Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, and therefore is full of history. It is also one of the spiritual centers of Japan with more than 1000 Shinto and Buddhist temples.
We spent a week in Kyoto and could only scratch the surface of everything the city has to offer. It remains without question one of our favorite places.
In order to present you the city, we have arbitrarily separated the city between north and south.
North of Kyoto
In northern Kyoto, there are several old palaces from the time when the city was the capital. Some of these palaces require you to register for a guided tour in advance (most of which are free).
We were able to visit the imperial palaces of Kyoto Gosho, Sento, Shugakuin and Nijo-jo.
All the palaces also have impressive gardens, which are sublimated in the fall with their red and orange leaves.
The city of Kyoto also stands out for the large number of people wearing the traditional kimono, especially among young people who enjoy taking photos dressed in kimono in temples or palaces.
191/5000In the same spirit, we were able to watch a kimono show at the Nishijin Textile Center, and visit the costume museum (which presents scenes from everyday life in ancient Japan).
Regarding the temples, the Northen Kyoto highlight is undoubtedly the Kinkaku-ji, a temple entirely covered with gold.
To learn more about this part of Kyoto, we invite you to watch the following video: