Photo: Hisagi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kyoto Travel Guide

About Kyoto

Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years. Emperor Kanmu chose it as the new imperial seat in 794, founding Heian-kyo on a Chinese-style grid, and the emperors ruled from here until the capital moved to Tokyo in 1869. The modern municipality was established in 1889, and today the city has about 1.46 million residents, making it Japan's ninth-most populous city.

Because Kyoto was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II, its prewar heritage largely survives — including 17 locations that form the 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto' UNESCO World Heritage listing. Kinkaku-ji's pavilion, its top two floors coated in gold leaf, is the most famous of them; Fushimi Inari's trails climb 233-meter Mount Inari through seemingly endless vermilion torii gates.

The city's food culture runs just as deep: kaiseki, the multi-course dinner rooted in the tea ceremony, and yudofu, tofu gently warmed in kombu dashi, a specialty of the Nanzen-ji area with roots in temple shojin cuisine. Kansai International Airport is about 81 km southwest of the city, Osaka's Itami Airport about 39 km away, and the Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Tokyo in about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Population: 1.46 million (2020).

Interesting facts about Kyoto

Imperial capital

Chosen as Japan's imperial seat by Emperor Kanmu in 794, Kyoto remained the capital until 1869 — over a millennium.

Population

The city had 1.46 million residents in 2020, making it Japan's ninth-most populous city.

UNESCO listing

17 locations in and around the city form the 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto' UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Spared in WWII

Kyoto was spared from large-scale destruction in World War II, so its prewar cultural heritage largely survives.

Main attractions in Kyoto

Kinkaku-ji

Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kinkakuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8361

The Zen temple officially named Rokuon-ji, nicknamed for its pavilion whose top two floors are coated in gold leaf; a World Heritage Site and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

Category: Temple

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0882

The head shrine of Inari, formally founded in 711, with trails up Mount Inari spanning about 4 km — roughly a 2-hour walk to the summit and back.

Category: Shrine

Kiyomizu-dera

Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shimizu 1-chome, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862

A Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto that predates the city's 794 founding, one of Japan's leading temples dedicated to Kannon.

Category: Temple

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chikurin-no-michi, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

A walking path through towering bamboo in the Arashiyama district of western Kyoto.

Category: Nature

What to eat in Kyoto

Getting to Kyoto

• By air: Kansai International Airport (KIX) is about 81 km southwest of the city; Osaka's Itami Airport (ITM) is closer, about 39 km away, with frequent domestic connections.
• By train: The Tokaido Shinkansen runs from Kyoto Station to Tokyo in about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Getting around Kyoto

City buses and two subway lines (Karasuma and Tozai) cover the main sights. The central districts are flat, so renting a bicycle is a popular way to get between temples.

Travel tips for Kyoto

• Fushimi Inari's full 4-km mountain trail takes about 2 hours — start early to walk it in the quiet.
• Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama pair well as a half-day in the city's north and west.
• Kyoto's buses get crowded in peak seasons; the subway is often faster for cross-town trips.

Nearby cities

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