see below). You will be surrounded by giant bamboo whose height (some reach more than 40 metres) may even leave you feeling dizzy. Try to go early in the morning or at the end of the day too, so as to make the most of the scenery with as few people as possible. The morning sunbeams or the special atmosphere at dusk will be a feast for the eyes! The accessible part of this protected grove is only a 500m path. Make the most of this little dose of nature to visit the monkeys of Iwatayama Park as well.

Watch a training session of kendo (Japanese fencing), kyudo (Japanese archery) or iaido (the art of drawing the sword) by visiting Kyoto's Budo Center.

Beyond these impressive demonstrations, the architecture and atmosphere of the main building, called the Butokuden, are worth the detour. Built in 1895 to promote Japan's long martial history, the Butokuden was a training venue for the Dai Nippon Butokukai, Japan's martial arts association, whose symbol can still be seen opposite the main building. Its construction is linked to the changes of the era, and in particular to the renewed interest in martial practices from the early 1870s, after the arrival of Commodore Perry in 1853 had pushed Japan to move away from its traditional arts in favour of firearms. Today it is a place for practising the Budo disciplines (notably kendo, karate and aikido), regularly used for public demonstrations and a must for travellers passionate about martial arts.

A narrow thoroughfare 400 metres long, running parallel to Shijo Avenue in the heart of Kyoto, Nishiki Market is a must for food lovers and the curious alike. It has long been among the top tourist spots of the former capital. Much loved by travellers and locals alike, the market is home to around a hundred stalls of varied kinds, though all organised around Japanese cuisine. It is the ideal place to sample, for example, a skewer of large, ultra-tender marinated scallops, mini octopus and other cooked or raw fish and seafood, a multitude of sake and much more!

A short half-hour south of Kyoto by local train, the torii of Fushimi Inari Taisha line up in their thousands to guide you towards the Shinto shrines dedicated to the deity Inari, which are scattered across the Inariyama hill. Depicted in the form of a vixen, the goddess is the protector of grains and of rice in particular. She is also historically associated with abundance and wealth, thus becoming the patron of commerce, which explains the presence of these thousands of torii, the red and black gates donated by Japanese individuals and companies.

The kimono is the traditional Japanese garment. It comes in many forms, colours, materials and patterns, depending on the period in which it was made, the gender it is intended for, and the age, social and marital status of the person who will wear it. Many rules govern how it is worn, but it is still very common today to wear one in a very formal way for a wedding or a funeral, and also for a special evening. Indeed, a kimono made according to the rules of the art is a luxury product that brings together the skills of many Japanese craftspeople. Head to the Nishijin Textile Centre to better understand this timeless garment, so rich in meaning and values.

We also advise you to hire a kimono for an afternoon or a day so as to feel the softness of the silk or linen (if it is a yukata, a summer kimono) against your skin and to learn to walk correctly in geta, the special shoes that go with the kimono.

Finally, for a fully immersive experience, you can try visiting the Toei Uzumasa Eigamura theme park (or Kyoto Studio Park), the only theme park in Japan where you can watch period dramas, the jidaigeki films, being shot. Here you can wander freely around the set of the Toei Kyoto studio. This complex recreates a street from the Edo period and is used to shoot more than 200 films a year. Soak up the atmosphere of old Japan by watching a ninja show, perhaps even dressing up as a geisha or a samurai. Have fun!

Machiya are the traditional wooden houses that were popular with the merchants and craftspeople of Kyoto up until the Second World War. As Kyoto was not bombed during the war, many beautiful machiya have survived to this day. While some Kyotoites continue to live in them, many machiya have been converted into restaurants, shops and, even better, holiday rentals.

Often, they are long, narrow buildings surrounding a beautiful enclosed inner courtyard. These "tsubo-niwa" are open to the sky. To live the Kyoto experience to the full, go and sleep in a machiya for a night and sit at the edge of this inner garden to watch the rain fall. A magical, uniquely Kyoto experience guaranteed.

The machiya thus combines all the advantages of a holiday rental with the authenticity of a ryokan. Some old machiya have also been turned into cafés or tea houses; do pop in if you do not have time for the overnight experience.

What could be better than learning how to make sushi right there in Japan? It is the first dish that comes to mind for many Europeans when Japanese cuisine is mentioned.

At Japaventura, on our second day in Kyoto, we meet for dinner at the home of Shunhei, a sushi chef, who invites us into his restaurant to teach us how to make perfect sushi to recreate at home on your return!

Whether you are a manga fan or the parent of one, this museum is a must for you! Discover three floors and a basement dedicated to the art of manga. Most of the walls are lined with shelves full of manga. Browsing this massive collection is in fact one of the museum's main attractions. A small section of the books is devoted to foreign and translated manga, but the vast majority are in Japanese. In addition to its large collection of homegrown manga, the museum also focuses on the adoption and development of manga on an international scale. Works by international manga artists are shown, and the museum's manga-related events often involve foreign artists.

So even if you do not yet speak the language of your favourite works, you will have plenty to delight in and new authors and artists to discover! (The Kyoto International Manga Museum is a two-minute walk from Karasuma-Oike underground station (5 minutes, 210 yen from Kyoto station).)

And more to discover in Kyoto:

Kyoto is, of course, alive all year round with numerous cultural and traditional events. Religious festivals known as matsuri are also plentiful. Do not hesitate to find out about these events when choosing your departure date!

We will also cover the matsuri in a future article!

If you would like to discover Kyoto in greater depth, Artjom (a Product Manager at Japaventura who has lived in Kyoto for three years) has put together his personal list of favourite places and activities in Kyoto!