Top 10 Travel Tips for Kyoto, Japan

From Top Ten Kyoto by Heath in Wanderland

There is something really amazing about being in a new place, with new air and food and sights and people. You feel so alive and ready for anything,” writes Heath in Wanderland in her blog entry An Ode to Travelling. An American Realtraveler living abroad with her husband and teaching English in South Korea, this thoughtful blogger is an experienced traveler that has gotten to know many destinations in Asia and around the world. One of these places is the city of Kyoto, Japan, and she was generous enough to share some insider tips with us!

Take a look at an excerpt from her informative Top 10 list for Kyoto:

1. Before you do anything else in Kyoto, make sure that you have reserved one of the lovely tatami rooms at Bola Bola Guesthouse. It is a small ryokan (traditional inn) owned by a kind thirty-something couple that has a gorgeous three year old daughter who loves to play with the guests! It is a twenty minute train ride to the center of town, but it’s well worth the extra effort…

2. Go to an onsen. These are the Japanese bath houses that also include saunas. They are elegant, inexpensive (about 12 USD or less), and extremely relaxing after a long day of taking in the sights…

3. Rent a bicycle. Transportation in Japan is very expensive- even for busses. In Kyoto, there are so many shrines and temples to see and many of them are within a fairly close distance to one another…

4. Hang out in Gion for a day and enjoy the shops and people watching, as well as the amazing temples and Shinto shrines in the hills above the area. Stroll down the main street as you eat delicious green tea soft-serve ice cream and pick up a few souvenirs at one of the many shops that line the street. The best part is seeing all the women dressed in gorgeous kimono shuffle down the street.

5. Stroll around in what I believe is the loveliest part of Kyoto- the hills above Gion, right at the end of the main drag. This slight hill has cobblestoned streets that pass tons of Shinto shrines and little gift boutiques and restaurants. This is the best place to buy souvenirs in Japan as well as to observe the maiko (geishas in training), who often stroll through this area in full make-up and dress. You can also find a few kimono shops that will give you a good deal on a cotton kimono or a whole ensemble (purse, sandals, and obi included)…
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Check out Heath in Wanderland’s entire Top 10 Kyoto list here .

Also check out her entire blog, where you will find her entry with travel tips for Seoul, her advice for foreigners moving to South Korea, and many tips throughout her blog from how to have the best sauna experience to doing taxes while abroad.

Useful links:

Kyoto Travel Guide
Japan Tourism
Teach Abroad
Explore Positive Action for Teachers

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