The beautiful city of Kyoto was once Japan’s capital city and whilst it may no longer be the capital city it is still one of the country’s most important and most visited cities. Kyoto is packed full of history, temples and shrines which makes it a popular place for domestic and foreign tourists alike in search of a step back in time. Charming traditional streets wind their way around the Higashiyama area of Kyoto making picture perfect photos whilst the bright pops of colour at the Shinto & Buddhist temples lift the mood of any Insta post. Take a morning trip to nearby Nara where there are plenty of more lovely scenes to see and to photograph. I’ve linked all of the Google Map locations so make sure to save this post for your trip to Kyoto 🏮
Top Tip – Booking Activities & Tours
My favourite app for booking tours, adventures and plenty of fun is Get Your Guide. There are so many epic memories that you can choose to make from food tours to entry tickets, laidback wine tasting to adrenaline filled adventures. Make sure you use my discount code CATTHOMSON5 for 5% off your first booking when you download the app as a new user 👇
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1. Fushimi Inari Taisha
One of the most well known shrines in all of Japan is Fushimi Inari Taisha which is thanks to it’s absolutely gorgeous series of torii gates that lead all the way from the shrines at the bottom of the hill (which you’ll find outside Inari Station) all the way up to the summit of Mt. Inari. Even when we arrived at 7.30 am this spot was already super busy but because the thousands of crimson torii gates stretch on and on up the hill, you’ll be able to find yourself a quieter spot. The higher you go, the less people there are that have continued on hiking up the steps!
📍 Google Maps location (Senbon Torii)
Top Tip – Data Roaming
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2. Kinkaku-ji
Kinkaku-ji is also known as the Golden Pavilion and is a Zen Buddhist temple which is located in the north west of Kyoto. It’s a dazzling structure and the top two tiers are coated in gold leaf. The Pavilion is set in a tranquil (well I imagine it’s tranquil when there aren’t hundreds of tourists passing through!) garden. The natural hues of green from the trees contrast starkly with the golden gleam of the temple which makes a photo that really stands out. Whilst there are so many people here, it is easy to get a nice clear shot of Kinkaku-ji by itself and by being clever with angles to get you in it so this is a stop that you don’t need to be up really early for in comparison to some of the other ones on this list.
3. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a rather lovely spot to visit in Kyoto and immerse yourself in a short walk through these ascending stalks. Due to Kyoto’s popularity and because the grove really is quite a short walk (I must admit I thought ‘is that it’ when we got to the end) this spot can get very crowded very quickly. We came at lunchtime and the only way you’d perhaps manage a clear shot is taking an angled photo. So if you want the iconic shot walking alone through the grove you’ll need to come as early as possible or perhaps a little later when the crowds have started to die down.
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a a rather magical place despite the above so it’s certainly worth a visit and you can combine a walk through the grove with a visit to some of the temples in this area as well as a visit to the nearby monkey park.
4. Miffy Sakura Bakery
Japan is full of all things kawaii (which generally means cute but often has a lot more connotations and emotions than simply cute) and the cute little bunny Miffy is a well established character. Super near to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove you’ll find the Miffy Sakura Bakery which has a super cute shop front, super cute Miffy merchandise and super cute Miffy baked goods. We may have queued for half an hour to get into the bakery but the treats that we chose were worth it 😊
5. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple
I can’t really remember where I first came upon this temple – it was either on an Instagram post or in a Lonely Planet magazine but it looked so much quirkier and fun vs a lot of the other temples I’d seen. There’s a bus that will take you from the station up to this temple but it doesn’t run very frequently so we decided to walk instead. The approx 1,200 statues were added around the 1980s and carved by individual visitors which means they’re super quirky! Over time moss has grown around the statues which has just added to their whimsical appearance. If you look carefully you might find a tennis racket, cassette player and a cup of sake. Take a look at all of the funny expressions as well and find your favourite. Mine is the one above with the cat 🐱
6. Ninenzaka
The Higashiyama area of Kyoto is the most well known historic area with lots of cutesy streets to explore and take photos of. I’ve featured a handful of these on this list which are likely the ones that you’ve already seen photos of before. The wooden buildings along this street are typical of the samurai-era and you’ll find some perfect shops for souvenirs when they open later in the day. Here, power cables have purposefully been kept out of view so it really is a great spot to capture.
7. Hōkan-ji Temple
This view of Hōkan-ji Temple is probably the most photographed scene in Kyoto and likely has the most posts on Instagram. Unfortunately, this means that even before the sun has risen there’s now loads of other people trying to take that iconic shot. We walked for forty five minutes from our hotel (Kyoto is way bigger than I realised) to get here early but there were already two people with tripods set up and not looking like they were going to move any time soon. Since the sun hadn’t risen yet and it was quite an overcast day the light wasn’t great for my photo and there were some rather unfortunately located street works going on which means what I had hoped would be my favourite photo of the whole trip to Japan turned out to be a little bit on the terrible side! So I do hope you have better luck in this spot 🤞
8. Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka is another perfect old style street to capture in Higoshiyama. From the top of the steps the view looks back across the rooftops and to the forest beyond. You need to be speedy in this location as it’s another one that’s become very popular even in the early morning. In cherry blossom season, the tree on the right hand side of the steps is in full bloom which makes this a very charming spot to photograph in Spring 🌸
9. Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera Zenkojido pagoda
Make your way further up the hill, along the street that you’ll come to at the top of Sannenzaka and after a couple of minutes you’ll reach the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex. There are so many little spots to stop here and photograph. I must admit we actually didn’t get to the most famous part (and with the classic IG view) because I hadn’t really clocked that this temple complex was actually really big with lots of smaller temples – oops! Nevertheless, because there are so many pretty details I still captured some great photos. I particularly loved the splendid three storied pagoda and its bright paintwork. The view from the side of the pagoda is also lovely looking out across Kyoto.
10. Hanamikoji Street
Many visitors head to Gion in the hopes of spotting a Geisha walking down the street on their way to work. Gion is another historic area of Kyoto and it’s often called the Geisha District. A number of streets in this area have signs that ask for photographs not to be taken since this is a residential area as well as a touristy area so please do respect these signs. Hanamikoji Street has more cafes and restaurants along it and makes a great street photo shot. Find Tatsumi Bridge in this area as well.
Top Tip – Booking Activities & Tours
My favourite app for booking tours, adventures and plenty of fun is Get Your Guide. There are so many epic memories that you can choose to make from food tours to entry tickets, laidback wine tasting to adrenaline filled adventures. Make sure you use my discount code CATTHOMSON5 for 5% off your first booking when you download the app as a new user 👇
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11. Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle in the heart of Kyoto is an impressive example of the architecture that was typical of Japan’s feudal era and is really one of the best surviving castles as well. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 and over time it has been an imperial palace before becoming a museum as it still is today. You can either pay to enter the gardens only or you can buy a ticket to visit the gardens and the inside of the Castle. Whichever you choose this is a stunning place to take photos as both the design and details of the building and the garden are beautifully intricate.
12. Nara Deer Park
Near to Kyoto is the city of Nara and it’s a frequently visited place for a morning or afternoon when visiting Kyoto which is why i’ve included a few places on this list for Kyoto. If you take a limited express sight seeing train to Kintetsu-Nara then your train might even make a great Insta shot!
Likely most people go to Nara to meet the super cute bowing deer and they’re everywhere! As we exited Kintetsu-Nara station and made our way to Nara Park we came across deer chilling all over the place from the flower beds to waiting in line at the bus stop. The deer are very friendly even if you don’t purchase a little packet of deer food, however, if you want to keep their attention then it is very handy to buy.
13. Kasuga Taisha Shrine
There are a number of temples and shrines in Nara on offer for you to visit but if you don’t have much time then there are two important ones you must visit, both culturally and photogenically! The first is Kasuga Taisha Shrine which is hidden away amongst the trees on the southern side of the park. As you wind your way through the forest, each side of the path is flanked by stone lanterns which makes for a very atmospheric route towards the Shrine. Kasuga Taisha is one of the most sacred Shinto sites in Japan and it was established in 768.
Inside the temple you can pay a small fee to enter the inner area where you can see the charming bronze lanterns on display outside as well as the darkened room at the back which has some of the lamps lit up. Both are equally lovely photography opportunities.
14. Todai-ji Temple
The Todai-ji Temple complex sprawls out around Nara Park with lots of halls, gateways and other buildings to explore and admire. If you enter via The Great South Gate which is over 25m tall you’ll feel a sense of awe as you realise just how magnificent this temple is. Inside the Main Hall you’ll find the famous bronze Buddha which is one of the largest statues of Buddha in Japan. February Hall sits halfway up the hillside so it’s a really good place to come for a view of Nara and its location pointing west means it would make a great sunset spot. I loved photographing the details around this hall.
If you’re also visiting Tokyo on your trip to Japan then make sure to check out these great Insta spots in the city and don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date with all the latest posts!
Cat x