Famous for its thousands of vivid orange torii gates, Fushimi Inari is an ancient Shinto head shrine and a designated World Heritage site, located in the southeastern part of Kyoto. Dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, prosperity and foxes, the shrine dates back to the 8th century and remains one of Japan’s most iconic spiritual landmarks

Established in 1236 by an imperial chancellor with ambitions to rival Nara’s grand temples, Tōfuku-ji rose as a monumental testament to Kyoto’s spiritual and architectural aspirations. At its helm was Enni Ben’en (1202–1280), a revered monk fresh from China, where he had immersed himself in Rinzai Zen teachings. Under his guidance, Tōfuku-ji became one of Kyoto’s Five Great Zen Temples, an enduring symbol of Zen’s deep roots in Japan.

Rarely visited and tucked away at the foot of Kyoto’s Otagi Mountain, Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is a temple that feels worlds apart from the polished shrines and crowds of nearby Arashiyama. Moss-laden, quiet and steeped in a peculiar charm, it is best known for the 1,200 stone Rakan statues that dot its grounds, each a unique, hand-carved representation of one of Buddha’s disciples. Their expressions range from joyful to meditative, grinning, laughing, sipping sake, or caught in sil

Formally known as Rokuonji, the Golden Pavilion is richly adorned with shimmering pure gold leaf and casts an impressive reflection off the surrounding waters of Kyōko-chi, the mirror pond. An icon of Japanese architecture, it is listed as a ‘Historic Monument of Ancient Kyoto’ as a World Heritage Site. The pavilion’s striking beauty, especially when mirrored in the still waters below, exemplifies the harmony between architecture and nature that defines traditional Japanese d

Bursting with an impressive collection of ancient cultural treasures, Eikan-dō is a sprawling complex of gardens and halls, most famous for its crimson maple leaves in Autumn. Established in 853 at the northern foot of Mount Higashiyama, this temple was a place of learning that nurtured the Pure Land sect it now belongs to.