While Tokyo, Japan, was our main reason for traveling to the country, Kyoto was also at the top of the list to visit. Kyoto is a city that effortlessly blends ancient traditions with modern marvels. Nestled in the heart of Japan, Kyoto offers a captivating journey through time, where centuries-old temples and tranquil gardens coexist harmoniously with bustling streets and vibrant city life. While we only spent two days in the city, we got a taste of what it offers and are begging for more.
In just two days, we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich cultural heritage, savor delectable cuisine, and explore the breathtaking sights that make Kyoto a must-visit destination for travelers worldwide. Join us below on our journey through Kyoto, Japan!
First, we would like to let you know that Kyoto has a lot of temples, and you can become tired of them rather quickly if you do not pace yourself with them. Many people will Google must-see temples in Kyoto and build a list. We did that and became overwhelmed and tired from trying to get to them all. Kyoto is much like a fine Whiskey: slow down, sip, and savor all it has to offer. You will need more than two days if you want to dig in, but with our timetable two days was it.
Traversing Kyoto is easy and hard, which may sound contradictory, but I will try to explain that through this post. While in Kyoto, we wanted to visit multiple shrines and temples. We built out a feasible list but underestimated the length of some of the trips. For instance, the number one temple on all Kyoto lists is the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji).
This temple is far from the central train station, which is named Kyoto Station. It took us a good 50 min bus ride to get to it. I will tell you this about the Golden Pavilion. It is pretty, with an excellent path through its garden, but the effort and payoff do not match. Luckily there are two other temples in the area, Ginkakuji (Jisho-Ji) and Ninnaji. I wish I could tell you we visited the two near Golden Pavilion, but a migraine headache had other ideas for me this day.
This forced our hand to stop and rest and grab safe comfort food at McDonalds. We have no shame in eating at McDonalds, so don’t hate, besides where else can you get a Teritama burger! That’s right for Sakura season, McDonalds brought out the big guns, egg and a pork patty, slathered in a ginger, apple and garlic-flavored teriyaki sauce, add some cheese to it and boom! Instant migraine relief, and yeah maybe I took Excedrin, too.
On the mend we decided way across Kyoto to one of the more famous shrines, Fushimi Inari which is open 24 hours and lit, however it comes with a huge hike if you want to go to the top of it. Bring lots of water, or yen to purchase water from the vending machines. This shrine is amazing looking and I would say this should be the number one thing you should visit in Kyoto. It is not necessary to hike to the top to appreciate it either. Below you will find many photos from this shrine, enjoy!
Day Two in Kyoto Japan
Still dealing with the aftermath of the migraine the day before, we opted to sleep in and changed our target from shrines to the famous bamboo forest, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Also in the area is the Kimono forest. Taking a train from Kyoto station to Arashiyama and walking around this area is a treat.
Kyoto offers you the opportunity to get lost in its streets. We suggest you do it all while keeping a mental compass on where the train stations and bus stops are. Traversing the city is easy, but it is a sprawling city, too, with places to see all over it.
We spent so much time wandering in this area that we blew off the rest of our agenda, did I mention you should spend more than two days in Kyoto, because you absolutely should. We decided to do the most tourist thing we could find and it came in the form of Ramen that gets lit on fire. Trust me, Google ramen places in Kyoto, and Menbaka will show up.
Not having a plan for dinner, this became it. A long bus ride on the 204 line led us to Menbaka where we found a line of 7 people, which isn’t horrible for places in Japan. Waiting in line for food in Japan is common, do not, repeat, do not get in line very hungry or it will not turn out well, and a country with so many snack stops you shouldn’t be starving anyways.
From where we were in line, we could not see the ramen show going on inside the restaurant except for the fire when it would go off in the form of a glow on the walls. Finally about 20 minutes later we were all let in for the next cooking. This place is small consisting of the kitchen in the middle and roughly 20-30 seats around it.
They cook the ramen in shifts so that everyone is seated and ready for the fire. The person in charge has a Boss label on his shirt, and was a pleasure to watch work. You can easily tell when someone is passionate about what they do, and the boss has that passion, or in this case I should say fire. We ordered two dishes of ramen, and I opted for the biggest item they sell so I could get the “cool badge”.
Eating good food, and being entertained has us recommending this place if you are in the area. Check out our video of the fire below as well as a picture with the boss!
Final Thoughts and Conclusions on Kyoto Japan
With some bumps in the road, we accomplished some of what we set out to do in Kyoto. Refrain from underestimating how much time you need in Kyoto. You could easily spend two weeks taking in the rich Japanese culture in this city. We hope you gained some insight into Kyoto and put it on your list of places to visit in Japan. Let us know your thoughts! Enjoy some pictures on the way out!
