Kyoto

Why travellers choose Kyoto

Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a millennium and kept the temples, wooden machiya houses and gardens to prove it. Days here are walked rather than driven: Fushimi Inari's torii gates in the early morning, Arashiyama's bamboo grove, then Gion after dark.

Spring cherry blossom and autumn maples draw the biggest crowds, but the shoulder months are quieter and just as photogenic — and the food, from kaiseki to street-side yakitori, is a reason to come on its own.

Don't miss

• Fushimi Inari's torii gate path
• Arashiyama bamboo grove
• Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion
• Traditional tea ceremony in Gion