7 Places to Discover Around Kyoto

Kyoto, we absolutely love it! On each of our trips, we spend a few days there just for the pleasure of taking in its atmosphere... and to try to explore it even more. Because it's a city that would take at least a year to fully explore. And I'm only talking about the city itself! Around Kyoto, there are still many fascinating places to visit. Here are our 7 ideas for places to discover around Kyoto, on a day trip.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, the famous bamboo forest surely will. More than just a forest, it is actually a bamboo grove stretching over 500 meters, located in the northwest of Kyoto. It is one of the iconic places in Kyoto, alongside the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi Inari.

Walking beneath these giant bamboos is exhilarating, and seeing the sunlight filter through the airy leaves is truly magical... but what a crowd! If we go back, we'll go early in the day, to catch the first rays of sun with the minimum number of people around.

Adjacent to the bamboo grove is one of the five major temples in Kyoto: Tenryu-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A very pleasant stroll (admission: 500¥) extends the desire for nature, replacing the tall bamboos with a charming Japanese garden.

On the other side of the beautiful Togetsukyo Bridge from the bamboo grove, Iwatayama is a nature park inhabited by around a hundred macaques. Living mainly on the plateau, you must climb the (small) mountain to earn this encounter!

Access to the mountain is paid (550¥, with a small luggage locker available) and is open from 9 AM to 5 PM. A marked trail leads us to the summit in about twenty minutes. Once at the top, the monkeys walk, climb, play, and groom each other in a freedom that is delightful to see. Used to tourists, they cross the platform without a care for cameras.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this walk! Everyone keeps talking about the bamboo forest, which left me a bit disappointed, but few travelers mention this mountain. Seeing these carefree monkeys, with babies clinging to their mothers... it was truly adorable!

In Practice

District: Arashiyama, Sagano

Must See:

the bamboo grove

the Tenryu-ji Temple

the Togetsukyo Bridge

the Iwata Mountain nicknamed >

But also:

Okochi Sanso, a garden of a star's villa

Daikaku-Ji, a complex of Shingon Buddhist temples

Adashino Nenbutsu-Ji, a Buddhist temple with 8000 statues

Route from Kyoto: JR Sagano line to Saga-Arashiyama station (15 minutes)

Tip: visit the bamboo grove before the opening of Tenryu-ji (8:30 AM) to avoid the crowds.

Good Places: we ate near the Togetsukyo Bridge at Seisyuan restaurant: delicious vegetarian dishes made with local vegetables, and the best mushroom and tofu risotto of our lives!

Detailed article: From the Bamboo Forest to the Monkey Mountain in Kyoto

My favorite among my 5 favorites in Kyoto... which is one of my favorite places in Japan! To say the least, the cream of the crop! I've already talked about it in detail in the article dedicated to it: Fushimi Inari: a journey between two worlds in Kyoto. But I wanted to say a few words about it here. Because even though Fushimi Inari is not located right in the heart of Kyoto, it is truly worth the trip... and getting up very early!

Another iconic postcard from Kyoto and Japan: you have surely all seen these rows of vermilion torii gates. And if the photo makes you want to go, believe me, this Shinto shrine is even more beautiful and magical in person!

During our first stay in Japan, we visited while soft snowflakes fell on Kyoto and covered the Fushimi forest in a fine white coat. Pure magical fairy tale! And we returned during our third trip to Japan, at the end of summer this time, with beautiful rays of sunlight playing hide and seek among the torii, adding a golden hue to the orange gates. So soft, so beautiful!

I've already discussed in detail the symbolism of this place, these torii, and the fox god who watches over visitors with the thousand eyes of his scattered statues across the mountain. Go read all about it, it will only enhance your immersion when you are there!

In Practice

District: Kyoto Fushimi-ku

Route from Kyoto: JR Nara line to Inari station

Visit: free entry, open 24/7

Duration: 2 hours of walking to complete the main loop

Tip: arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds! Each time we were there around 7:30 AM and we greatly appreciated the tranquility of the place.

Detailed article: Fushimi Inari: a journey between two worlds in Kyoto

Also one of my favorites in Kyoto, we visited twice after walking among the orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari. Not well known to foreign visitors, this site was recommended to us by an expatriate living in Kyoto, and we can only thank her! We took one of our favorite photos in Japan there!

Famous for its cherry blossoms and trees glowing red in autumn, we first discovered it in the snow (absolutely magical!). The second time, we were there in late summer, as the leaves just started to turn red. A UNESCO World Heritage site from the 9th century, this site consists of several buildings, temples, gardens, and a museum. Including a 5-story pagoda, the oldest wooden structure in Kyoto.

In Practice

District: Kyoto Fushimi-ku

Route from Kyoto: by metro: Tôzai line to Daigo station then a 10-minute walk (the route is very well marked) or via a bus connecting the station to the site; by bus: Keihan Bus heading to Yamashina, stop at Daigo-ji-mae

Visit: 600¥; from 9 AM to 4 PM (3 PM from December to the end of February)

Related article: Kyoto in 5 favorites

Located 42 kilometers south of Kyoto, Nara generally attracts day visitors. We went there three times. The first time without staying overnight, and the next two times we stayed longer to enjoy the sites and go on a few expeditions in the area.

Nara was once the capital of Japan. This explains why this city is so rich in magnificent buildings, temples, and gardens. But the main tourist attraction is the Nara Park, which spans over 500 hectares... and its deer!

As you enter the park, aside from the deer for a moment, you can't miss the Kofukuji Buddhist complex. It includes several pavilions and a five-story pagoda. But if you visit only one temple in Nara, it should be Todai-ji, with the Daibutsu-den building and its huge Buddha. There are many other temples in Nara, such as Kasuga Taisha, a lantern shrine.

In Practice

Must See:

Nara Park

Todai-ji and Kofukuji Temples

Kasuga Taisha

a garden like Isui-en

Route from Kyoto: JR train Rapid to JR Nara station (44 minutes)

If you wish to extend your visit and spend the night in Nara, find and book your hotel on Booking and Agoda.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago: Mount Koya is one of our beautiful discoveries from our third trip to Japan. From the very first steps, Mount Koya placed itself on our very select list of favorites in Japan!

The walk among the century-old cedars, accompanied by the gentle rustle of the wind through the branches, took me out of time. Next to its cemetery leading to Kukai's mausoleum, Mount Koya is also and above all a high concentration of temples! One of the most iconic temples is Kongobu-ji. Nearby is the Danjo-Garan, a complex that includes the beautifully rounded Konpon Daitô pagoda.

We visited Mount Koya in a day trip from Nara; it is also possible from Kyoto, although most travelers go from Osaka.

In Practice

Must See:

the Okuno-in cemetery and Kudai's mausoleum

a few Koya temples, such as Kongobuji and Danjo-Garan

Route from Kyoto: take the Shinkansen to Osaka to Hashimoto or Nara (JR Nara line), take a JR train to Oji to catch the JR Wakayama line to Hashimoto. Then take a Nankai train to Gokurakubashi (terminus). This is where the funicular will take you to the station from where buses depart to visit Mount Koya. Yes, it's a real expedition!

Tip: you can also choose to stay overnight in a temple on Mount Koya.

Detailed article: A day at Mount Koya, in a fairy tale

Kanazawa, for us, was just a quick stop during our third trip to Japan. A stop between our adventures in the Japanese Alps and our night in the world's oldest hotel (an experience I will tell you about later!) before heading to Kyoto.

But we were quite curious to discover Kanazawa. It's nicknamed the little pearl of Ishikawa, the region it is the capital of. Just that makes you want to learn more! Having little time between train rides, we focused on the most photogenic and touristy area: the Higashi geisha district.

We arrived just before noon, and, to our great disappointment, it was packed with people! Nothing like the pictures we saw online... The reason for the fame of this quaint area with its charming traditional houses. We might return someday to take some time to discover this city and its region, which seems to hold many little gems... starting with its grand station.

In Practice

Must See:

Kanazawa Castle and its park

Kenroku Garden, reputed to be one of the top three beautiful gardens in Japan

Higashi geisha district

Myoryuji, the ninja temple

Route from Kyoto: JR train Limited Express (between 2 and 2.5 hours); note that there is only one or two departures per day.

If you wish to extend your visit and spend the night in Kanazawa, find and book your hotel on Booking and Agoda.

We passed through Hiroshima twice, during our first and our third trips. Each time to head to Miyajima, this island we love so much! Personally, I do not recommend making the day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima (and even less to Miyajima). But I know that some travelers do it... So it's possible, but it must be a very long day for them!

Before talking about this city and its tourist attractions, I just wanted to mention its ambiance. Hiroshima seems to be such a vibrant, positive city! Far removed from the images of disaster that one might envision just upon hearing its name.

Each time, we decided to visit only a tiny part of Hiroshima, namely the Genbaku Dome, miraculously spared from the bomb, the park facing it across the river, and the Peace Memorial.

And by visiting the Hiroshima Tourism Office website, it made me want to discover more of the region, which seems splendid, especially for bike rides.

In Practice

Must See:

the Genbaku Dome

the Peace Memorial Museum

Route from Kyoto: just over 2 hours by Shinkansen (these trains are so fast that you can even travel from Tokyo to Hiroshima in 4 hours, but the most direct and thus fastest trains are generally not included in the JR Pass).

If you wish to extend your visit and spend the night in Hiroshima, find and book your hotel on Booking and Agoda.

Of course, these 7 places are not the only ones to visit in a day from Kyoto. There are dozens of day trip ideas! Here are 10 more ideas that we are keeping aside for our future trips to Kyoto:

And even in Kyoto, it's possible to step outside the classic visits to discover new aspects of this fabulous city... or even to metamorphose! (I'll talk about our geisha and samurai cinema experience in a future article, I promise!)

The Kyoto region cannot be summed up in one word, but in a favorite. And I believe the same is true for its region and surroundings. So many places to visit, and in so many different styles. Temples and shrines, big cities, mountains and wild nature, wildlife to observe, sporty hiking, and hot baths to relax in... In short, there are dozens of places to discover from Kyoto!

I hope to have conveyed my favorites to you and inspired you to stay a little longer in Kyoto to explore the region. If you have other visiting tips in the area, feel free to share them in the comments!

As for where to stay in Kyoto, I suggest you look based on your desires and needs on Booking and Agoda using the various filters and sorting methods to find your perfect accommodation.

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