Kyoto was the capital of Japan for more than a thousand years and throughout these centuries, was home to amazing works of arts, culture, religion and ideas.
The city is 1 hour and 15 minutes from Kansai International Airport near Osaka.
In this amazing place, you will find temples that vibrate with the rumor of prayers, traditional tea houses, fabulous Zen gardens and paths guarded by cherry blossoms.
A visit to Kyoto is the realization of the dream of knowing Japan for many tourists.
Here, you can visit ancient oriental wooden buildings, walk through a forest of giant bamboo canes and meet the famous geishas, experts in the art of entertainment.
The city will also offer you the opportunity to enjoy one of the best vacations of your life by discovering the most traditional and refined Japanese gastronomy, with endless combination of flavors in their tofu prepared by true artisans that you will find in the Nishiki market.
Kyoto is the only large Japanese city that was not bombed during World War II, so it preserves its impressive monumental heritage intact.
This historical legacy, combined with the incredible natural landscapes that frame it, make it the ideal destination for a perfect vacation.
When thinking about accommodation, you can choose between traditional ryokan or modern hotels.
At lunchtime, you can do it in restaurants or in ramen houses that the locals visit daily. Â And when you want to organize your tour of the city, you can choose personalized tours or visit the temples and monuments at your own pace.
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There are many ways to enjoy Kyoto, but what really will charm you and you will never forget are the following places:
Akihabara
This place is, more than a commercial district, a paradise for technology, manga and anime (otaku) lovers.
This is one of the most visited places and it is unique in the world for the number of specialized stores gathered in one place and the variety of products they offer.
Along Chuo Dori Street there are more than 250 shops selling electronic products, manga and anime.
It is undoubtedly one of the best things to see and do in Tokyo.
Hama Rikyu Garden
It is the largest traditional garden in Tokyo and one of the most beautiful.
Its fantastic landscape invites rest and meditation and makes us forget that it is surrounded by huge skyscrapers.
It is divided into two main sectors: the southern sector where the feudal lords lived between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, and the sector built after the Meiji period.
Here you can visit the Shio-iri-no Niwa pond, the peony garden with more than 60 varieties and a pine that is more than 300 years old.
A 118 meter long wooden bridge, the O-tutsai-bashii, and in the tea house on the island we can taste the typical Japanese sweets that accompany the tea.
Sensoji
This is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple and one of the best things to see and do in the city.
It is located in the Asakusa neighborhood.
To get to the temple you go through the “gate of thunder”, guarded by Fujin, god of wind, and Rajin, god of thunder.
Passing through the door there is a wood carving of a dragon and statues of two dragon gods that guard the temple: Tenryu and Kinryu.
There are also several shops where you can buy omamori amulets, fortune paper, called omijuki, and incense sticks to burn.
National Museum of Tokyo
This museum from 1872 is the oldest and largest in the country and it is one of the best places to visit in Tokyo.
The museum complex consists of six different buildings, each specializing in one type of art.
All the buildings are within Ueno Park and house an immense collection of artistic and archaeological objects, many belonging to the Japanese National Treasure.
You will be able to see Japanese art works from the 19th century, archaeological objects, Paleolithic tools, Buddha statues, masks and much more.
Also, if you are an art lover, it is the ideal place to observe paintings, sculptures and objects.
Shibuya Neighborhood
One of the main commercial places of Tokyo, where you will find fun, fashion, discotheques, restaurants and great shops, it is the district of the statue of Hachiko and Yoyogi Park.
The place is surrounded by streets and shopping malls, Center Gai is the street preferred by young people because there are discotheques, many famous brand stores, fast food restaurants, cafes, izakaya, a Japanese pub, and local pachinko which is a game similar to pinball, very traditional in Japan.
Meiji Sanctuary
The Meiji Shrine Sanctuary is dedicated to the deified spirits of the Meiji Tenno Emperor and Empress Shoken, his wife.
The entrance to this amazing place is through a huge torii, one of the largest in Japan, built with the wood of a cypress more than 1500 years old.
The complex is divided into two sectors: Naien, where the main buildings and gardens are located, and Gaien, the outer sector.
Kyoto has many and more amazing places to discover, if you have decided to spend your vacation in this beautiful place, we assure you that you will not regret, for something is one of the best tourist destinations you can find in Japan.
If you are planning to travel to Kyoto, use the map to locate the hotel that you like the most and enjoy a great vacation now!
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