Lin Yutang once said, "A good traveller is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveller does not know where he came from."
Great sentiments, but this guy obviously didn’t have to run a chit up his chain of command to get leave days!
So, can we help out these good travellers intent on a fun trip in Kyoto:
My husband and I are doing a quick 2day/3night trip to Kyoto. I have the tickets but am overwhlemed with the amount of hotels in this seemingly LARGE city. I need help from O.H.’s well traveled readers with suggestions of where to stay. I don’t need fancy, but I would like clean.
I also am ok to be off the beaten path, as we only need the room to fall exhautstedly into bed each night after a faced paced day of sightseeing. What are the "must see’s" of Kyoto and how can I track down the geisha to snap a few pictures?
And let the help commence…
But if you loved them and have never...
MUST SEE Kiyomizudera(drink the water) by far 1/2 a day exploring the shrine and adjoining shops and go into the belly of the buddha! Head down the back slope (think it’s called 7 year slope- or 5 year slope)and you are not to far from where you can see the Mikka (Geishas in training cram into taxis on their way to work! Did this with my parents a few years ago, and repeated the trip again with my friends a few times – Love Kyoto!
My husband, 3 year old daughter and I just traveled to Kyoto over the long Memorial Day weekend. It is a beautiful city and so easy to get around using the public transportation. (I highly recommend getting a “day pass” for the bus each day. It is only 500 Yen and allows you to get on and off all day. Our hotel sold these at the front desk or you can buy it on the bus.)
We stayed at the “Mitsui Garden Hotel Shijo”. Our travel agent recommended it and it was a good value, great location, very clean, and even has Japanese baths. http://www.gardenhotels.co.jp/eng/kyoto.html
As for “must-sees”… like the other person wrote, the Kiyomizu Temple and surrounding area is beautiful. Also, the Golden Temple was a highlight… Sit and have a green tea in the garden at the end of the tour. The Arashiyama area is on the western outskirts of town (take the trolley) and is well worth the visit. The famous bamboo forests are there as well as some temples and neat little stores. It was just a small sidenote in our guide book but it really was a treasure to find!
Be sure to go to the Gion District for dinner in the evening at least one night. It is beautiful at night and has lots of options for dining.
Enjoy the trip!