Japan is endlessly fascinating to me, a country that wears its heritage with complete authenticity while simultaneously shaping the future. It is a seamless paradox – centuries-old traditions coexisting with innovations that feel very futuristic. Nowhere does Japan illustrate this balance more clearly than Kyoto. The city is a living archive, where restaurants with two hundred years of history stand alongside sleek museums dedicated to gaming and technology. It is at once vibrant and contemplative, a place where you can move from a morning of temple gardens and tea ceremonies to an afternoon immersed in contemporary art or design. I spent over a week exploring Kyoto, and I would recommend at least that amount of time—long enough to look beyond the surface, to truly absorb the city that rewards patience and curiosity.
Where to stay
I stayed in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) for the first few nights—an experience everyone should try at least once. Kyoto Ryokan Hirashin, tucked away on a quiet street, felt like stepping into another time. Tatami mats hushed my steps, paper doors slid open to simple elegance, and kimono-style robes waited to be worn for dinner in the room. Tradition ran through everything—from the onsen bath in the basement to the futon mattresses and a breakfast that felt like a ceremony: steaming miso, pickled vegetables, grilled fish kissed with smoke. Staying in a ryokan is, in many ways, living and breathing Kyoto itself.
For the rest of my stay, I moved to something more modern: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Shijo, a rare find that’s both central and affordable. Step outside and you’re within reach of Shijo-Karasuma and Shijo-Kawaramachi, buzzing with markets, cafés, and late-night bars. It’s a location that makes exploring effortless—and unlike many Japanese hotels, the rooms are spacious, which in Kyoto feels like striking gold.
What to see and do
Kyoto is the city of shrines, unrivalled in both calm and beauty. I would recommend tackling your exploration with a sort of academic intent; my friend and I devised a system of getting an A+ in tourism, which meant we approached our sightseeing with a sort of crazed ambition to ensure we drank it all in! Here are some of the highlights.
Fushimi Inari Shrine and Senbon Torii
Fushimi Inari is one of Kyoto’s most iconic sights, a shrine alive with centuries of devotion. Its famed Senbon Torii—thousands of vermilion gates climbing the slopes of Mount Inari—form a dreamlike tunnel of light and shadow, each gate a gift from worshippers in thanks for their blessings. Before the ascent through the gates, the temple itself is stunning; you will see thousands of coloured garlands tied on to walls as an offering for blessings. It’s no wonder this is one of the most photographed places in Japan—though for avid Instagrammers, capturing an empty frame here is near impossible. Embrace the energy instead; the magic lies not in a perfect shot, but in the feeling of moving through a living tradition.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Walking through Kyoto’s bamboo groves is an experience beyond words—a rush of quiet that feels almost otherworldly. Towering stalks, centuries older than you, sway and whisper overhead, and for a moment time itself seems to stand still. It’s really difficult to describe the emotion and the quiet meditation that overtakes your soul in that garden, but it is definitely a walk that is unmissable.
Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kyoto Gyoen National Garden
The Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kyoto Gyoen National Garden offer a graceful glimpse into Japan’s regal past, once home to the nation’s emperors. The palace showcases timeless architecture and echoes of courtly rituals, while the vast gardens invite strolls through groves, lawns, and seasonal blossoms. Within the grounds sits the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, holding over 20,000 artworks and treasures from the Imperial Family. The coolest highlight includes intricate miniatures depicting the Mongol invasions. Best of all, entrance is free and open daily, making it one of the most accessible ways to explore Kyoto’s history.
Rokuonji Temple aka Kinkaku-ji
Rokuonji Temple, better known as the Golden Pavilion, is one of Kyoto’s most dazzling sights—a Zen temple wrapped in gold leaf and mirrored perfectly in the still waters of its pond. It’s a World Heritage site and a super photo op; so missing it would be almost treason on your bucket list of things to do in Kyoto. Golden pavilion at golden hour – winning!
You will notice in your exploration of the many palaces and shrines within the city is that many of the imperial palaces across Kyoto have burnt down multiple times over the course of their existence and rebuilt in exactly the same manner using the same highly flammable materials – which begs the question – why? Maybe because they have an almost fervent determination to preserve the past even in spite of the lessons history has repeatedly taught them. A true example of that Japanese je ne sais quoi.
The eats
Gion is the district for old world Kyoto, famed as being the Geisha district, but also well known for Michelin level food and headache inducing alcoholic drinks. It even houses a beautiful old Kabuki theatre if you have the mental stamina to sit through it (I did not).
Kappo Sakamoto
Whilst many restaurants in Kyoto can boast a long heritage of 200 years, Kappo Sakamoto has only about 48 years under their belt, a relatively young restaurant in Gion but much revered (holding a Michelin star till 2020). A stunning location in the heart of Gion, overlooking the Shirakawa River makes for a gorgeous dinner. When I told the hotel that I had a reservation, they were so perplexed because it is a herculean task to get a booking. This sixteen seater restaurant, primarily patronised by loyal residents, has a menu that is based on a theme, but is completely directed by the Chef Sakamoto and now his son, Chef Ryuta. They simply ask you your dietary requirements and then you are off on a feast of the most incredible Japanese food you have ever sampled. Course after course, your eyes and your belly will be more than satisfied.
Lurra
Admittedly, I have not eaten here – but I follow Chef Kear with fan-girl-like admiration. Kear and his team have taken a restaurant with a 150 year old heritage and breathed new life into it. The food this man creates is beyond, pine ice cream and bear tartare (yes actual bear) – this is for the food adventurer not an amateur foodie so be warned. My next visit to Kyoto, my first stop will be Lurra.
Wagyu restaurants
Kyoto boasts a series of amazing wagyu and kobe beef restaurants and they are not to be skipped. I spent a lot of time in Kyoto, floating between mid-level to high end wagyu restaurants and depending on your budget you need to make your choice. The higher end restaurants can vary from more international style settings to traditional settings, where you remove your shoes and sit on the floor; but they all have grills. I have never, ever eaten beef like this before anywhere else in the world. It simply melts like butter.
Nishiki market
One thing you will get to know about me as I write more columns is that I love a food market; it is the quickest way to learn about the people and their culture. Nishiki market is an absolute must-see in Kyoto. Known as Kyoto’s “kitchen,” it has been feeding the city for over 400 years, beginning as a humble fish market in the 17th century. Today its narrow, covered arcade is lined with more than a hundred stalls and shops, overflowing with pickles, matcha sweets, seafood, knives, and cookware. The air brims with the aromas of soy, sesame, and smoke, pulling you from one delicacy to the next. It’s both a living piece of Kyoto’s history and a feast for the senses—an essential stop to understand the city’s food culture. The most delicious strawberries I have ever eaten are sold in this market for a small fortune, prepare to be out of pocket here.
The weird and the wonderful
Again, the more I write, the more it will become clear I have eccentric tastes when it comes to sight-seeing. And what I loved about Kyoto is that it embraces the weird and the wonderful. The streets in Gion are dotted with quirky statues and they have hilarious caricaturists on the streets waiting to make a less than flattering portrait of you; like I said, weird but this is what makes the city so fascinating!
Onsens – a true Japanese tradition
One thing I really wanted to do on holiday but was strictly denied, was to partake in the Japanese tradition of an Onsen. There were so many high end ones in Kyoto – my travel buddy was absolutely against public nudity but I would recommend trying one – it’s meant to be the authentic Japanese ritual.
Toei Kyoto Studio Park
Toei Kyoto Studio Park is an old film lot converted into Jidaigeki theme park (the only one in Japan apparently); and it houses some fun attractions. Get dressed up in an Edo-style outfit whilst you visit the park, enter the house of tricks where visual trickery is the name of the game and watch the most awesome samurai ninja show with acrobatics I’ve only seen at the Cirque Du Soleil (might be a slight over exaggeration there). BUT, be warned – they have the scariest (and in no way is this an overinflated) haunted house I have ever been in. The stewards at the entrance did say a number of times it was intensely frightening, but I did not heed their warning and after the first room, I had a major panic and they had to turn on all the lights and I had to be escorted out of there. Not my finest moment, and in reality, I can’t watch Japanese horror films so why did I think I could manage it in real life?
The Nintendo Museum
The Nintendo Museum in Uji, just south of central Kyoto, is a love letter to play and nostalgia—built in the old Ogura factory where Nintendo once made hanafuda cards. You’ll wander through decades of console evolution, try oversized game controllers, and even make your own hanafuda cards in a hands-on workshop. It’s ideal if you grew up with Mario, Zelda, or the Game Boy — or if you simply want to relive the thrill of discovering that first video game. Tickets are lottery-based and must be booked in advance.
In Kyoto, you can meditate under bamboo in the morning, melt wagyu on your tongue by noon, get roasted by a caricaturist by afternoon, and feast like royalty by night. Where else can you time-travel through centuries, dine like an emperor, and still end up screaming and crying in a haunted house? Kyoto is equal parts sublime, surreal, and at times, delightfully ridiculous —and that’s exactly why it belongs at the very top of your list.
Tasha Marikkar—chef, cookbook author, and lifelong explorer—shares her favourite journeys in a new travel column blending flavour, culture, and discovery.
AloJapan.com