Home > Travel > Asia > Japan > Kyoto > Kyoto Experience
Kyoto, the OLD capital of Japan. 9 of 9 Ciao Users found the following review helpful
Rating from Jellypigs 5 Stars ()

Advantages Cheap area, gorgeous attractions and temples, good for short visits!

Disadvantages Limited activity so best for -5 day visits.

I visited Japan at the end of this July, and have only just returned. I must say it was the holiday of a lifetime. Flights cost £900 each via British Airways.

We visited Kyoto for 3 days. We got there via Shinkansen from Tokyo, and stayed at the New Miyakohotel, just over the road from Kyoto station.

Kyoto was absolutely gorgeous and very easy to navigate around. You can get just about anywhere you want to from Kyoto Station. There are buses, subwaytrains etc. 220 yen is all you need for a bus ride to anywhere along the Kyoto bus lines. That works out at around £1. You just hop on the bus and pay when you get off.

We visited Toei movie land which was a bit of a dissapointment. www.eigamura30.com. Looking at brochures we expected amazing movie scenes etc but it left a lot to be desired. A lot of it was shut off, and most of the attractions are outside, where the heat is unbearable. Entrance is only 2,000 yen each so its not too bad. Thats about £10 each. Keep an eye on the theatre though, because they often show some nice shows. We saw a brilliant samurai show, with audience interaction, and also a kids entertainment show, which was fun all the more, even if we couldn't understand the song. The haunted house in Toei movie land is absolutely excellent. I really was shaking in my shoes, i recommend it to anyone that can stomach things like this, its very realistic and scary. The best way to get to Toei is via the bus from Kyoto station, You can also go via rail - JR Sagano line, which is a 5 minute walk away.

I definitely recommend a visit to Daigoji temple, accessable via subway. Its very understated and isn't in many tourist guides. From Kyoto station you'd need to catch the JR Tokaido main line and get off at Yamashina station. Then you'd need to hop onto the subway train, getting off at Daigo station. Its a very impressive building and is amazing when its lit up at night. We were very lucky to catch it on the 5th of August when the lantern festival is in place. Thousands of lanterns are lit by locals to guide the lost spirits home for the holidays. Absolutely beautiful.

The golden pavillion is another must see. The original was burnt down in 1950, so this is a replica, but it is a fantastic one. Sitting upon a huge pond, the pavillion has a gorgeous reflection. Surrounded by lots of foilage and woodland, the golden pavillion is one of the best places i've been to in Japan. Looking into and around the pond you will see Herons, turtles and koi. Again, this is easiest accessable via the bus from kyoto station, and get off at the Kinkakuji Michi stop. Its about a 40 minute ride away, but it only costs £1.10, its amazing! Well worth it.

Kyoto Zoo is not recommended by me. Whilst there are beautiful animals inside and admission is very cheap, you can see why once you enter. Animals are really not given enough space, and they were all panting in the 40 degree heat. I dread to wonder how the polar bear felt. The national art museum is also not recommended by me, but art has never been my thing.

Rate this User Review

How helpful was this review to you? Rating guidelines

Attention, this is the first review from this author

Instead of giving a negative rating, consider:

  • Help this member by giving your advice

  • Report fraud (for example plagiarism) or other issue with the review to the Ciao support team

Activate low rating buttons

Add your comment

 Post comment  Post comment

JavaScript should be enabled to rate or post a comment.

Comments

Maybe you have a question about Kyoto (Japan)? Ask here
Previous page Next page Page 1 of 2 | 1 - 5 out of 9 comments
  • anonymili 21/08/2008 16:18
    Rated this review as
    Very Helpful

    Sounds like somewhere quite different to the regular holiday destinations one reads about :)

  • tajo_dre 19/08/2008 10:22
    Rated this review as
    Very Helpful
  • sewbizzie 18/08/2008 16:10
    Rated this review as
    Very Helpful
  • danmclovin 18/08/2008 15:49
    Rated this review as
    Very Helpful
  • Collingwood21 18/08/2008 15:14
    Rated this review as
    Very Helpful

    Lucky you! :-)

Previous page Next page Page 1 of 2 | 1 - 5 out of 9 comments

More reviews

for Kyoto (Japan)

Similar Offers

for Kyoto (Japan)