Exploring Kyoto

Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan, once also the official one.

The sacred city counts with over 1000 temples, with Fushimi Inari-Taisha being the most sought after. It takes around three hours to walk around the shrine and it especially nice if you get there very early in the morning to fully enjoy the quietness of the place.

Thanks (or not) to my crazy jet-lag, I woke up at six in the morning and thought it was a greta idea to wake up my partner too, so we could reach the shrine before everyone else would arrive, anyway if I cannot sleep he can’t either haha.

This was particularly true because we stayed in a small room in an AirBnB and I didn’t feel comfortable waking up the owners either. Bas was not too bothered, the sun was shining and it was a pleasant twenty-two degrees and so at seven thirty we were already about to climb up the stairs of this holy place. It was the perfect time to start, since when we got down at around ten, the place was overcrowded with people.

Fushimi Inari-Taisha

This sightseeing is fantastic, you walk in the nature, in the middle of the forest where hiding monkeys are never too far (I was scared) and through hundreds of torii (the red gates in the picture).

You will find a lot of traditional tea cafes along the path, with spectacular views of the town and surrounded from kitsune statues, light-up candles and flowers. I would suggest stopping at one of the tea cafes as you can meet locals who seem truly interested in meeting you too.

Also make sure you do some stretching throughout the day as you walk so many steps that your calves will surely tighten up. I personally was struggling walking down and up the stairs the day after, I was a really funny sight for sure but it was so worth it!

The Golden Temple

This beautiful temple is 1,30 hrs by bus, which makes too many stops for my liking. It is the public pus that locals take and so it was a lovely experience.

However, I would suggest walking there as it takes the same time, with the plus that you get to soak in the lovely architecture and vibe of this super fascinating city.