Scattered with beautiful Shrines and Temples and surrounded by lush green hills, Kyoto seems like somewhat of an oasis compared to it's bustling neighbor, Osaka. Three days is the perfect amount of time to explore - you will leave feeling relaxed and ready to take on Japan's more hectic cities :)
Don't miss spots in Kyoto:
1. Fushimi Inari-taisha (Shinto Shrine)
Make your first stop of the day at Fushimi Inari-taisha, the Shinto Shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto God of Rice - which more broadly represents bountiful harvests and business prosperity for Shinto's. Shinto is the original religion of Japan and is still practiced today by ~54% of the population (Buddhism makes up ~41%).
Fushimi is an extremely popular place to visit - it draws nearly 3 million people during the Japanese New Year alone. Get there as soon as it opens to avoid the masses! Don't forget to explore the surrounding bamboo gardens. Give yourself 1-2 hours to walk around the park encompassing the Shrine and save some time to enjoy snacks afterwards from the vendors lining the street on the way up to the Shrine (if you didn't already hit these prior to your shrine visit like we did :)).
2. Kiyomizu-dera (Buddhist Temple)
This colorful Buddhist temple is located up on a hill with beautiful views of Kyoto - on a clear day you can see as far as Osaka!
While exploring Kiyomizu-dera, don't miss drinking water from the river flowing through the center of the temple - it has "wish-granting powers" :) Also don't miss walking from one "love stone" to another with your eyes closed - reaching the 2nd stone with your eyes closed implies that you will find your true love :)
3. Nishiki Market
There is no better place to take a break from touring shrines and temples than Nishiki Market - a busy food market selling everything from fresh uni (sea urchin) to soy milk black bean ice cream (not to mention the baby octopus lollipops and grilled sparrow).
For those who'd prefer not to eat baby octopus lollipops or grilled sparrow, don't fret, there are plenty of "normal" food options...and did I mention beer and sake! Grab yourself an Asahi and some grilled crab and scallops smothered in butter, you can't go wrong.
4. Gion District & Dining on Kamo River
Geisha's (women who study art, dance, and singing to entertain well-off Japanese business men) originated in Kyoto's Gion district - you can still find women walking around done up with traditional Geisha makeup and attire. It's a fun area to walk around in the late afternoon / early evening prior to choosing somewhere to dine along the pretty and popular Kamo River.
5. Kinkakuji "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"
This Zen Buddhist Temple, covered in gold leaf, was a spectacular sight in person and is placed in a very tranquil setting. It's a bit of a trek to get out here (I'd recommend taking a bus from the Gion District area) but it was totally worth it. There's even a massive Zen Garden you can chill and contemplate life at (pictured below :)).
6. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Check out this picturesque bamboo grove and try to spend more time enjoying it than snapping photos :)
Many people travel to the bamboo grove but choose not to pay the extra ~$20 to explore famed Japanese actor Ohkouchi Sansou's home and garden which is located right above the bamboo grove. Walking the gardens around his home (I thought) was actually more scenic than the bamboo garden and there's a wonderful viewpoint you can sit and relax at. The admission fee includes a hot tea :).
7. Monkey Park Iwatayama
This is exactly as you likely picture it being - monkeys running around everywhere with awed tourists trying to avoid doing anything that may cause a monkey to attack them :) It's worth hiking the 15 minute vertical climb up here to see the monkeys and the view below.
8. Kyoto Station
Unfortunately exploring Kyoto station probably means that you're leaving Kyoto - while you'll want to spend as much time possible in Kyoto I'd give yourself and hour to walk around Kyoto station prior to your train departing to explore and eat - some of Japan's most popular eateries are in train stations and malls.
Learn from our mistake: The Monkey Park and Bamboo Grove are located on the western side of Kyoto and we chose to breakup our Kyoto time by staying one night in this area. There really isn't much to do over there besides spend the day exploring the Monkey Park and Bamboo Grove so I wouldn't recommend staying here (plus all the restaurants close around 5pm after all the visitors leave to head back to Kyoto proper).
Have a great time during your visit to Kyoto!
ありがと / Arigato - thank you!