3-day Kyoto tour included Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Golden Temple, Fushimi Inari, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Gion geisha district, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Station, onsen hotel and of course lots of good eats
Nishiki Market
https://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/
Fushimi Inari Taisha
https://inari.jp/
Arashimaya Bamboo Forest
https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1141/
Kyoto Imperial Palace
https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/guide/kyoto.html
Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Temple)
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3908.html
Dormy Inn Premium Kyoto Ekimae
https://dormy-hotels.com/en/dormyinn/hotels/kyoto/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gbp&utm_campaign=gbpurl
welcome to Koto Japan Koto is history Koto is Bey Koto is food I’d like to share with you our travel experience from this beautiful city fresh off the train with enjoyed a quick Lune of saba and curry noodle our hotel is located across the street from kto station after dropping off our luggage there we then headed to Nishiki market for some afternoon snacks [Music] the sight sound and smell were so tantalizing where do we even begin we started off with Kias and takoyaki seafood definitely Bell we just came from Hokkaido where we had fantastic Seafood but how can you say no to Salmon belli and Ura Koto is the matcha capital of Japan we found a Macha specialty Cafe where we can enjoy delicious Macha treats the Macha Mochi was soft fluffy and oh so yummy okay very soft there’s almost no chw to it at all it’s not too sweet I like that I am a fan of Japanese Curry bread but one coated with Sesame not that I have got to try there were so much to eat but our time in the Shiki Market were limited next attraction is Fushimi Inari it’s located next to Inari station on the Jr Nara line just two stops away from Koto station the cherry blossom season has just passed so it was less crowded the shrine was dedicated to a deity for Good Harvest and success in business visitors come here mainly for the thousands of red and orange T Gates that line the trails leading out the way up to the top of Inari Mountain finally no nobody around for those who are ambitious it can take up to 2 and 1 half hour to hike all the way to the top of Inari Mountain at about the Midway point there is a popular resting area with a fantastic panoramic view we will come back 2 hours later for the sunset besides the main trail there are also various smaller trails that you can explore sunet is about to begin it’s time to make our way back down this Sunset View alone was worth the hike back down to the main Shrine earlier it was filled with visitors now it looked deserted time to head back to Kyoto station and grab some dinner Koto station itself is an attraction especially at night we shall explore Kyoto station more in detail later but for now we head for ramen Street to grab some dinner the black soy sauce R was excellent to with generous amount of fatty chuit after dinner we walk across the street to our hotel for checkin it may not be a five-star hotel but it has all the Comforts and amenities needed it’s time to check out the onent which is located on the ninth floor we chose this hotel not only because of its proximity to Kyoto station but also for the open air onset and it did not disappoint there were also indoor hot and cold baths after onent guests can relax at the lounge by browsing through manga books or enjoying complimentary ice cream popsicles Onsen milk could be purchased from the vending machine guests can also enjoy complimentary ruming every night from 9:30 to 11:00 p.m. at the Oasis Restaurant gry but it’s delicious so here we go to the alternative gr it’s time for bed we have another busy day tomorrow the next morning we were up at the crack ad Dawn and headed for arashiyama bamboo forest from Kyoto station you can take the Jr sand in line and get off at The Saga arashiyama station from there it’s about a 15 minutes walk to the bamboo forest I was able to get there early and had the bamboo path all to myself no matter how many times I have envisioned this experience it still felt surreal the best time to visit is in the morning when the sunlight begins to filter through the bamboo leaves other than the bamboo forest there are other attractions in the area we decided to walk around and explore I really wanted to see the monkey onson inside a monkey Park but unfortunately it was closed at the time of my visit it was a productive morning time to head back to Kyoto station for [Music] breakfast Kyoto station has a plethora of dining options I opted for agava coffee for its famous R cake [Music] the coffee was adequate but the row cake was excellent just as I remembered after breakfast we wanted to explore some of Kyoto station’s attractions such as the grand staircase the rooftop garden and the Skyway the grand staircase runs from the fourth floor all the way up to the 11th floor alongside es 10 department store during the day it’s a pretty cool place to be but at night it will be even more spectacular we’ll be back at nighttime visitors can climb the grand staircase or like me you can take the escalator the rooftop Sky Garden offers free access to the public visitors can relax enjoy the weather with a panoramic City View to boot the Skyway tuno located on the 10th floor next to the ramen Street can be accessed from the grand staircase [Laughter] the day was still early and I had the whole Skyway to myself back just around the corner the Skyway turns into starbridge it helps to connect Kyoto station from east to the West at night the star bridge will be spectacular as it will be lit up during daytime the view from here was still impressive Koto station has some of the best restaurants in the city and it is inh here that I have accidentally rediscovered one of my favorite food of all time haa beef although less famous than its cousins such as Matsu Saka Kobe and Omi beef Haida beef is still considered one of the top gray wagu in Japan top grade wagu beef can be expensive but lunch menu typically offers much better value the hia beef was tender juicy perfectly marbled and absolutely melts in the mouth it pair well with sake whiskey or beer it was one of my favorite meals of all time in Japan in fact the next day I had to return for more with a happy belly it’s time to EXP FL the gisha District of gong some streets and alleys were closed to tourists due to complaints from local residents but enough remained open to give us a glimpse of the O Koto gon Connor is a historical theater that entertains guests with traditional Japanese performances we were fortunate to score tickets for tonight’s show photography was not allowed during the show the 1 hour show included performances such as traditional singing and dancing and the Arts of flower Arrangement and Tea Ceremony it was definitely an eye openening experience at night the streets of Kong has a different vibe we roam the gisha district looking for a unique dinner spot on our side alley we found a hidden Jam Kong KATU it serves one of my favorite Japanese dish hitsu maushi unaki and ukara a combination made in heaven Whoever thought of this must have been a genius the eor was F of umami and melts in the mouth the unagi was Smoky fatty and [Music] juicy the next day we visited one of the most significant historical site in Japan the Koto Imperial Palace it served as a residence of the Imperial family for over a thousand years all the way to the end of the adult period it may not be the Forbidden City or the verile palace but it was still spectacular in its own right 4 km from the Imperial Palace lies another attraction King Kakui also known as the golden Temple it was designated as a world heritage site in 1994 its top two floors are completely covered by go Lees as one of the most photographed attractions in all of Japan it can get very crowded back at gil station we wanted something light for dinner we found soup stock Tokyo a cafe specializes in [Music] soup while the lobster and tomato bis was excellent the potato and corn page was my favorite the bread was surprisingly good piping hot Airy and very doughy with a happy belly it’s time to explore the sites and sounds of Kyoto station at night the grand staircase is lit up with graphic art with music deboot the theme can vary the depending on the seasons tonight it features the characters atito and scalla [Music] [Music] home [Music] [Music] that was quite a show now it’s time for some [Music] exercise let’s revisit the Skyway tunnel but this time at night from here you can see the L Up grand staircase low around the corner the starage walkway was dazzling in here you will find the most spectacular nighttime view in Kyoto all great things must come to an end we were sad to leave Koto but but not before one final meal sayonara Kyoto next stopped Tokyo thank you for watching please check out my other travel videos including more from Japan for