KYOTO TOURISM

Kyoto is in the Kansai region of Japan, located near Osaka and Kobe. It is famous for many things including its many 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto Shrines. Kyoto is a former capital of Japan. Kyoto features the famous Ryoan-ji temple's zen garden and is the place where the Kyoto protocol was developed.

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Listed here are the top Kyoto sightseeing attractions.

Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku) - The most famous temple in Kyoto and probably Japan. The temple is literally covered in gold!
Ryoan-ji Temple - World famous Zen dry landscape garden and one of the top three Japanese gardens.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple complex - Impressive 13m high veranda and pure water fall.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine - Well known for the thousands of vermilion torii lining the paths to the shrine.
Heian Jingu Shine - Largest Torii in Japan plus beautiful shrine and gardens.
Gion - Home to many geisha houses and traditional tea houses. The best place to see geisha and maiko in the streets.
Ginkaku-ji - Silver Pavilion - built in the style of the Golden Pavilion with a famous rock and sand garden.
Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) - The Imperial residence when Kyoto was the capital of Japan.
Tenryuji Temple - World Heritage Site. Tenryuji Temple is famous for its gardens, history and religious significance.
Katsura Imperial Villa - One of Japan's most important large-scale cultural treasures.

Kyoto is a city known for its history and culture. No trip to Japan would be complete without going to Kyoto.

The closest international airport is Kansai and there are other options to get to Kyoto including the Shinkansen.

Temples are big in Kyoto! There are so many we have put together a guide to all the temples Kyoto.

There are some very famous and beautiful Japanese gardens in Kyoto.

Definitely a key highlight on a trip to Kyoto. The fabulous gardens surrounding the temple are worth visiting just for their beauty.

Kyoto maps including Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto region and Kyoto city.

Famous for its Zen garden, which is considered to be one of the most notable examples of the "dry-landscape" style.

Sample some of the distinct cuisine of the Kyoto region.

KYOTO - SURROUNDING HIGHLIGHTS - KANSAI

Japan's second largest city; famous for its food and drink. Historically a trading city and this theme continues today.

Nara was a capital long before Kyoto, and today preserves its main sights much more attractively than Kyoto within the large Nara Park.

A cosmopolitan port city with an international flavour, hemmed in by Mt. Rokko.

Famous for Himeji Castle, recognised as a building of world significance and on the World Heritage list.

KYOTO