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Plan a trip to Kyoto
Lantern-lit lanes, quiet gardens and a thousand years of craft.
Kyoto, Japan at a glance
Kyoto is in Japan, Eastern Asia. People mainly speak Japanese. The currency is the Japanese Yen (JPY). VoyaKin maps 21 places to see here, including 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Lantern-lit lanes, quiet gardens and a thousand years of craft.
- Flag
- 🇯🇵
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currency
- Japanese Yen (JPY)
- More
- Wikidata
Before you go: official information
Entry rules, visas and health requirements change. Confirm them with Japan’s official immigration authority or its embassy before you book and again before you travel.
Check your own government’s travel advice before you go.
Places to see in and around Kyoto
12 of the 21 places VoyaKin maps here. Descriptions from Wikipedia and photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each card.
Nijō CastleUNESCO
二条城
Fort · Kyoto Prefecture
Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Keith Pomakis (CC BY-SA 2.5). Map
Kiyomizu-deraUNESCO
清水寺
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera. The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Martin Falbisoner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map
Kinkaku-jiUNESCO
金閣寺
Garden · Kyoto Prefecture
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map
Byōdō-inUNESCO
平等院
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Byōdō-in is a Buddhist temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, built in the late Heian period. It is jointly a temple of the Jōdo-shū and Tendai-shū sects.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Martin Falbisoner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map
Ryōan-jiUNESCO
龍安寺
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Ryōan-ji is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: 663highland (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map
Tenryū-jiUNESCO
天龍寺
Garden · Kyoto Prefecture
Tenryū-ji (天龍寺), formally known as Tenryū Shiseizen-ji (天龍資聖禅寺), is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: osakaosaka (CC BY-SA 3.0). Map
Shimogamo ShrineUNESCO
下鴨神社
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Shimogamo Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary in the Shimogamo district of Kyoto city's Sakyō ward. Its formal name is Kamo-mioya Shrine .
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Mochi at Japanese Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Map
Kamigamo ShrineUNESCO
上賀茂神社
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Kamigamo Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678. Its formal name is the Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine .
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: 663highland (CC BY 2.5). Map
Ninna-jiUNESCO
仁和寺
Religious · Kyoto Prefecture
Ninna-ji is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was first founded in AD 888 by Emperor Uda, and was later reconstructed in the 17th century. It is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: 663highland (CC BY 2.5). Map
Saihō-jiUNESCO
西芳寺
Garden · Kyoto Prefecture
Saihō-ji (西芳寺) is a Buddhist temple located in Matsuo, Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, and honzon is a statue of Amida Nyorai.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Ivanoff~commonswiki (CC BY-SA 3.0). Map
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A few words in Japanese
From VoyaKin’s free Japanese lessons in the app, with audio there.
- おはようohayōgood morning (casual)
- おはようございますohayō gozaimasugood morning (polite)
- こんにちはkonnichiwahello/good afternoon
- こんばんはkonbanwagood evening
- さようならsayōnaragoodbye
- ありがとうarigatōthank you (casual)
- ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasuthank you (polite)
- すみませんsumimasenexcuse me/sorry
Keep exploring
Planning more of the country? Plan a trip to Japan
Also in Eastern Asia: South Korea · China · Hong Kong · Macao · Mongolia · North Korea · Taiwan
Last updated November 8, 2026. Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons, OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Partner offers below are separate from this guide and never change what’s written here.
Plan & book Kyoto
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Flights
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Kyoto has no airport. Travellers fly into Osaka, then take the train. The search starts with Osaka (KIX and ITM).
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Tours & experiences
1 hPrivate Tea Ceremony and Sake Tasting in Kyoto Samurai House 5.0 (191)From US$116 on Viator
7 hPrivate car tour in Kyoto (up to 4) 5.0 (147)From US$289 on Viator
1.2 hBecome a Samurai Movie Star in Kyoto by Filming with a Real Actor 5.0 (144)From US$127 on Viator
3.5 hKyoto: Zen Garden, Zen Mind (Private) 5.0 (132)From US$420 on Viator
1.5 hKyoto: Zen Meditation at a Private Temple with a Monk 5.0 (131)From US$96 on Viator
4 hNear Fushimiinari: Kyoto Home Cooking Class & Supermarket tour 5.0 (115)From US$122 on Viator
1 hKyoto; Traditional Japanese Washi Papermaking 5.0 (102)From US$32 on Viator
1.5 hShamisen Experience in Kyoto 【Private】 5.0 (100)From US$106 on Viator
7 hPrivate car tour in Kyoto (up to 9) 5.0 (86)From US$385 on Viator
8 hKyoto Hiking Tour: The Nature and Legends of Kurama and Kibune 5.0 (85)From US$205 on Viator
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eSIM & staying connected
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