Kyoto– category –

I headed to Arashiyama on the Randen, arrived in a station area filled with international visitors, walked past Togetsukyo Bridge, sampled a matcha sweet, explored the vast bamboo grove, and finished with a very short but memorable ride on the scenic train.

After skipping lunch while sightseeing around Saga-Arashiyama, I made the walk to Meisei Curry and was rewarded with a fragrant chicken biryani that was well worth the detour from the station.

After returning to Kyoto Station and doing some shopping at Isetan and Takashimaya, I headed to Hosen for dinner. I got in on the first seating by lining up at opening time, and the gentle Kyoto-style Chinese flavors made it a very satisfying meal.

After dinner, I dropped by House of KI NO BI, a nearby shop known for its craft gin. Even without a reservation, I was able to stop in and enjoy a drink.

I went back to Train Train for dinner, a restaurant I had visited before. Its understated exterior gives way to a lively dining room, and the good food, pleasant atmosphere, and thoughtful wine service made me want to return again on my next trip to Kyoto.

On this Kyoto trip, I stayed again at The Westin Miyako Kyoto, a hotel I keep returning to for its polished interiors, excellent public bath, and memorable views over KASUIEN.

I headed to INDIA GATE, a biryani specialty restaurant run by the same group as SPICE GATE, for my second visit. This time I had a half-and-half plate of the weekly biryani and their standard sea bream broth chicken biryani, along with an impressive spread of side dishes.

In Fushimi, I walked past old merchant streets and wooden storehouses before visiting the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, where I learned about the brewery’s history and traditional sake-making and finished with a tasting.

After visiting Gekkeikan, I headed to Kizakura Kappa Country, a brewery-themed stop with extensive kappa exhibits, sake displays, and paid tastings. I tried a junmai nigori sake available only at the directly operated shop and liked it enough to buy a bottle.

On my way back toward Kyoto Station, I spotted brewing tanks through the window of a wooden building and ended up making an impromptu stop at Yamorido for a refreshing craft beer.

After returning to Kyoto Station to pick up my luggage and making a quick stop at Takashimaya in Kawaramachi, I headed to House of KI NO BI, the direct retail shop for the craft gin KI NO BI. The shop carries limited editions, and there is also a bar in the back, where I stopped for a drink.

To wrap up my one-night, two-day Kyoto trip, I stopped by IL LAGO for an Italian dinner of cicchetti, pasta, and their signature 100% duck hamburger steak.

I returned to The Westin Miyako Kyoto and was delighted to be upgraded to a spacious junior suite. Between the curved design of the renovated room, the excellent Spa Kacho, a quick drink in the club lounge, and a relaxed breakfast buffet the next morning, the hotel once again became a highlight of my time in Kyoto.

I went back to Yuuki, a sake brewery-run izakaya in Gion, for a long-awaited dinner of carefully prepared small plates and an unusual sake made from brown rice.

After lunch, I headed to the Columbia Kyoto Store, a machiya-style shop I wanted to visit after buying snow boots from the brand for a trip to cold Nagano. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but the Kyoto-exclusive items made the stop worthwhile, and the walk afterward led past two striking churches.

I visited the Former Kyoto Prefectural Office Main Building, a 1904 Renaissance-style government building that is still in use today. From its bright inner courtyard and red-carpeted staircases to the old governor’s office, it felt like walking through a film set.

I visited the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art for a second time to see the special exhibition Andy Warhol Kyoto, and once again found myself struck by the building as much as the show itself.

For lunch in Kyoto, I walked from Karasuma Oike Station to Hong Kong Yum Cha Hoshimachi and went all in on dim sum. Even with a wait outside, I decided to try somewhere new and ended up with a very satisfying meal.

After a filling dim sum meal, I stopped by Fiveran, a nearby bakery in Kyoto. Even with a full stomach, the breads looked so good that I picked out a few and left wanting to come back another time.

On the last stretch of my Kyoto trip, I walked back to my hotel, kept noticing the city’s abundance of postmodern architecture, and ended the day at Kyoto Tower, where the view gave me one more chance to take in Kyoto Station Building from above.

On the second day of my Kyoto trip, I stayed at Ace Hotel Kyoto, a casually stylish hotel built into ShinPuhKan above Karasuma Oike Station, where a preserved 1931 telephone office and a new building come together in a distinctive way.

After lunch near Kitayama Station, I spent a winter afternoon at Kyoto Botanical Gardens, where the massive greenhouse turned out to be the highlight. For just 200 yen, it was possible to see towering tropical plants, seasonal poinsettias, and even desert and savanna rooms under one roof.

After a short break at the hotel, I headed back out at night for the illuminated event at Heian Shrine. The crowds were far bigger than I expected, and the experience felt more like joining a hugely popular nighttime attraction than quietly taking photos.

After leaving Heian Shrine, I took a taxi toward Kawaramachi for dinner at Train Train, a wine-focused izakaya with an unexpectedly casual exterior and a lineup of memorable dishes.

I began my Kyoto trip with an overnight stay at sequence KYOTO GOJO, a hotel one subway stop from Kyoto Station and just a short walk from Gojo Station. With self check-in, facial recognition access, simple modern rooms, and a large public bath, it made for a smooth and comfortable start.

Getting into Katsura Imperial Villa took persistence long before I arrived in Kyoto. After finally winning a reservation, I visited this remarkable estate and found that its guided tour revealed layer after layer of hospitality, wit, and carefully staged scenery.