Kyoto Travel Stories

Feb 7, 2022 • 7 min read

It's easy to visit Kyoto on a budget. From stunning temples to incredible landscapes, here are the best free things to do in Kyoto.

Feb 2, 2022 • 6 min read

From cheap travel to affordable food and accommodations, discover our top tips for exploring Kyoto on a budget.

Jan 19, 2022 • 7 min read

Kyoto presents a new face with each changing season. From cherry blossom viewing to the parades of Gion Matsuri, here are the best times to visit Kyoto.

Jan 5, 2022 • 9 min read

Stunning Kyoto Prefecture, with its spectacular mountain ranges, is crisscrossed by hiking routes. Here are seven of our favorite hikes around Kyoto.

Dec 23, 2021 • 7 min read

If you’re looking to explore Kyoto, check out these five diverse neighborhoods in Japan’s most historic major city.

Dec 20, 2021 • 6 min read

From fascinating displays of traditional local crafts to stunning exhibitions of modern art, here are seven of the best museums in Kyoto.

Dec 16, 2021 • 6 min read

From planning your trip to local etiquette, here are the most important things to know before going to Kyoto.

Nov 26, 2021 • 6 min read

From open grassy spaces to beautifully landscaped strolling gardens, discover 10 of the best parks in Kyoto.

Jul 16, 2021 • 9 min read

Kyoto is old Japan writ large: atmospheric temples, sublime gardens and traditional teahouses.

Feb 17, 2021 • 8 min read

No places better represent the gamut of Japanese culture than Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and there's no better way to visit them than via Shinkansen

Mar 12, 2020 • 5 min read

From elegant kaiseki cuisine to imaginative tofu dishes, here’s our foodie guide to the best restaurants in Kyoto.

Mar 4, 2020 • 6 min read

In the past 10 years, Japan has seen a new generation of craft beer breweries spread across the country – and Kyoto has some of the best ji-biru in Nippon.

Jan 6, 2020 • 4 min read

Uji is renowned for producing some of the world's best green tea. We explore tea culture in Uji and what attractions this Japanese city has to offer.

Oct 21, 2019 • 4 min read

From avant-garde cuisine in Shanghai to dining underwater in the Maldives, here are seven of the most expensive restaurants in the world.

Jul 27, 2019 • 4 min read

Looking for a memorable place to celebrate a momentous occasion or just want to splurge on an over-the-top vacation? These presidential suites are lavish…

Jun 21, 2019 • 5 min read

Summer in much of Japan is hot and can be unrelentingly humid, but it’s also the season for top festivals, mass folk dancing, mountain hikes, and enjoying…

Apr 3, 2019 • 5 min read

You could cover a lot of ground on a trip to Japan, or very little, and still get to experience the best of what the country has to offer. Centrally…

Jun 15, 2017 • 7 min read

Manga comics, blazing neon, speeding trains, supersized pedestrian crossings – Japan might not immediately inspire a vision of traditional romance, but…

Nov 10, 2014 • 4 min read

Each of Kyoto’s Buddhist temples is a world of its own. Some are bustling places, thronged with pilgrims from all over the world. Others are lonely and…

May 8, 2012 • 3 min read

Kiyamachi, Kyoto's biggest nightlife strip, is a one kilometre stretch running parallel to the central Kamo River between two main boulevards, Sanjō and…

Mar 6, 2012 • 4 min read

In a city known for tea and temples, Kyoto is also home to a surprisingly vibrant coffee scene.

Mar 6, 2012 • 3 min read

With Zen gardens, bamboo groves, Buddhist temples and geisha shuffling along cobbled laneways, Kyoto seems to be lifted straight from the scenes of an…