DISTRICTS
Every district, mapped honestly
Nine areas cover the whole city, and every one of them now has a full guide — from Higashiyama's crowds to Hidden Kyoto's still-growing list of quiet finds.
9 districts indexed · 9 full guides live
Jump to a district
Higashiyama
The eastern hills district: Kiyomizu-dera, the Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka lanes, Gion, Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park. Kyoto's classic postcard image, and its most crowded ground.
Arashiyama
The bamboo grove, Togetsukyō Bridge over the Katsura River, and a scattering of riverside and hillside temples on the western edge of the city.
Gion & Downtown
Kawaramachi's shopping streets, Nishiki Market, and Pontochō's lantern-lit restaurant alley — the flattest, most walkable part of central Kyoto.
Fushimi
Home to Fushimi Inari Taisha's thousands of torii gates, and — separately — an old sake-brewing quarter along the Horikawa canal, worth a slower afternoon.
Kitayama & Kibune
Kinkaku-ji's gold pavilion anchors the north; further out, Kibune's riverside restaurants sit over the water for summer dining.
Ohara & Sakyo
Rural temples, the Philosopher's Path, and Kurama's mountain onsen — the quieter, greener edge of the city.
Uji
A short train ride south of central Kyoto, known for matcha and the Byōō-in temple's Phoenix Hall — a well-judged half-day trip.
Kameoka & Takao
Mountain temples and river rafting on the Hozu-gawa, well off the main tourist path even in peak season.