Kyoto is where Japan’s heart and history meet. Once the imperial capital, this charming city is filled with ancient temples, peaceful gardens, traditional tea houses, and vibrant markets. Whether you’re wandering through a bamboo forest, sipping matcha in a Geisha district, or admiring centuries-old shrines, Kyoto invites you to slow down and soak in its timeless beauty. In this guide, we’ll take you through the best places to visit, the perfect seasons to explore, and a few hidden gems along the way.
Let us remind you before starting this article: Don’t forget to download the Piri Guide mobile application to visit Kyoto step by step with your personal and digital tour guide!
Where is Kyoto?
Kyoto is located in the Kansai region on the main island of Honshu in Japan. Nestled between mountains and built along the Kamo River, Kyoto lies just a short train ride (about 2.5 hours on the Shinkansen) from Tokyo and less than an hour from Osaka.
Best Season to Visit Kyoto?
The best times to visit are spring and autumn, when the city looks its best. In spring (March to May), Kyoto is covered in delicate cherry blossoms, drawing crowds to well-known places like Maruyama Park and the Philosopher’s Path for hanami, the traditional flower-viewing picnic. In the autumn (from October to November), the city is covered in bright reds and golds. Temples like Tofuku-ji and Eikando are lit up by maple leaves. While summer brings lively festivals like Gion Matsuri, it’s often hot and humid. Winter, on the other hand, is a quieter time, with fewer visitors and sometimes snow on the temple roofs. If you want the best weather and most beautiful views, spring and autumn are the best times to visit.
Places to visit in Kyoto
We’ve made a list of must-visit places in Kyoto. Yet, we should remind you that you can find more on Piri Guide mobile app. Piri Guide detects your location, offers you the best travel routes, and starts telling you the hidden stories of wherever you are. All you have to do is to get your headphones or earbuds and follow the path at your own pace. Then, don’t set out for your trip before downloading the digital travel guide! 
Tofuku-ji Temple
Tofuku-ji Temple is Kyoto’s oldest and largest Buddhist Zen temples. Tofukuji was founded in 1236 by the Fujiwara clan, a powerful family of imperial regents. It was named after the Fujiwaras’ two temples in Nara: Todaiji and Kofukuji temples. Tofukuji is the head temple of its own school under the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.
Around the main hall and the gate are a meditation hall called the zendo, a bell tower called the shoro, a bathhouse called the yokushitsu, and several temples. The original buildings burned down but were rebuilt in the 15th century, during the Muromachi Period. During this period Tofukuji became one of the five major temples of Kyoto.
Kyoto National Museum
Kyoto National Museum is one of the oldest museums in Japan. It was opened in 1897. It’s one of the four national museums in the country. The palace-like structure behind the pool is the Meiji Kotokan. It first served as the Imperial Museum. The architect Katayama Tōkuma combined French Renaissance and Baroque architecture in this building. When it was first built, some people said it didn’t fit in with the atmosphere of Kyoto. But today it blends in with the temples nearby.
One of the most important artifacts of the museum is the senzui byōbu, a folding screen depicting a landscape. In the esoteric Shingon Buddhist tradition, the senzui byōbu was used in the ritual when a monk attained mastery. These folding curtains also adorned the homes of Heian period aristocrats. The artifact in the museum was brought from Toji Temple.
Side note: There are separate tickets for access to the garden and the exhibitions. If you don’t want to visit the museum, just buy a ticket for the garden.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The forest consists of two separate bamboo groves. It’s about 500 meters long and 140 meters wide. As you go deeper into the forest, you’ll see many temples and shrines around. Like the Nonomiya Shrine which was built as a sacred house for single women, called Saio, who were chosen from the emperor’s family and purified on their way to nunhood.
In the forest there is the mōsō bamboo, known as “the giant bamboo” or the tortoise-shell bamboo. This giant bamboo is very well protected because in Japan bamboo represents power and prosperity. Did you know that bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world? According to Guinness World Records, the fastest growing bamboo can grow up to 91 centimeters in a day.
Gion - Geisha District
Gion is Kyoto’s most famous Geisha district. No matter how much the Japanese modernize, they don’t give up their traditions. Geisha are an example of this. They are called geika in Kyoto. Geikas are women who entertain customers in tea houses by dancing, singing and chatting. Gei means art and sha means human. So a geisha is actually a person of art. They are also representatives of Japanese culture.
Today in Gion, there are restaurants and tea houses called ochaya under the machiya houses. If you wish, you can also stop by a tea house to relax. The most special thing to drink in a tea house in Japan is of course matcha. You can find everything with matcha in Japan. But you should definitely try the cocktails at The Common One bar.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market is known as the Kitchen of Kyoto. Nishiki is a market that has been serving Kyoto for years with over 100 street delicacies. You can find fresh seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables, Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood and sushi in this 400-meter long market.
Everything sold in small narrow stalls or two-story shops is locally produced. Nishiki is almost 400 years old. In fact, many of the shops inside have been run by the same families for generations. It was originally a fish market with the first shop opening in 1310. Other shops were added to the fishmongers and it became what it is today.
If you are planning to visit Tokyo as well, don’t forget to check out our Tokyo guide.
