Kyoto Highlights Tour: Castles, Gold, Bamboo and a Sea of Torii Gates
This morning we headed across the road from Kyoto Station to meet our tour group, arriving a comfortable 30 minutes early for our coach departure. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow travellers from all over the world, including several Australians. Everyone was friendly and respectful, which helped create a pleasant atmosphere throughout what turned out to be a very full day.
If you're looking for an efficient way to see Kyoto's major attractions, we can highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Chris, was excellent and added plenty of insight and humour to the day.
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| Our guide’s flag - very important when trying to follow on packed site |
Nijo Castle: Inside the World of the Shogun
Our first stop was Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The castle was designed to impress visitors and demonstrate the enormous power of the military rulers of Japan. (I think Shogun would have been not happy if he visited the Vatican in comparison.) The highlight was exploring Ninomaru Palace, famous for its ingenious "nightingale floors". As you walk along the polished wooden corridors, the floorboards chirp and squeak like birdsong. While beautiful, this was actually an early security system designed to alert guards to intruders and would-be assassins.
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| Nijo Castle outer Entrance |
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| Entrance to inner Nijo Castle |
The extensive gardens ( and they are world wide impressive) surrounding the palace were equally impressive. Carefully manicured landscapes, ponds and stone arrangements create an atmosphere of tranquillity, although behind the beauty lies a strong message of power and authority.
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| Nijo Castle Gardens |
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| Inner moat |
Our guide Chris, originally from Beijing and now working part-time as a guide in Kyoto while studying, did a wonderful job explaining the mindset of the shoguns and how their political power was reflected in every aspect of the palace design.
Personally, after seeing the sheer scale of the place and hearing about life under the shogunate, I'm not entirely sure I would have wanted a face-to-face meeting with the shogun!
We could easily have spent another hour exploring both the castle grounds and the surrounding gardens.
Kinkaku-ji: Kyoto's Golden Masterpiece
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| Getting a photo without other people is challenging |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Lake of the Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion with more people |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
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| Golden pavilion |
Our next stop was Kinkaku-ji, better known as the Golden Pavilion, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto's most recognisable landmarks.
Originally constructed in 1397 as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the building was later converted into a Zen Buddhist temple. The top two storeys are covered in gold leaf, creating a dazzling reflection in Kyoko-chi, the aptly named Mirror Lake.
The sight is genuinely breathtaking. Even with crowds of visitors lining the pathways, the pavilion seems almost unreal as it glows against the surrounding greenery and calm water.
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| Another shrine on the Golden pavilion site |
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Gardens of the Golden pavilion |
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| A farewell translation |
The surrounding Japanese gardens were every bit as attractive as the pavilion itself. Meticulously designed over centuries, they showcase the Japanese talent for creating beauty through simplicity and balance.
For Melissa, this was undoubtedly the highlight of the day. She loved both the pavilion and its garden setting, and it quickly became her favourite site on the tour.
Arashiyama: Bamboo, Crowds and Japanese Snoopy
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| Arashiyama Snoppy |
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| Arashiyama |
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| Arashiyama |
From there we travelled to Arashiyama, one of Kyoto's most popular sightseeing districts.
We photographed but didn’t cross the historic Togetsukyo Bridge, or "Moon Crossing Bridge", which has spanned the Katsura River in one form or another for hundreds of years.
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| "Moon Crossing Bridge" |
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| "Moon Crossing Bridge" |
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| "Moon Crossing Bridge" |
The views of the surrounding mountains and river help explain why the area has long been a retreat for nobles, artists and poets.
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| Arashiyama Bamboo Grove |
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| Arashiyama Bamboo Grove |
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| Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Cemetery |
The famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove was our next stop. Walking beneath towering bamboo stalks swaying gently overhead feels like stepping into another world. Unfortunately, we quickly discovered what many travel blogs fail to mention: everyone else wants to experience it too!
The pathways were absolutely packed. At times progress was dictated entirely by the slowest person in front of you. The bamboo was certainly beautiful, but patience became an essential sightseeing skill.
We also watched rickshaw drivers, some of the fittest-looking men we've seen in Japan, effortlessly pulling passengers through crowded streets and into the bamboo forest. It looked exhausting just watching them.
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| Kimono Forest |
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| Chris joining us for photo |
Back near Arashiyama Station we explored the colourful Kimono Forest, an art installation featuring hundreds of illuminated pillars wrapped in traditional kimono textiles. It provided plenty of excellent photo opportunities and added a modern artistic touch to the area's historical atmosphere.
Arashiyama is also packed with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. Among the traditional items and local crafts, we were amused to find what appeared to be a seemingly endless supply of Japanese Snoopy merchandise. Apparently even Snoopy enjoys visiting Kyoto.
Fushimi Inari Taisha: Through Ten Thousand Torii Gates
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| Fushimi Inari Taisha |
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| Street leading to gates |
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| Shrine |
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| Torri gates |
Our final major stop was Fushimi Inari Taisha, one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines.
Dedicated to Inari, the deity of rice, prosperity and business success, the shrine attracts visitors seeking blessings for wealth, good fortune and career achievement. The main attraction is the famous Senbon Torii, a network of vermilion torii gates that climb the mountainside behind the shrine.
Despite the name "Senbon" meaning one thousand, there are actually more than 10,000 torii gates, each donated by businesses or individuals seeking good fortune.
Walking through the endless tunnels of brilliant orange-red gates is an unforgettable experience. The gates seem to stretch on forever, creating a mysterious and almost magical atmosphere. It genuinely feels like stepping into another world.
For (Cos) me, this was the standout attraction of the entire day. The scale of the torii gates, combined with the history and spiritual significance of the site, made it my favourite place we visited.
A Long but Rewarding Day
By the time the tour concluded at around 6:00 pm, we were running roughly an hour later than expected. It had been a very long day, but one that was absolutely worth it.
After saying goodbye to our fellow passengers and disembarking, we headed back to the shopping centre (Aeon Mall - huge place - grand central but many levels more) we had visited the previous day to find some dinner.
Following our meal, we enjoyed a 20-minute walk back to the hotel while reflecting on everything we had seen.
Tomorrow we'll be returning to the Arashiyama area for a more leisurely exploration. This time we'll ride the scenic Sagano Romantic Train along the Hozugawa River before boarding a traditional riverboat for a two-hour journey downstream through the gorge. It should provide a completely different perspective on one of Kyoto's most beautiful regions and allow us to enjoy some of today's sights without feeling quite so rushed.
And hopefully with slightly fewer people standing between us and the scenery.
