Station Ryokan Seiki, Kyoto

Advantages: Enormous temples, exciting centre & good wooded walks.
Disadvantages: Disappointment if you let the guidebooks build it up too much & expensive.

...all seem a little depressing if no one was buying them and the continual splash of yen upon yen gives this place a bustling charm. Kiyomizu opens early at 6am and is open to 6pm. I walked but the LP suggests buses 206 or 207 from the station. Kinkaku Ji The centre piece of this pleasant temple is the Golden Pavilion. Built in 1397, burnt by an obsessed trainee monk in 1950 and rebuilt with more gold than ever before in 1955 this gaudy two storey temple is one of Kyoto’s most lauded tourist sights. The pavilion glows with two floors of gold-foil covering and is set in very pretty gardens of shallow ponds and ancient trees. Get here early in the day to avoid the tour groups and snap a few pictures while the sun is still coming from the east, allowing you to capture a neat reflection in the landscaped pond... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent view of Kyoto, including the Tower! Good change from all the temples...
Disadvantages: Sticks out amongst 'traditional' surroundings, shops aren't anything special

...For many, Kyoto Station is the first thing that you will see when you reach Kyoto. A futuristic, elaborate building, it's the last you'll see of its kind in this city, so enjoy it. Kyoto Station, in the south area of the city, is the main JR station where you will find the Bullet Train ('shinkansen') and trains out of the city, as well as to other areas within Kyoto. (Note: If you are here to travel, unless you have a pass, it's well worth checking that you can't reach your destination via another rail network that isn't JR, e.g. Kyoto-Osaka with JR costs around 800 yen, with Hankyu it's a mere 390 yen).) The building itself is worth a visit though, built opposite Kyoto Tower, which offers a view of the city for a price, you can get just as good a view (and including the Tower too!) for free from the Station. On entering... Read review

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Advantages: It is a fascinating city which presents many of the contrasts of Japan
Disadvantages: This review is very long - but there is so much to Kyoto that I've only given you the main sites

.... - Kyoto Station (Free) You would probably rush straight through the station, but it is actually an attraction in itself. Sights of the city are impressive, and the architecture is a little bit different; although I'm not convinced that the glass makes it appear to float in the city as the information boards at the top would try to make you believe. It also appears to be quite a retail centre with arcades within the building and underground in the subway section. The area they describe as being a 'garden' at the top, would also benefit with a little bit of green, rather than just the concreted area. - Kyoto Tower (770 Yen) When there are so many beautiful views of Kyoto this tower does seem a bit overpriced. Although it gives you the best view of the entire city and could be a good way to orientate yourself at the beginning of a visit... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful