Travel Stories

• activities

7 min read • Feb 7, 2022

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.

• budget travel

• connections

6 min read • Feb 2, 2022

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

• festivals and events

• art and culture

7 min read • Jan 19, 2022

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.

• hiking

• activities

9 min read • Jan 5, 2022

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

• neighborhoods

• destination practicalities

7 min read • Dec 23, 2021

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

• art and culture

• architecture

6 min read • Dec 20, 2021

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

• destination practicalities

• tips and advice

6 min read • Dec 16, 2021

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

• activities

6 min read • Nov 26, 2021

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

• architecture

• art and culture

9 min read • Jul 16, 2021

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

• food

• food and drink

8 min read • Feb 17, 2021

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

• food

• food and drink

5 min read • Mar 12, 2020

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

• beer

• food and drink

6 min read • Mar 4, 2020

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.

• history

• art and culture

4 min read • Jan 6, 2020

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.

• history

• art and culture

4 min read • Oct 21, 2019

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

• luxury

• connections

4 min read • Jul 27, 2019

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…

• food

• food and drink

5 min read • Jun 21, 2019

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…

• food

• food and drink

5 min read • Apr 3, 2019

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…

• food

• food and drink

7 min read • Jun 15, 2017

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

• festivals and events

• art and culture

4 min read • Nov 10, 2014

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…

• food

• food and drink

3 min read • May 8, 2012

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

• food

• food and drink

4 min read • Mar 6, 2012

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

• wildlife and nature

• activities

3 min read • Mar 6, 2012

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