Kyoto

Talk about eye candy: the gold-plated main hall of this immensely popular temple in northwest Kyoto is probably the most impressive sight in the entire city. The hall rises above its reflecting pond like an apparition and if you're lucky enough to be here on a bright sunny day, you almost need sunglasses to look at it. The surrounding gardens and cosy teahouse Sekka-tei are also worth a visit here. Go early on a weekday morning to avoid the crush of people that descend on the temple each day.

This sprawling Shintō shrine is arguably one of Japan’s most arresting visual spectacles. Thousands of vermilion torii (entrance gate to a Shintō shrine) line paths that criss-cross this mountain in southeast Kyoto. Visit the main hall and then head up the hill towards the summit. Be prepared to be utterly mesmerised. If you have time, do the circular pilgrimage route around the top of the mountain. And don’t be afraid to get lost – that’s part of the fun at Fushimi.

Gion, Kyoto’s traditional entertainment district, is the best place in the city to catch a glimpse of ‘old Japan’. With no fewer than three geisha districts scattered about, you stand a good chance of spotting a geisha (known as geiko in Kyoto) scurrying to an appointment. But geisha are only part of the story here: Gion also contains some of the most picturesque lanes in Kyoto, including Shimbashi.

A paradise tucked at the base of the Higashiyama mountains, Kyoto’s famed Silver Pavilion is everything a Buddhist temple ought to be. The eponymous pavilion looks over a tranquil pond, and the stroll garden is sublime. Make your way past the unique sand mounds (used to reflect moonlight into the main hall for moon-viewing ceremonies), then climb the pathway to a lookout that offers panoramic views over the entire city. The autumn foliage here is among the best in the city.

Called by some ‘the Vatican of Pure Land Buddhism’, this temple complex is a thriving hub of religious activity. The 24m-high San-mon gate is one of the largest wooden tower gates in Japan. The main hall is an imposing and impressive building, though it's closed to the public until 2020. Wander the gardens visiting the collection of temple buildings here and allow yourself to be transported to blissful realms by the chanting of the monks. Then head up the hill to admire the enormous 70-tonne temple bell.

In a city blessed with excellent dining options, one not to be missed is the refined and elegant experience of kaiseki cuisine. Kaiseki consists of a number of small courses, largely vegetarian, served on exquisite dinnerware where the preparation and service is as outstanding as the food itself. Diners are usually served in private rooms at speciality restaurants, such as the highly regarded Kikunoi, and many ryokan serve kaiseki for guests. Prices can be steep when it comes to this Japanese haute cuisine but it’s guaranteed to be a meal of a lifetime.

Carefully raked gravel representing rippling water, stylised arrangements of rocks, pruned trees, lush moss and dripping water – just one of these Zen garden features would be enough to have you feeling calm and contemplative, but here you have a mini world of them. Daitoku-ji is a complex of wandering lanes and subtemples with some of the most beautiful kare-sansui (dry landscape) gardens hidden inside their gates. It serves as the Rinzai Daitoku-ji school of Zen Buddhism headquarters and you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere quite so meditative and atmospheric.

While tourists descend on the nearby Bamboo Grove like paparazzi snapping photos of a big-wig celebrity, Arashiyama's Ōkōchi Sansō sits out of the limelight like a star waiting to be discovered. This charming estate is the former home of the famous samurai film actor from the 1920s, Ōkōchi Denjirō. The sprawling gardens here invite lazy wandering and there are fine views from the top of the hill. Take a break in the traditional teahouse with matcha (green powdered tea) and a sweet, and relish your escape from the crowds.

Nishiki Market positively oozes old Japan atmosphere and you can imagine what it was like here before someone decided to attach the word ‘super’ to the word ‘market’. Get off the temple trail and head here to discover some of the best and bizarre ingredients that go into Kyoto cuisine. Wander past stalls hawking slimy, shiny, slithering and spicy goods and try your best to work out what it is you're looking at. You can also grab a street-food snack or shop for high-end kitchenware and knives at Aritsugu.

You could lose yourself for days among Downtown Kyoto's boutique-filled backstreets – a beacon for shopaholics – before asking, 'Temples? What temples?'. Hours can be whiled away just in the bentō box or stationery section of department stores before seeking out the kimono display or trying on the latest fashion. Once you discover the many traditional artisanal stores dotted around selling everything from centuries-old lacquerware to bright wagasa (waxed-paper umbrellas), you'll be hunting down the luggage shops for something to take it all home in.