11-Day Tour in Kansai (Part 1): Kyoto’s Ancient Charm and Natural Beauty
This trip to Kansai starts from the thousand-year-old capital of Kyoto. It combines history, culture and natural landscapes. Every corner is full of strong Japanese style, making you linger.
📍 Day 1: Arrived in Kyoto, went shopping at MALL
After arriving from Kansai Airport, go directly to Kyoto Station, which is the transportation center of Kyoto and is surrounded by many shopping malls and hotels.
After putting down the luggage, we immediately went to AEON MALL next to the station for shopping. There are all kinds of cosmetics, clothing, groceries, and many Japanese restaurants. It is a good place to take a leisurely stroll and prepare for the next trip.
Of course, the last place you have to go is Lawson, a must-visit shop in Japan. You must try their tempura rice bowl, which is extremely delicious and will leave you with an unforgettable aftertaste.
📍 Day 2: Uji & Kyoto Must-see Attractions
The first stop of the day is Uji, which is famous for its matcha and history.
First visit the World Heritage Byodoin Temple and admire the elegant Phoenix Hall, then go to the nearby shopping street to taste the special matcha, especially the ice cream, which is a delicacy not to be missed.
Then, walk across Uji Bridge and head to Uji Shrine and Ujikami Shrine to experience the city’s long history.
We returned to Kyoto at noon and headed straight to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, walked through the spectacular Thousand Torii Gates, and felt the unique atmosphere of the red tunnel.
Then we went to Kiyomizu Temple, the most classic temple in Kyoto. Standing on the suspended wooden stage and overlooking the city view was particularly stunning.
In the evening, we came to Gion, walked on the cobblestone streets, looked at the traditional townhouse buildings, and tasted Japanese specialties. The atmosphere was particularly charming.
📍 Day 3: Amanohashidate & Ine Funaya, experience the beauty of northern Kyoto
Today we arrived in northern Kyoto and first headed to Amanohashidate, one of the three most scenic views in Japan.
This long and narrow sandbar stretches across Miyazu Bay. The most classic way to enjoy it is to climb up to the observation deck and look at the scenery upside down. You will find that Amanohashidate is like a "dragon ascending to the sky."
Afterwards, you can walk down to the sandbar and find a super beautiful beach with many people playing in the water.
If you don’t want to go in the water, you can rent a bicycle, ride on the sandbar and enjoy the sea breeze.
In the afternoon, we went to Ine Funaya, where we could take a boat to see the houses. The highlight was feeding the seagulls. The fun of interacting with the seagulls was unforgettable.
The boat houses in Ine are all built directly on the seashore. The ground floor is a boathouse and the upper floor is a living space. It is a rare water fishing village landscape in Japan.
You can also walk along the quiet seaside path and look at the wooden boat houses lined up along the coastline, which is a unique experience.
📍 Day 4: In-depth tour of Kyoto city
Back in downtown Kyoto, we first visited two historic Buddhist temples - Higashi Honganji and Nishi Honganji. These two temples showcase different aspects of Japan's Pure Land Buddhism culture. There are relatively few tourists here, so it's a good idea to visit them right after leaving the hotel in the morning.
Then we headed to Kinkaku-ji Temple. Although this golden temple was smaller than expected, it was as beautiful as a painting when reflected on the lake.
Arrive at Arashiyama in the afternoon and first take the Arashiyama train to enjoy the magnificent valley scenery along the way. You can also choose to get off at the terminal and take a boat or ride a horse back to Arashiyama Station.
After getting off the bus, visit Tenryuji Temple, then stroll along the Togetsukyo Bridge and the bamboo forest path, enjoy the unique tranquility of Kyoto, and taste Kyoto's special tofu skin cuisine, which will be a perfect end to your trip to Kyoto.
📍 Day 5: Toji Temple & Osaka Castle
We are going back to Osaka today. In the morning, we will visit Toji Temple, which has the tallest five-story pagoda in Japan, and admire the ducks in the lotus pond next to it.
Then take a bus to Osaka to start the second half of the journey!
When we arrived in Osaka, we first dropped our luggage off at the hotel, then headed to Osaka Castle, climbed up the castle tower to overlook the entire city, and felt the majestic aura of this famous city.
You can also take a cruise under Osaka Castle. After touring the inner city, you can also choose to take a vehicle in the park to the subway station, bus stop or museum entrance, which is convenient and saves time.
#Kyoto #Kansai #Osaka #Uji #Arashiyama #Inari #Kyomizudera #Gion #Kinkakuji #Tenryuji #Ene #Amanohashidate #Osaka Castle