What I'd Do with 2 Days in Kyoto

So much of taking in this unassuming city is letting yourself stop and notice things in the in-between. Kyoto does not seem to seek to wow and amaze; it is simply being, and you are invited to join. The city is often sleepy; nights in downtown tend to wrap up by 9pm, but this introverted older sibling of Tokyo is a joy to discover, slowly.

Rather than a checklist of things to tick off, let this serve as a general guide of areas to be in, and allow the place to befall you. You could use this guide and have a completely different experience from us, because there is hidden history in every corner, and you could visit the same neighborhood and discover completely different shrines and gardens from the ones that we saw.

 Grounds of Ginkaku-ji

That said, this is what Udai and I would do for two full but not-too-full days in Kyoto.

Day 1

• Ginkaku-jicho shrine

• Walk down Philosopher’s Path

• Lunch at Cafe Ren Ginkakuji

• Dinner at Vegan Ramen UZU

Day 2

• Tenryu-ji temple

• Wander Arashiyama for lunch

• Visit Higashiyama Ward

• Dinner & drinks along the Kamo River

Restaurants along the Takase River

Day 1

• Ginkaku-jicho shrine: This “silver pavilion” is nestled among breathtaking green grounds, and lies along the Philosopher’s Path, one of the most scenic walking streets in Kyoto and one of the 100 most famous streets in Japan. I’d recommend starting your morning at the shrine (as it gets crowded after 11ish), then meander through the cute and small tourist street it’s on, and walk down Philosopher’s Path for a bit.

Grounds of Ginkaku-ji, continued

• Grab a vegan lunch at Cafe Ren Ginkakuji, not a well-known spot or anything but a 15-minute walk from Ginkakuji and a bit of a hidden gem for vegan takes on classic Asian meals.

• Wander Shijo-dori: Because of where we were staying, we ended up passing this main street a number of times. It’s a regular shopping street with a mix of international brands and local souvenirs/food, and has a really charming lit-up awning that makes it look retro and inviting. We shopped for souvenirs here and wish we had more time to wander around it!

• Dinner at Vegan Ramen UZU. Be sure to make a booking!! They have one 16-person seating per night, so this should be planned ahead. Inventive food in a quirky space. MUST get the vegan chocolate ice cream for dessert.

Day 2

• Arashiyama: Do a half-day trip to this part of Kyoto that’s in the outskirts, along the Katsura River that winds along western Kyoto. Walk through the famous bamboo grove and spend some time at Tenryu-ji temple, a World Heritage Site with a serene garden that’s been landscaped the same way since the 1400s.

Garden of the Tenryu-ji Temple

• Spend lunch trying the various snacks available along the central street of Arashiyama, or grab something to go and eat it along the Katsura River!

• Head back to the city, and explore Higashiyama Ward: this neighborhood preserves the look and feel of feudal-era Japan, and its winding streets have Hōkan-ji Temple smiling over them. It’s a large area so if you’re looking for a good landmark to put into Uber, navigating to Ninenzaka should get you right to the part we liked.

• Walk 15 minutes up to Kiyomizu-dera from here if you have the time!

• Grab dinner by the Kamo River. We don’t have a strong rec but grabbed good veggie Thai food here a few times, and they have outdoor seating options. Anything along the river should have a great vibe!

Path along the Takase River, just parallel to the Kamo

• After dinner, try a Kyoto cocktail! Japanese cocktail-making is famous, and we had an intimate, personalized experience at Bar Indigo. You could put a nightcap on your Kyoto experience at other lovely places in Pontocho Alley and along the Takase River (small “stream” that runs parallel to the Kamo) as well.

Bar Indigo, Gion District

Lodging:

We didn't love either of the places we stayed so wouldn't have specific recs, but we really appreciated the areas they were in. Both were within 5 blocks of the Kamo River (on the west side) which was convenient, especially for strolling the area in the evenings.

Here are some other places we heard were worth seeing, but ran out of time for:

• Kiyomizu-dera: repeatedly heard that this was many people’s #1 sight in Kyoto, but we were unable to do it because of a health thing that day. Very close to the touristy part of Higashiyama.

• Kinkaku-ji shrine: literally the grandfather of Ginkaku-ji, our favorite spot. 

• Onsens! Did not have the bandwidth to research a good public bath, but would definitely explore on a longer trip.

Here are a few other places we saw, worth visiting if you have more time:

• Fushimi-Inari Yotsuji: medium strenuous walk through 10,000 bright orange Torii gates, to a shrine on the peak that unfortunately doesn’t have a view overlooking the city. Would recommend seeing the shrines at the base after dark, as they’re quite stunning then. Climbing to the top took a lot of energy when we felt like we got the picture from the bottom!

Fushimi Inari shrine, at dusk and from the base

• ShinPuhKan shopping mall: we went to an event here and found the ultra-modern, half-indoor, half-outdoor Japanese design pretty cool. Beams is good for quirky (but a bit pricey) souvenirs, and the other spots are good for window shopping.

🌸  Kyoto was a serene delight to the senses, and we're looking forward to being back. You can read about our trip as whole here, including a narrative of our 24 hours in Tokyo here. For more details on our time in Arashiyama and at Fushimi-Inari, click here. Happy travels!