Kyoto gives you a glimpse of old Japan with its peaceful gardens, traditional shrines & temples, and graceful geishas. Kyoto is a must-visit for travelers looking for a laidback trip that guarantees an experience full of history and culture. Make sure to make the most out of the city with our list of the best Kyoto tourist attractions to visit!
Despite its history of war and occurrence of fires in the past, the city of Kyoto has remained resilient, its unique beauty unrivaled. You will find that this city embodies “wabi-sabi”, a part of Japanese philosophy which appreciates beauty in imperfection.
As the place of origin of the Japanese geishas, get the chance to take a peek into their enigmatic and ancient art form. Spend a morning amongst the towering bamboo groves of Arashiyama, learn formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, or get acquainted with the Kinkaku-ji’s serene environment. Best of all, walk through the long stretch of torii gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha as it leads to the forest of Mount Inari.
In November 2019, the city of Kyoto recorded approximately 4.94 million tourists, setting the monthly record for that year. Apart from February, Kyoto had somewhere between four and five million tourists visiting in every month of the year. In 2019, the monthly number of tourist visits surpassed Kyoto’s registered population by more than three times in peak months.