Kyoto 3-Day Itinerary
A curated 3-day trip plan for Kyoto, Japan — featuring Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
Day 1
Northern Kyoto temples and gardens
- 9:00 AMKinkaku-ji1.5 hours
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf. The current pavilion was rebuilt in 1955 after being destroyed in an arson attack.
- 11:00 AMGinkaku-ji1.5 hours
Ginkaku-ji , officially named Jishō-ji , is a Zen temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the constructions that represent the Higashiyama Culture of the Muromachi period.
Day 2
Arashiyama district exploration
- 9:00 AMArashiyama Bamboo Forest1 hour
Walk through towering bamboo groves that create an otherworldly, cathedral-like atmosphere in this famous scenic area.
- 10:15 AMArashiyama2.5 hours
Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated historic site and place of scenic beauty.
Day 3
Southern Kyoto spiritual pilgrimage
- 9:00 AMFushimi Inari Taisha2.5 hours
Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named Inari, which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up. It is unclear whether the mountain's name, Inariyama, or the shrine's name came first.
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