Join us on the trip to the west side of Kyoto, Japan. We’ll take you through many attractions in this charming city, including Kinkaku-ji, Ryōan-ji, and the beautiful sceneries of Arashiyama.
I hope your legs are well rested from the Kyoto Japan Guide – East Side post from last time, we will continue our adventure in Kyoto traveling through the western part of the city. If you haven’t been to Kyoto before and want recommendations on how to get around and where to stay, please see my previous Kyoto post.
West Side of Kyoto
There are quite a few famous points of interests on the western side of Kyoto, for this post we’ll visit the northwest corner of the city covering three of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Our path will take us from the ornate Kinkaku-ji to the beautiful green forest of Arashiyama.
click the image to enlarge
Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺 (read more)
Although there aren’t any subway stations nearby Kinkaku-ji, you have plenty of bus options to get there including the city bus 101, 102, 204, and 205. They all stop right in front of the temple.
Although Kinkaku-ji is known as “Golden Pavilion Temple” and you know already that going there, however it’s difficult to believe it’s real until you see the temple glistening in the sun with your own eyes.
Originally built in 1397 as a villa, the golden pavilion withstood wars and time only to be burnt down in 1950 by a monk suffering from mental illness. The current building was rebuilt in 1955 based on the original structure.
The temple ground is actually quite large and you get to see the beautiful gardens and surrounding greens as the visitor’s path loops you back to the main gate. Here is the guide map of Kinkaku-ji below.
Ryōan-ji 竜安寺 (read more)
From Kinkaku-ji, it’s just a short 5 min ride on bus 59 or 12 to get to Ryoan-ji, one of the most famous rock gardens in Japan if not in the world.
Based on the temple’s official site, the rock garden was built at same time as the Hojo (abbott’s chamber) at 1499. The rock garden is a rectangle area that’s 250 sq meter (2700 sq ft) made up of mostly white gravel. On top of the white gravel there are 5 groups of formation containing 15 rocks. The number of rocks are not random in each group, one of them contains 1 rock, the second one contains 2, and so forth.
Throughout the years, there has been many different interpretation of the meaning behind the formation and the garden itself. For me personally, it looks like I am looking at magnificent painting by a great artist. Seeing each perfect straight line in the stone spread over such a large area is simply breathtaking. Take a break, sit and observe the rock formation and maybe you can figure out the mystery the garden is trying to convey.
Toei Kyoto Studio Park 東映太秦映画村 (read more)
Time to take a break from temples and enjoy some fun. It’s time to the see how Japanese samurai movies and shows are filmed! You’ll take the Kitano-Line (北野線) from Ryoan-ji to Tokiwa station to get to Toei Kyoto Studio Park. You’ll need to pay ¥200 ($2) for the train since it’s not covered by your 2-day pass.
My children had a blast there. We saw actors fighting with swords, untrapped ourselves from the Ninja Mystery House, took period-style photos of the children, and saw a real life action show. They have a variety of shows from Samurai fighting to futuristic superhero (think PowerRangers). It’s fun for all ages! The buildings on the studio ground are free for you to explore. Mr. JOC was super excited about the Anime Museum because it had all the toys and figures from his childhood on display.
Tenryu-ji 天龍寺 (read more)
From the Toei Studio Park, you can take bus 11, 91, or 93 and it’ll drop you really close to Tenryu-ji, the last of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto we’ll visit today. As part of Kyoto Gozan (京都五山, five zen temples), Tenryu-ji is ranked first as the most important temple of Rinzai Zen Buddhism (臨済宗).
Originally built in 1339 by Shogun Ashikaga Takauji in memorial to his “frenemy” Emperor Go-Daigo. The ground is massive, featuring with 13 temple buildings and a large garden. The temple has an interesting history as it played a big role as a place of teaching as well as trade with China for many centuries. Most of the buildings were lost over the years due to fires and human causes, the current buildings were reconstructed after 1850’s.
Arashiyama 嵐山
As you exit Tenryu-ji, the main street has a few shops featuring local products, including the popular Kyoto oil blotting paper Yojiya (よーじや) and snack Yatsuhashi (八ツ橋). There are a number of famous temples near by including Jōjakukō-ji (常寂光寺) and Nison-In (二尊院) you can visit if you want to visit. This district is called Arashiyama, where there are many temples, shrines and the famed Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
If you want to take a break from the temples, I would recommend strolling through the famed Arashiyama Bamboo Grove to Torokko Arashiyama station and taking the sightseeing train on the Sagano Scenic Railway (嵯峨野観光鉄道, also known as the Sagano Romantic Train or Sagano Torokko) (English PDF here). It’s particularly popular during the autumn color season from mid November to early December. The train travels along the Hozugawa river and you can see the beautiful scenery on this historic track.
After coming back take a picture at Togetsukyo (渡月橋) bridge at sunset and get ready for a great meal!
Kyoto Station 京都駅 (read more)
I’ll talk about food and meals in the next Kyoto post, but after dinner I recommend visiting Kyoto Station. This modern futuristic station is a stark contrast to all the traditional temples and shrines in Kyoto and offers one of the best night view of Kyoto City from its rooftop terrace.
There are also shops, a movie theater, restaurants, and a department store in case you want to look for a last minute souvenir gift. At night, the stairs going up to the terrace becomes a light show, oohing and awing the many tourist standing at the bottom of the steps seeing Japanese designs flowing down the steps.
Right across from Kyoto Station is Kyoto Tower Hotel. Kyoto Tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with its observation deck at 100 m (320 ft).
As I said in the previous posts, there are simply too many places to see and visit in Kyoto. Besides the other thousands of temples and shrines, there is Nijo-jo Castle (二条城), Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所), and many other sites. It’s a city with something for everyone, and I hope you will enjoy visiting Kyoto as much as we did.
Next read about the food we had in Kyoto as it’s one of the best known character of Kyoto. Thank you so much for reading, and till next time!
Don’t want to miss a post? Sign up for the FREE Just One Cookbook newsletter delivered to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
- Read Kyoto Japan Guide – East Side (Part 1)
- Read Eating in Kyoto (Part 3)
- Read more travel posts about Japan, Taiwan, etc.
Update: Each month 20% of proceeds from selling my eBook will go to charity. For August, I donated to the American Heart Association. Thank you for those who purchased the eCookbook!
Just One Cookbook Japan Travel Guides
Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Nara
Nagoya
Kyushu
Takayama
I’ve only been to Kyoto once and I never saw any of that! I can’t wait to visit again now that I know what awaits me.
Hi Nami, I love reading this post, the map you posted here gave me a clear idea of how to travel and see the sights in case I find myself in Kyoto some day:D Beautiful photos!
Oh Namiko-san – I am breaking into my September ‘working holiday’ to clap at this fabulous, wonderful post!! This was the Kyoto with which I first fell in love about 1961 . . . . and I have such similar photos of my daughters almost every year from 1969 . . . . shall send you some pics when I resurface!! Of course the places are great, but I so love how your two have grown: your daughter into a beautiful young lady and your son, who has so shot up in height, with that ‘naughty’ grin on his face: well, he DOES make a very handsome samurai!! We used to stay at a ryokan on the hillside close to the Golden Pavilion . . .. such utter peace and beauty. By the bye know quite a few Westerners who have made their retirement homes in that venerable city . . .
Actually 1970 – the Osaka Trade Fair at which we spent a fortnight – lived in Kyoto and Nara tho’ . . . oh the blessed food!!!!!!!!
Hi Eha! I’m glad you liked my Kyoto post and thank you for reading! 🙂 So nice to have pictures of your daughters in Kyoto. I think photographs help you remember that particular moment for a longer time and it’s a great way to capture the moment. Wonder if your hotel still exists! Thank you for your kind comment!
Thank you for the great suggestions and information on Kyoto. I will be traveling with a small group to Japan in mid-October (our first trip to Japan). We will only have two and a half days in Kyoto, so we want to make sure we plan ahead. I’m looking forward to your dining suggestions, as we will be having 3 dinners there. Can’t wait to taste all of the good food we’ve been reading about!
Hi Joanne! I’d definitely divide your 2.5 days for two areas – West and East side. Choose the sightseeing spots you really want to go and plan accordingly… Try not to waste too much time going east and west on the same day. I’ll be writing about the food in my next travel post! 🙂
Again, what gorgeous photographs! Thanks for sharing some of your favorite stops in Kyoto, and including some leisurely activities to do at night. I am usually at a loss for spending the nighttime of vacation effectively, partially because the daytime is usually a packed schedule haha. I’ve never heard of Toei Kyoto Studio Park before but it seems like a lot of fun—it looks like you and your family had a wonderful time there!
Hi Kimmi! Thank you so much! Yeah Mr. JOC and I like to pack our schedule during the day too… and by the time the dinner is over we’re pretty exhausted. For Kyoto station, we really wanted to take pictures but couldn’t fit in our schedule, so we even drag our kids to the station after 9 pm! We don’t usually do that… 🙂 The movie studio is very popular for kids (and of course adults). There is another famous one in Kanto area (east side of Japan). 🙂
What a great, comprehensive feature on Kyoto. You’ve convinced me to go next time I travel to Asia. I love the photos and your children are adorable in them. Thanks for generously sharing your trip, culture and cuisine, Nami!
My daughter and I have pored over both of your posts on Kyoto and really love the insights you give into each location you visited. I could imagine myself sitting at Ryōan-ji for quite sometime studying the rock formations… Vanessa was excited to see pictures of Toei Kyoto Studio Park because it’s one place she has wished to visit for some time now. Thanks for sharing your trip, Nami!
I am always amazed at Japanese culture and architecture. Your photos are great, too! Thanks for guiding us, Nami 🙂
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Hi Nami, you have a pair of beautiful kids 🙂 If I remember correctly, some years ago when we visited Kyoto as a family, there was a really yummy fruit tarts cafe at the Kyoto JR Station. The fruit tarts are very delicious 🙂 Also, there was this temple on top of a mountain, with the woods as the background, very beautiful scenery 🙂
So beautiful! I’d love to visit those places.
Cheers,
Rosa
Your kids are so adorable, Nami. And these pictures are stunning! You make me want to go back to Japan so badly!
So tragic how so many of the buildings have been lost due to fire. They did a good job of rebuilding the temple after the monk burnt it to the ground. I think I’d have a lot of fun at the Studio Park as well – looks like a lot of fun for not just the kids xx
ロサンゼルスで竜安寺の講演に行きました。本当に珍しいお寺ですね。通常通り、勉強になりました。東映スタヂオは面白そうですね。是非行きたいです。嵐山もとても神秘的ですね。ま、正直に言うと全部の場所へ伺たいです。
so excited to have discovered your blog! Will be in Kyoto in the *very* near future [first time to Japan!] & to say I’m excited is an understatement. Have been reading blogs & Lonely Planet but this is the first time I’ve heard about the light show at the station steps! Do you remember roughly what time it takes place?
Hi The Hungry Mum! The Kyoto Station’s stair’s illumination is from 5 pm to 10 pm. I hope you have a wonderful trip to Japan! 🙂
Japan is so amazing. I hope to travel there someday and see all these beautiful sites in person. I could just sit in the bamboo grove for a day and enjoy the beauty there. I love the photos of your children… so cute.
If I went to Kyoto, I wouldn’t know where to start (I’ll probably just go eating 😉 ), but I really have to see a bamboo forest at least once… It’s so beautiful and there is something so different from all the other forests… I love the photograph… Thank you for sharing all the tips again.
Your children are soooo big and their faces look less and less childish… They grow really quickly!
Beautiful photos, the bamboo grove is stunning. Your kids look like they had the best time! 🙂
love the photos!! I’m going to Kyoto and Osaka next month and I can’t wait!
Hey thats Mazinger-Z I love them when I was a child, even have a toy of it. Now it made me even want to go there 🙂
Stunning photo of the bamboo trees, so gorgeous. I have been to Kyoto on a few occasions and you have captured the spirit beautifully. I am so excited that your children had a chance to experience some of your culture that is so awesome and so important. A great distraction for your children in between all of the temple tours… Take Care, BAM
Love all of your helpful info from your travels. I am currently in Japan with my daughter and have gone to Hokkkaido and Mt Koya. Combining Osaka with day trips to Kyoto before heading on to Tokyo. Your posts helped with general idea planning. Being organized is key to ensuring that you will get to see as much as possible. You can’t underestimate the crowds or vastness of these stations when considering your agenda! Thanks for sharing your experiences and magnificent photos. When these 3 weeks are over I can extend the memories with your tasty recipes 😀
Hi Linda! I hope you enjoyed your trip to Hokkaido (and eat great food there!). Hope my post was helpful. Osaka and Kyoto are close enough for day trips. Wow 3 weeks traveling in Japan is very nice! Hope you have been enjoying your trip so far! Have a wonderful rest of the trip. 🙂
Great post Nami! You really brought me back to Kyoto 🙂 Last year today I was in Japan having the greatest holiday ever! I visited most of the places you mentioned in this post. I missed Ryoan-ji and Tenryu-ji, but the rest of them were all unforgettable. Arashiyama was very pretty, I love that very much. The bamboo forest was pretty and calming, though the mosquitoes were definitely having a party when we were there lol… but still, I wouldn’t miss a chance to go back there again 🙂 Kyoto Station as you said was amazing and futuristic, it scared me a bit standing that high up on the top of the station. And Kinkaku-ji was very golden 🙂 had the best shaved ice there, probably part of it was because it was on the hottest day, but again, I wouldn’t change it for anything 🙂
Thanks for the great post and bringing me back all these memories back 🙂
Hi Purple Lady! Oh yeah summer in Kyoto! It’s a valley so Kyoto gets real hot in summer (not to mention mosquito are everywhere in Japan during the summer time). I haven’t gone back to Kyoto during the summer but I still remember my visit in August years ago… Yeah, when the weather is hot, shaved ice is really nice… I had to buy the shaving machine right away after I came back from Japan this time. I just wanted to eat green tea shaved ice even I’m back in the US. =P I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed my posts – thank you! Come back again for Part 3 (food)!
Oh yeah it was real hot! The annoying bit was everybody said to me before I flew to Japan that September should be cooling down, so I should have a nice weather. But nope, it was 32 degree when I landed T____T but it was still the best time of my life, so i’m not complaining 😛 I just wished someone told me about the mosquitoes before I went lol
Anyway, I will surely come back for part 3 🙂 Please don’t talk about Nishiki market, I would be DROOOOOLING XD
Yeah September is still warm… I think toward the end of Sept, it feels much cooler at night etc. October is pretty nice weather. Yep, mosquitoes appear in summer months… I’ve been in California for a long time now and I got so used to mosquito-free summer. 😀
If at first you do not succeed, try, try, again…now this is the third time I am writing this comment – so, if you happen to get triples, please delete them…thank you! As I was saying, you alreaday know that I tremendously enjoy travel posts and I really loved reading through your post and enjoy all the pictures, especially the ones form your children enjoying the culture and the beautiful country!
Hope all is well with you and your family and that the kids got a great start to the new school year!
All the very best for now!
Andrea
Wow, so beautiful! 😀 I will be going there on my honeymoon, I am so excited to see all these places!
Hi Sara! I hope you have a wonderful trip in Kyoto! 🙂
the Toei Kyoto Studio Park is nice and kids friendly zone ….
but i guess my fave was Arashiyama
You make a fabulous tour guide Nami! What a beautiful place! Love the pictures of the kids. 🙂
Oh Nami, this guide and the pictures are absolutely incredible! Stunning photos! Your kids are so adorable 🙂 If I ever get to visit Japan again some day when the kids are older, I will definitely be referring back to this guide. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Nami, thanks for the Kyoto posts. I want to return to that city soon.
I’ve been at the Kinkaku-ji and the Ryōan-ji, and enjoyed every minute there.
Love the station too. Love everything in and from Japan, really 😉
I’m saving the post for the rest of your recommendations. I hope we can go back the next year.
Oh, I love this post! It really really reminds me of my favorite anime/manga Rurouni Kenshin! And your children are too adorable. =)
Hi, we planning to visit Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in 3 week dec, is it worth still to go on Sagano Romantic Train or Sagano Torokko? thanks
Hi Teresa! I apologize for my late response (have been so busy…). You might be in Kyoto already? If so I hope you’re enjoying your trip! It really depends on what you enjoy… if you are traveling with the kids, yeah most likely your family will enjoy the train/torokko… if you have time, I would recommend to include it.
Hi Nami,
i’m going to Kyoto in the beginning of October for the first time in 35 years! I have your guides so helpful as well as all your recipes. My friends and i love your site. you have the most precise, detailed recipes and the clearest videos. i can tell how much care you put into everything.
Concerning my Japan visit, the one thing i don’t understand is the best way to get phone service in a Japan. i have an iphone 7plus now. what shall i do? i haven’t traveled much in recent years, and have never used a cell phone abroad. i am not very tech savvy at all. You mentioned getting phone service in Japan. Where and how do you do this? May i use my own iphone? Thank you so much for any help you may give me. ????????????
Hi Mary,
You don’t need to worry, Japan is very convenient to use your own cell phone. Here are the steps:
1) Is your iPhone 7 plus unlocked? If you purchase it from one of the carriers in the US it’s most likely locked. However, if the iPhone is paid off you can ask them to unlock it.
2) If your iPhone is unlocked, you can get a Japanese sim card and replace it with your local one when you’re in Japan. You will not be able to receive calls made to your local number while you use the Japanese SIM card. For a 1 week trip, 5 GB should be enough.
3) Alternatively, the easiest solution is to get a portable Wifi device, it’s like a wifi router that you carry on you. You can use it with both locked and unlocked cell phones and if your carrier supports Wifi-calling you will also receive calls made to your local number free of charge.
Depending on your data usage, I would recommend at least 700 mbs a day for wifi router. For reasons unknown, the wifi routers use much more data than SIM cards.
4) You can get the SIM card and Wifi router at the airport after you land or from Sakura mobile (https://www.sakuramobile.jp/) which is who we use. Sakura mobile will send the package to your hotel before you arrive. Just drop off at the airport mailbox when you leave to return.
Let us know if you have other questions and have a great trip.
Mr. JOC