Unique things to do in Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan is full of history and shrines and must-visit sites. Even though it’s a magical place, we got to the point on our Japan trip where we were looking for more than visiting crowded temples and shrines, so instead we set out to have a unique experience of our own!
We spent about a day and a half in Kyoto which was the perfect amount of time within our 11 day trip to Japan, but if you want to do more of the traditional sites, I would definitely spend at least 2.5 days here.
First, stay at this Kyoto Airbnb
We stayed at this Kyoto Airbnb and it was perfect for two people. There was A/C, a private kitchen and bathroom, and is located right next to the main Kyoto train station. We always stay close to the train station while traveling Japan so we don’t have to drag our luggage for long, but overall, this spot was very central to all of Kyoto!
Have a beer flight at Spring Valley Brewery
Where are my craft beer lovers at? We made a point to visit a craft brewery in ever Japanese city we visited, and Spring Valley Brewery was our first choice in Kyoto. It’s located in a 100 year old restored townhouse near the Nishiki market in Kyoto (and also has a location in Tokyo which we found out later!) and serves both beer and food. We opted to try a flight for about $12 and got to try 6 different beers. My favorite was the On the Cloud brew!
Get the best gyoza ever at Gyoza Hohei
I read that some of the best gyoza in Kyoto was at Gyoza Hohei. We’re huge fans of gyoza in the US (anyone else in love with Trader Joes potstickers??) so we had to try this spot! This restaurant is tiny and only seats about 12 people at a time, so be prepared for a wait. It opens at 6, so get there before then to put your name on the list. We got there at 6:15 and didn’t end up eating until 8:15 – but it was so worth it! There’s two types of gyoza, and I would recommend ordering two orders per person.
Eat your way through Kyoto with this Air BnB Experience
Our highlight of Kyoto was the Air BnB experience we booked called the Yummy Food Tour @ Nishiki Market & Gion. Through this experience we explored the Nishiki market in Kyoto where some of the vendors have been around for over 100 years! Our guide knew all the vendors and ordered everything for us while telling us what it is and how it’s made. We tried things like tofu donuts, sardines, eel, fish cakes, rice balls with teeny tiny fish in them, mochi with sweet black beans, Japanese omelets, and matcha ice cream! Everything was excellent and so fun to try! Read more about this experience and others we did in Japan here!
Explore the Geisha district of Gion
Also as part of our Air BnB experience, our guide took us the the geisha district of Gion where we took in the beautiful views of the stream and even saw a geisha house called an oiaka. I was reading Memoirs of a Geisha while traveling through Japan so I was obsessed with seeing these cultural pieces in real life! Our guide even told us the best spots to catch a glimpse of a geisha while in the area!
See the famous Kinkakuji Temple
The one ultra-famous site we saw while in Kyoto was the Kinkakuji Temple. It’s a landmark of Kyoto and is famous because of its beautiful gold color. It took about 45 minutes to get here by bus from central Kyoto and cost about $4 per person to get in. We went on a rainy day and it was still INSANELY busy. If you’re short for time or dislike crowds, I would skip this.
Relax at the peaceful Itsukushima Shrine
If you’d rather experience a peaceful shrine without any other people I would recommend the Itsukushima Shrine. It’s located in a park and is absolutely gorgeous – and it’s only a small section of the overall park! Make sure to get some photos here, it’s so pretty and peaceful!
Buy some authentic soy sauce at Sawai Shoyu Honten
We were looking for some authentic soy sauce to bring home with us, so we stopped by the Sawai Shoyu Honten soy sauce brewery to pick some up! This place is super tiny, but you’re able to see the huge barrels the sauce is brewed in and choose from a variety of sauces to take home! The people here spoke little to no English, so I had to use a translation app on my phone most of the time, but we made it work!
Have a local brew at Ichijoji Brewery
Time for more local beer! Back near central Kyoto, we tried Ichijoji Brewery which has both beer and food. This place has won lots of awards so we were bummed when the popular IPA was sold out. BUT, I would still recommend trying this spot out!
Eat on a balcony along the river at Ban Rim Naam
Located along the skinny Gion street that follows the Kamo river in Kyoto are a series of restaurants that have large patios that open in the summer and have amazing views of the river. Side note: if you want to spot a geisha, this is a great spot around 5-6 pm! Anyway, we wanted something different than Japanese food, so we tried Ban Rim Naam for some Thai instead and it was amazing! We had to each pay about $4 to sit on the patio but it was so pretty and delicious!
See where Japanese whiskey was created at Suntory Yamasaki Whiskey Distillery
Located about a half hour outside of Kyoto is the Suntory Yamasaki Whiskey Distillery which is where Japanese whiskey was created in 1923. Cole’s a huge whiskey lover so we made sure not to miss this! You have to make a reservation in advance, so once we heard this was near Kyoto we made a reservation about 3 days before we visited. It was free for access to the museum and tasting room, which is what we did, but there are also options for tours which cost some money. We did however, pay for our tastings in the tap room. The grounds are beautiful and the whiskey was even better!
We loved our time in Kyoto and wish we would have had more time there! Hopefully this guide gives you some ideas of some unique things to do in Kyoto. Have a blast!!
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