Wondering what your options are for breakfast? Kyoto has many bakeries, as well as Western-style cafés and coffee shops, of course, but it’s another experience to begin your day in the city with some scrumptious local fare. Read on to discover options to start your day Kyoto-style with a breakfast of rice and miso soup in a machiya, a meal in an old café, or head out to discover your own Japanese-style breakfast treat!

 

Kyoto is always bustling with travelers, so it’s best to get up early in the morning, enjoy your breakfast, and then head out to visit the temples to have them to yourself.

 

So where should you go for the best Kyoto breakfast?

 

*The business hours, prices, and menus of the following establishments may have changed since the posting of this article, so please inquire with each café or restaurant for the most recent information.

 

*Prices listed here do not include consumption tax, which will be calculated at 8% when you pay (Consumption tax is scheduled to increase to 10% beginning on October 1st, 2019).

Autumn in Kyoto is famous for the red of the maple leaves, but the yellow of the ginkgo leaves around the city are just as beautiful. When looking for ginkgo trees in Kyoto, be sure not to forget Nishi-Hongwan-ji Temple and Higashi-Hongan-ji Temple. The giant ginkgo trees are at their most beautiful when they become golden yellow in autumn, and their fan-shaped leaves cover the ground.

 

 

Located close to Kyoto Station, this temple is one of Kyoto’s major sightseeing spots. It is also registered as a Tangible Cultural Property, and its Founder’s Hall (Goei-do) is said to be the largest wooden building in the world. Within the temple grounds, only the Founder’s Hall and the Amida Hall are open to the public, but their interiors are spread with tatami, and are hushed and cool, making a mysterious and calming environment.

 

For those interested in history, guided English tours　are available for a fee.

 

 

Nishi-Hongwan-ji Temple is a 15 minute walk from Higashi-Hongan-ji Temple, and you should begin to see the buildings of Nishi-Hongwan-ji Temple part way through your walk. The temple is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Almost all of the buildings within the temple grounds, not least of which is the Main Amida Hall, are registered either as National Treasures or Tangible Cultural Properties. Many of the architectural styles are from the Momoyama Period (1573-1603), and much history can be seen in the rich ornamental carving and old buildings.

 

 

To-ji Temple’s (Kyo-o-gokoku-ji Temple) five-storied pagoda boasts the title of Japan’s tallest wooden building. Even in Kyoto, a city with many temples, To-ji Temple has a particularly large presence here. In autumn, the maple trees in the temple garden all change color at once, and the sight of the autumn leaves all around the five-storied pagoda is one of Kyoto’s most distinctive.

 

A flea market is held at To-ji Temple on the 21st of each month, in which over 1,000 open stalls set up shop for the day within the temple grounds, selling antiques, local specialties, ceramics, handmade items, and more.

 

Transfer from the Subway Karasuma Line at Karasuma Oike Station to the Tozai Line, and then ride to Nijojo-mae Station. With nearly 400 years since its construction in the Edo Period (1603-1868), Nijo-jo Castle is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The castle is also popular for its cherry blossoms in spring, and events throughout the year, which bring in visitors from across Japan and the world.

 

The castle opens to visitors at 8:45 in the morning, and if you’d like to enjoy the castle at your own pace, it’s a good idea to get there early! If you’re interested in Nijo-jo Castle’s history, check out a guided tour of the castle (For a fee. A tour takes about 90 minutes, beginning at 10:00 or 12:30 *Tour is conducted in English)!

 

 

 

 

From Karasuma Oike Station on the Subway Karasuma Line, ride to Marutamachi Station and walk 5 minutes. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is a place of great historical importance, as it was the residence of generations of Japanese emperors. Nowadays, the wooded area within Gyoen, Kyoto’s national park, is lush and green, and famous for its weeping cherry trees. The Kyoto Imperial Palace and the Sento Imperial Palace within the Gyoen Park can be visited year-round, either via advance reservation, or by visiting reception on the day of your visit.

 

 

 

The Kyoto State Guest House was built to receive dignitaries and distinguished guests from overseas. The building’s stately architecture, with its traditional Japanese gables and sukiya-style construction (which focuses on natural materials and the aesthetics of tea ceremony houses), are built to harmonize with the historical scenery and the Guest House’s natural surroundings.

 

The building and its furnishings include the works of some of Kyoto’s traditional artisans, including the sukiya architecture, plasterwork, garden design, kirikane foil work, Nishijin-style weaving, maki-e gold powder decorations, lacquerware, and more.

 

Free-style visits on your own require no reservations in advance. The State Guest House may be visited on days open to visitors from 10:00 - 17:00 (Reception closes at 16:30)

 

90 minute guided tours are available via advance reservations. Japanese language tours are available on days open to visitors from 10:00 - 17:00 (Reception closes at 15:30). English language tours are available on days open to visitors at 12:00 noon. (Please arrive at the West Gate 30 minutes before the start of the tour)

For more information about visiting and guided tours: Click here　

 

Kiyomizu-dera Temple / Yasaka-jinja Shrine

 

Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Yasaka-jinja Shrine are both World Heritage Sites, and some of Kyoto’s most famous spots. Because the nearby scenery has been carefully protected, you’ll be able to take in some beautiful Kyoto scenery in this area. The area also has a number of very traditional-looking locations, such as Ninen-zaka and Nene-no-Michi streets. There are many eateries and shops on both sides of the stone-lined street that leads to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, so even the walk to the temple is an interesting stroll.

 

 

 

 

 

Take a train from Keihan Railway’s Gion Shijo Station, get off at Fushimi Inari Station, and walk five minutes. Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine is famous for its thousand torii, and these red gates that extend almost endlessly into the distance create some uniquely mystical scenery. It is said the creation of the torii began in the Edo Period (1603-1868).

 

 

Heian-jingu Shrine is the symbol of the Okazaki Area, with its bright rust-red torii gate, and its southern gate decorated in brilliant red and green. Visitors can also enjoy the cherry blossoms that bloom along the Okazaki Canal nearby, where the flowers reflect back on the surface of the water in a beautiful display. The area is also home to a number of other sightseeing and cultural locations, including art museums and Kyoto Okazaki Tsutaya Bookstore.

 

 

 

 

If you leave Hyotei Bekkan and walk a little ways, you’ll come across Nanzen-ji Temple, a spot famous for autumn leaves in Kyoto. The aqueduct that forms a portion of the Okazaki Canal passes through the Nanzen-ji Temple grounds, and the artistic, photographable design of its brick arches makes it a popular subject for Instagram pictures. The garden at Nanzen-ji Temple’s Honbo (former residence of the head priest) is made of white sand, and features a very zen aesthetic with trees and moss before a mud wall, and a rock garden. The temple scenery is beautiful and soothing, and is likely to make you want to sit for as long as you can in a relaxing daze.

 

 

 

 

Walk famous locations or historical streets together with a guide! On one of these tours, you’ll be able to go one layer deeper, and discover the hidden wonders of Kyoto.

 

*Guided tours are conducted mostly in English, but visitors may also take advantage of private guides in the case of other languages as well.

 

 

 

Last updated: 3/14/2019

 

*Please understand that there may be changes to business hours, prices, and menu options.