ART, CULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE
Gion Odori (Geisha Dance)
Gion Kaikan Theatre, Gion, Higashiyama-ku
Shows at 1.30pm & 4pm
¥ 3500/4000 admission/admission with tea
Nijo-jo (Castle)
541 Nijojo-cho, Nijo-dori, Horikawa Nishi iru
8.45am – 5pm
¥600
(Tozai line to Nijo-jo-mae)
Kyoto International Manga Museum
(Downtown Kyoto)
Karasuma-dori, Oike agaru
10am – 6pm, closed Wednesday
(Karasuma or Tozai lines to Karasyma-Oike)
www.kyotomm.com/english
NEIGHBOURHOODS
Gion
(Southern Higashiyama)
Higashiyama-ku
(Keizhan line to Gion-Shijo Station, Tozai line to Sanjo-Keihan)
Ponto-cho
(Downtown Kyoto)
Ponto-cho, Nakagyo-ku
(Keihan line to Sanjo, Hankyu line to Kawaramachi)
Traditional nightlife district and on of Kyotos five geisha districts. Best visited in the evening, combined with a nearby walk in Gion.
Nishijin
(Downtown Kyoto)
Nishijin
(Kyoto City Bus 9 to the Horikawa-Imadegawa stop)
Home of Kyoto’s textile industry, source of the fantastically ornate kimonos and obi.
PARKS
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Ogurayama, Saga, Ukyo-ku
6am – 6pm Free
(Hankyu line to Arashiyama)
Famed bamboo grove, stroll through to Okochi Snso Villa.
Kyoto Imperial Palace Park
(Central Kyoto)
Kyoto Gyoen, Nakagyo-ku
6am-6pm Free
(Karasuma line to Marutamachi or Imadegwa)
Maruyama-koen
(Southern Higashiyama)
Maruyama-cho, Higashiyama-ku
(Tozai line to Higashiyama –walk south for about 10 minutes. From Kyoto Station take bus 206 and get off at Gion stop. )
SHRINES
Fushimi Inari-taisha
(Southeast Kyoto)
Yabunouchi-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku
6am – 6pm FREE
(JR Nara line to Inari)
The mountain is lined with thousands of red tori.
TEMPLES
Daitoku-ji
53 Daitokuji-cho, Murasakino
6am – 6pm FREE
(Karasuma line to Kitaoji)
Collection of Zen temples, raked gravel gardens and wandering lanes.
Higashi Hongan-ji
(Kyoto Station area)
Karasuma-dori, Shichijo agaru
5.50am-5.30pm
FREE
(JR Tokaido main line, Jr Tokaido shinkansen line, Sanyo Shinkansen line, Kinetsu Kyoto Line)
Kinkaku-Ji
(Northwest Kyoto)
1 Kinkaku-ji-cho, Kita-ku
9am – 5pm
¥ 400 admission
(Kyoto City Bus 205 from Kyoto Station to the Kinkakuji-michi stop or Kyoto City bus 59 from Sanjo-Keihan to the Kinkakuji-mae stop.)
Nanzen-ji
Fukuchi-cho, Nanzen-ji, Sakyo-ku
8.40am – 5pm
¥ 500 garden entry
¥300 – 400 Grounds fee
(Tozai line to Keage, Kyoto City Bus 5 or the Eikando-Michi stop)
One of the finest temples in Kyoto with expansive grounds and subtemples.
Nishi Hongan-ji
(Kyoto Station Area)
Horikawa-dori, Hanaya-cho sagaru
5.30am-5.30pm Free
(JR Tokaido main line, JR Tokaido shinkansen line, Sanyo shinkansen line, Kitetsu Kyoto Line)
To-ji
(Kyoto Station Area)
Kujo-cho
¥ 500 – admission to grounds
¥ 800 Pagoda
8.30am - 5.30pm
(JR Tokaido main line, JT Tokaido sinkansen line, Sanyo shinkansen line, Kinetsu Kyoto line)
Tofuku-ji
15-778 Honmahi, Higashiyama-ku
9am – 4
(JR Nara line to Tofukuji)
¥ 400 admission to garden
¥ 400 Grounds fee