I spent 4 days in Kyoto and honestly it was the hardest city to leave. Not in a dramatic way, just in that quiet way where you're packing your bag and realizing you're not ready to go yet. The whole Japan trip was incredible, but Kyoto felt different. There's something about the way temples just appear between modern streets, or how you turn a corner in Gion and suddenly feel like you went back 200 years. Thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

It wasn't flashy like Tokyo. It was quieter, more intentional. Walking through the bamboo grove in Arashiyama at 7:30am before anyone else got there, just the sound of wind moving through the stalks. Or climbing up to Fushimi Inari at dawn and having those red torii gates almost to myself for the first hour. Those moments stay with you.

What got me about Kyoto was the balance. You'd spend the morning at Kinkaku-ji with hundreds of other people, then take a bus twenty minutes and end up at a small temple where it's just you and maybe two other visitors. Both experiences in the same city, same day.

For those thinking of going, here's what I did: Day one I went to Fushimi Inari super early, around 6am, then walked the Philosopher's Path which connects a bunch of temples. Did Ginkaku-ji, Nanzen-ji, and Eikando. Day two was Kiyomizu-dera early, walked down through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, spent the afternoon in Gion, had okonomiyaki at Gion Tanto which was incredible. Day three I hit Arashiyama bamboo grove right when it opened (go early or don't go), Tenryu-ji Temple, then Kinkaku-ji and the Imperial Palace grounds. Day four I kept flexible and just walked around neighborhoods I hadn't explored yet.

Food-wise the ramen at Ramen Sen No Kaze was my favorite. The okonomiyaki at Gion Tanto I already mentioned but that meal alone was worth the trip.

As a closing note, it's an incredible destination that deserves preparation. Always leave room for improvisation obviously, but don't miss things because you didn't research enough. There are many great YouTube channels, I watched a lot of Abroad in Japan's videos for example, also Tokyo Lens. Another resource that was super useful for me was the guide from RealJapanGuide. For those looking to have everything in one place it'll be amazing. And Reddit, of course. JapanTravel, JapanTravelTips, KyotoTravel all have lots of great info

Kyoto still has a piece of my heart