Kyoto is a city in Kansai and was the previous capital city of Japan for more than 1,000 years before losing its title to Tokyo in 1192. Although the city is still known to be the cultural capital of Japan. The city is full of pristine Buddhist temples, glistering Shinto shrines, castles, and colourful gardens. If you are a bit of a history buff visit the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art and the Kyoto National Museum to learn about the magnificent work and unravel the history of the city.
There are 17 UNESCO world heritage sites in Kyoto under the list “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" meaning this city is home to one of the largest collections. The world heritage sites are mainly temples if you are short on time to see this many, we have provided the most interesting and rewarding ones to visit on your trip. Kiyomizu-Dera Temple overlooks the Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, Kinkaku-ji Temple famed as the “Golden Pavilion" and Ginkaku-ji Temple known as the “Silver Pavilion has one of the prettiest gardens in the city.
Kyoto has three annual major festivals, Aoi-matsuri in early summer, Gion-matsuri in mid-summer, and Jidai-matsuri in fall. Aoi-matsuri is one of the oldest celebrated festivals in Japan. Attendees attend a big costume party dressing up in the Hein period (794-1185), parading from the Imperial Palace. The Gion-matsuri is Kyoto’s biggest annual festival and is multi-day, held for the purification and pacification of disease-causing entities. Jidai-matsuri (Festival of the Ages) celebrates the foundation of Kyoto through carefully crafted costumes and props.
