Finally, you’ve arrived for your day one in Kyoto! Isn’t it a wonderful city? No? Alright, check for a train service while you’re near the train tracks, and you’ll realise that the trains are very much on-time all the time. Buy some coffee from a random store, or simply walk down the super clean streets. Does’t the exceptional customer service alone amaze you? I love to travel in Japan, a country with its distinctive culture and rich history. I especially love Kyoto because of the breathtaking temples and the stories behind them.
I’m going to share with you on how I spent six days in Kyoto in a series of blog posts. Specifically, this post will focus on my first day in Kyoto, around the Northern Higashimaya area.
Cycling in Kyoto
For today, you can opt to get around the area on bike. In addition, the pavement and cycling path in Kyoto is very bike-friendly, so I’d recommend you to try cycling at least once. It’s really easy to cycle around as long as you have a Google Map in hand!
Furthermore, bike rental places are abundant in Kyoto, just look around and you’ll be in luck to find one (especially near the Kyoto Station). Typically, they charge around ~¥1000 for a full day rental.
For myself, starting from Kyoto Station, I reached the places by bus and walked on foot. Therefore, be sure to buy a 1-Day Bus Pass if you’re following my journey!
Heian Jingū 平安神宮
From Kyoto Station, take bus 5 or 100 and stop right in front of Heian Jingū. The duration is approx. 30 minutes. You’ll definitely not miss its entrance, the grand torii gates of Heian Jingū.
Check out this post on how to board the buses in Kyoto.
Heian used to be the city’s name before it was changed to Kyoto. Heian Jingū was originally built to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of Kyoto’s capital’s foundation. It was also specially dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Kammu and Emperor Komei in Kyoto.
We had an early and quick lunch before heading to the next stop.
Nanzen-ji 南禅寺
After spending about 2 hours in Heian Jingū, board bus 5 from the same bus stop where you came from. It takes about 5 minutes and then alight at Nanzenji-Eikando-michi. Walk about 10 minutes to reach Nanzen-ji. If you’re cycling, you can park your bikes at the entrance of Nanzen-ji.
Nestled at the base of the Higashimaya mountains, Nanzen-ji is a majestic Zen temple with multiple subtemples around it. This area should take you a few hours to explore. Take your time to appreciate the temples before leaving.
Path of Philosophy 哲学の道
To reach the place from Nanzen-ji, simply follow the signboard leading along the upward path. You will finally reach the beginning of the path after about 10 minutes.
Have a stroll down the beautiful path along the canal, and take in the fresh air and scenery. There were so many cute cats along this path!
Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺
Finally, when you reach the end of the path (~40 minutes), continue down the road to reach a more bustling street. This is where you know you are at Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion of Kyoto. If you’re cycling, remember to park your bike before you walk uphill towards the temple entrance.
Dinner
After Ginkaku-ji, feel free to take a bus to return to Kyoto Station if you’re tired. You deserve a good rest after a full day of walking. For us, we continued walking from Ginkaku-ji to reach downtown Kyoto. For dinner, we had an amazing Kushiyaki dinner at Manten, one of the restaurants in pontocho alley. This definitely marked a satisfying first day in Kyoto. finally, we returned to our hotel near Kyoto Station by bus.
Check out this post on what to eat in Kyoto.
Be sure to also view my Kyoto itinerary for day two here, where I have visited Kiyomizu-dera, Nishiki Market, Tofuku-ji, and Fushimi-Inari.
Details of the temples for today:
Heian Jingū 平安神宮
Hours:
Grounds: 6:00am-5:30pm
Garden: 8:30am-5:00pm
Fees:
Grounds: Free
Garden: ¥600 / adult
Nanzen-ji Temple 臨済宗大本山 南禅寺
Hours:
8.40am-5:00pm, last entry 4:40pm (March-November)
8.40am-4.30pm, last entry 4:10pm (December-February)
Fees:
Grounds: Free
Hojo garden: ¥500 / adult
San-mon gate: ¥500 / adult
Ginkaku-ji Temple 臨済宗相国寺派 銀閣寺
Hours:
8.30am-5:00pm (March-November)
9:00am-4.30pm (December-February)
Fees:
¥500 / adult
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