Temple Hopping in Kyoto
We’re starting the day off nice and early to beat the crowds. The sleepy you might want to hit that snooze button. But we guarantee that you will have a much more enjoyable time exploring and taking in the serene beauty of these locations when it’s not crowded.
TLDR
Temple 1: Fushimi Inari
Temple 2: Sekiho-ji Temple
Vermillion Cafe
Temple 3: Tofuku-ji Temple
Yayoi Gojo
Shijo Kawaramachi
北極星 四条河原町店
Sleep early and beat the crazy crowds at Fushimi Inari by arriving before 7:30 AM. There are already people there by then, but just power-walk past the beginning, and you will eventually realize that you’re walking through the gates by yourself. It’s very peaceful, and when you get high enough, there is a creek that flows alongside the tori path, so you hear a faint flow of water.
We weren’t able to hike all the way up to the top because our parents were with us on this trip. But we have friends that have made it up, and in total, it took them about an hour. It’s very doable, so it’s not something that is super strenuous and impossible.
There are over 1600 temples in Kyoto. You can’t walk on a street and not come across a temple. Sekiho-ji temple is one of those underrated temples that is 5 minutes away from Fushimi Inari. The temple is known for its 500 stone-carved buddhas nestled in a mini bamboo forest behind the temple. But please remember to don’t photograph them! After entering, there should be a groundskeeper that will show you the rules regarding what can be photographed and what can’t.
10:15AM
Vermillion Cafe
Hours: 9:30AM-4PM Daily
Address: 5-31 Fukakusa Kaidoguchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0805, Japan
After visiting the two temples, you can stop at Vermillion Cafe for coffee and food. We weren’t very hungry, so we just got coffee. Both the coffee and matcha were 💯.
Tofuku-ji Temple is considered one of the five great zen temples of Kyoto. The sheer size of these buildings will make you feel like a little ant.
This temple is home to the Sanmon Gate, which is one of the oldest of its kind in Japan, dating back to 1425. You can walk through these gates and feel like you’ve been transported back in time and visualize when horses use to ride through the gates.
You can pay to go into Abbot’s Quarters Garden, where you will see different classical artwork, a moss garden, a zen rock garden, and more. We noticed that many people would sit in the different areas and just soak in the peacefulness of the gardens. Everyone is very polite and quiet, so even with a lot of people around, it still felt quite peaceful and relaxing.
We’re not sure if they normally have a stand for food, but there were vendors set up on the temple grounds when we visited, so we got a Oden, Matcha set, and some desserts.
This is a little further away from Tofuku-ji Temple, but since we were heading back to our Airbnb for a little rest, this was a convenient lunch location.
Yayoi Gojo serves up Teishoku, a type of Japanese cuisine that is a cross between traditional and western. Teishoku generally comes in a set. So you’ll have a protein dish, with a side of rice, veggies, and soup.
I got a soup nabe because I was in need of some veggies and Johnny got a Katsu. My nabe was delicious and exactly what I wanted. Johnny’s Katsu missed the mark by a little because the sauce that was added made everything a bit soggy.
4PM
Shijō Kawaramachi
Downtown Kyoto
After a long morning, we went back to the Airbnb for a little rest. We ventured back out around 4PM to Downtown Kyoto for shopping. This is the main shopping street with all the department stores and and designer brands.
If you’re not tired and want to power through, then we would suggest you check out Nishiki Market if you haven’t already.
7PM
Dinner: 北極星 四条河原町店
After shopping, we got dinner at this omurice store that we saw inside the department store that we were at. It’s nothing special and we don’t believe it’s something you need to add to your list. We’re just going to include it because if we’re documenting what our itinerary is, then this is where we had dinner because truth be told, it’s because we couldn’t get a reservation at Kichi Kichi.
If for whatever reason you decide to come, their crab omurice was the best one we tried. It was served with a cream sauce so it was hearty and satisfying.
