Kyoto
Population: 1’500’000
Date of visit: August 2012
Attractions & sights: 5/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 5/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: $$/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Japan’s cultural heart. The former seat of the emperor offers an incredible amount of attractions for tourists.
Where to stay:
We stayed between Kyoto station and the river, where most of the hotels are. Stay in a Ryokan to get the traditional Japanese experience.
The Good:
Tokyo might be the more fascinating and modern city, but Kyoto is the cultural heart of Japan. Most of the sights are in the outskirts of the city, but a good bus system is a convenient way to see them all.
The most spectacular sight (in all of Japan in my opinion) is Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavillion. Other must sees are Fushimi Inari-Taisha, the bamboo forrest (Arashiyama), Kurama-dera and Heian-jingu. It will probably take 3-4 days to see all the attractions of the city.
If you are bored from sightseeing (what seems to be unrealistic, but you never know…), there are a few other options to pass your time. You will find plenty of arcades, where you can play video games, and Karaoke saloons, which are very popular among the Japanese. If you want something more traditional, then go and relax in an Onsen (however, your entrance will be denied in many Onsens if you have tattoos).
Kyoto has many Michelin restaurants that offer local and international cuisine. Like in every other Japanese city you can find plenty of restaurants offering Ramen noodles, beef, rice, sake etc. The Japanese meat was by the best I’ve ever had.
Daytrips to Osaka, Nara or Kobe are also another possibility if you have enough time.
The Bad & The Ugly:
The biggest minus was the nightlife. Like in every Kansai (region) city, bars and nightclubs shut down at 1 AM and the city seemed a bit dead in the evening. However, I don’t think that many people come to Kyoto because of the nightlife.
Find other City Ratings here.
