With such a limited time in any given destination, it can be difficult to decide on an itinerary. Usually, I attempt to build an itinerary from scratch, but sometimes it’s easiest to leave it up to the blogosphere. I decided to follow Find Us Lost‘s itinerary from the original blog post: 24 Hours in Kyoto. I am an avid follower of Find Us Lost, and found this itinerary fit my needs perfectly. While I must admit transportation around Kyoto took a bit longer than anticipated, I was still able to fit the highlights in. Continue reading to see my photo diary of Kyoto.
Since Selena, the face behind Find Us Lost, already published a wonderful blog post with a lot of the same logistical information, I urge you to check out that post first. This post is simply an excuse for me to share my photos from Kyoto with you. And add a few tidbits of new information about each location on the list, for anyone planning to follow the same itinerary. As always, all photos were taking by yours truly.
Of course there a few ‘no brainers’ during your first visit to Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Matsubara Dori, and Arashiyama. That being said, I was especially grateful for the restaurant recommendations in her itinerary, which you’ll find below.
Fushimi Inari Taisha
My arrival into Kyoto consisted in the form of an overnight bus via Tokyo. That meant I arrived at Kyoto station around 5:30 AM. My {what I thought would be} simple plan included renting a locker, quickly getting ready in the station bathroom, and then making my way to the shrine. Unfortunately I had some initial issues with my locker, which slowed me down. Even so, I arrived to Fushimi Inari around 7:00 AM and mostly had the place to myself.
Of course there were other eager tourists hoping to get the perfect shot, but it was not crowded by any means. I agree with Selena; this is a great first stop while in Kyoto. There are certain instances in which crowds can energize a destination, Fushimi Inari is not one of them. You’ll want to feel at peace as you walk through the red torii {gates}. It was raining pretty hard when I visited, so I didn’t complete the entire hike around the property. That being said, it’s easy to spend a couple hours at Fushimi Inari.
Coffee at Vermilion
Unbeknownst to me, there are actually two Vermilion cafes. Therefore, be careful when searching for it on Google Maps. They are sister cafes, both owned and operated by Australians – oh how I’ve missed that accent. While Vermilion {the smaller cafe} is quaint and sufficient, their sister restaurant/cafe, is a little further up the road. They offer a variety of brunch options and more seating. If you’re after a cuppa, {the smaller} Vermilion cafe will suffice. Otherwise, walk a bit more to curb any breakfast cravings you may have.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple + Matsubara Dori
After taking the train, and walking a fair amount, I reached my next destination: Kiyomizu-dera Temple. A UNESCO Heritage site, Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a beautiful temple overlooking much of Kyoto. At Kiyomizu-dera you’ll find a number of colorful structures and a main hall that hosts the primary object of worship. To the side of the main hall, you’ll find Jishu Shrine.
At the end of the main building is a great opportunity for lonely souls in search of true love. The Jishu shrine has two stones separated by eighteen meters. It is said that if a person manages to travel the distance with his/her eyes closed, the chances of finding your soulmate are greatly increased. If successful, but guided by the voice of a third person, you will need an intermediary to find this soulmate. Many young people often try desperately to complete this task! – Japan Experience
I didn’t even notice the Jishu Shrine, which pretty much sums up my love life as of late. That being said, I also incorrectly tossed like, 27 coins in the Trevi Fountain when, traditionally, you are only supposed to throw one to three. One to ensure you return to Rome, two to ensure romance, and three to ensure marriage. But 27 to ensure you get the best Insta-worthy shot.
Following a visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, it’s only fitting that you include a wander around Matsubara Dori. This traditional shopping street is crooked, crammed, and charming.
Lunch at CHOJIRO Shijo Kiyamachi
From Matsubara Dori, I walked to my lunch destination. Of course, I followed the recommendation from Find Us Lost and settled myself in at CHOJIRO, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. In its entirety, the walk from Matsubara Dori took me about 25 minutes.
Coming from America, the idea of conveyor belt sushi seems low brow. However, in Japan, the quality is just as good, if not better than that of a traditional restaurant. In this day and age, you can order your entire meal via an individual iPad at your seat. Just press send and eventually fresh sushi will appear in front of you. Ah, technology. My meal was indeed fresh and tasty. It’s true what they say folks, the sushi is simply better in Japan.
Gion District
After lunch, I spent just over an hour wandering through the Gion district. This area of Kyoto truly made me feel like I was transported in time. I listened to ‘Lost in Japan’ by Shawn Mendes, and then indeed got lost within the narrow streets of Japan.
If you’re determined to spot a geisha in Japan, you’ll specifically want to meander along Hanami Koji Street {another tip from Selena!}. That being said, I truly enjoyed this portion of my day most, regardless of which street I ended up on. As I licked my dark green ice cream, I felt as though I could continue exploring just the Gion district all afternoon.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d have time to make it to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. But then I figured, you’re only in Kyoto once {#YOKO}, better try. Knowing I had a 6:00 PM train to catch, I made sure to arrive at the bamboo forest around 4:00 PM. To be honest, it wasn’t as grand as I assumed it would be. Of course it was stunning, but the actual walkway through the forest was quite short. It didn’t take longer than a couple minutes to walk from one end to the other. Even so, I was impressed by the tall bamboo trees towering over the hundreds of tourists.
Obviously, I didn’t arrive at the crack of dawn, but still managed to get a picture without hoards of tourists in it. I blame it on my tripod. That thing will scare away crowds at a time – top tip!
Again, I must shout out Find Us Lost for providing me with such a great one day itinerary. While I didn’t get to everything on the list, I was happy with the places I did get to witness. Overall, I think the entire itinerary is doable if you are willing to hustle. If you haven’t already, check out my Kyoto and Osaka vlog!
