Hidden gems in Kyoto
Skip the tourist circuit. These Kyoto spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Shrine
CultureFushimi
10,000 vermillion torii gates — climb the full 2.5-hour loop.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
OutdoorsArashiyama
Go at 7am or skip it — busy from 9am onward.
Gion
CultureHigashiyama
Geisha district — wander Hanami-koji at dusk, respect the no-photo signs.
Nishiki Market
Food & DrinkNakagyo
5-block covered food market — pickles, tako-tamago, soy milk donuts.
Kiyomizu-dera
CultureHigashiyama
Wooden veranda over the cliff — sunset and night illuminations in spring/fall.
Where to eat
Kichi Kichi Omurice
$$$Western-Japanese · Pontocho
Chef Yukimura's theatrical omurice — book a month out.
Honke Owariya
$$Soba · Nakagyo
550 years old — the Imperial soba supplier, hourai soba is the special.
Giro Giro Hitoshina
$$$Kaiseki · Shimogyō
Punk-rock kaiseki — 8 courses for the price of a mall meal in Tokyo.
% Arabica Higashiyama
$Café · Higashiyama
Yagi's tiny espresso bar with Yasaka Pagoda framed in the window.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Fushimi Inari Shrine, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Gion. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.