Day one starts at one of the more overlooked temples in Kyoto, Ginkakuji, or “the silver pavilion.” Unlike its counterpart Kinkakuji, which is leafed in gold, Ginkakuji has no such silver decor, but don’t let that stop you from visiting this gorgeous place.

The rich history and stunning grounds are filled with tons of various gardens with winding paths for you to get lost in, and see some amazing views of Kyoto. In spring, Ginkakuji has plenty of cherry blossoms, as well as paths lined with plants and trees to immerse yourself in the new growth of nature.

After exploring Ginkakuji, take a quick 5-minute walk to the Philosopher’s path, which runs about 2 kilometers along a canal, leading to Nanzenji Temple.

The Philosopher's Path is named after one of Japan’s most famous philosophers, Nishida Kitaro. While he was a student at Kyoto University, he is said to have walked this path every day.

The path is famous in the spring because the entire waterway is lined with cherry blossom trees.

Tourists flock from far and wide to see the delicate blossoms bloom pink and white along the path, and shop at small traditional shops along the main road.

From the beginning of the path, walk along the canal until you reach the aqueduct near Nanzenji Temple, then continue over toward Keage Incline.

Once you have walked up an appetite, it’s time to have a traditional Japanese-style lunch at Minokichi Honten Takeshigerou.

The restaurant is about a 15-minute walk from the end of the Philosopher’s path and serves Japanese Kaiseki cuisine.

Kaiseki is a multi-course traditional meal, focusing on seasonal vegetables and fresh fish, as well as immaculate presentation and simple flavors.

This is a great place to start if you haven’t had the opportunity to experience Japanese cuisine in the past.

Keage Incline is an abandoned railway that once connected the Kamogawa River to the Biwa Canal. Decommissioned in 1948, this 500-meter track is lined with cherry blossom trees, making it one of the most popular sites to see the blooms in Kyoto. The path is now used to connect hikers to the Kyoto Circuit trail, but in the spring, couples and families flock to the incline to see the old railway tracks get covered in pink and white petals, making a carpet of cherry blossoms.

Heian Jingu Shrine is at the heart of a sprawling midtown park called Okazaki Koen. The entrance to the shrine has an iconic huge torii gate that looms over the street, so you can’t miss it. The shrine itself is decorated in classic red-orange colors and the wide-open entrance is usually filled with people praying or admiring the ancient architecture. The park is best known for its huge and winding garden, over 30,000 square meters of small paths, ponds, and plant life that come to life in the early spring. To enter the garden, take a left before the main shrine and pay a small fee of 600 yen. The garden exemplifies Japan’s connection to nature and sports four separate parts, all blending for a peaceful and beautiful walk behind the shrine.

All that walking is sure to make you hungry for a hearty dinner. Just a 5 min walk away from Keage Incline, Nanzenji Junsei is a perfect restaurant to try out one of Japan’s specialties; tofu. This restaurant has great courses with tons of different tofu dishes that will let you explore one of Japan’s most famous dishes. Each course has tofu paired with seasonal vegetables cooked in different ways so you can explore springtime flavors in Kyoto.

If you have some energy left after dinner, take a 30 min walk or a 20 min train ride to Pontocho Alley for some nightlife. Pontocho is a famous narrow street in downtown Kyoto lined with bars and shops. This traditional alleyway is covered with lanterns and signs that make it a great photo spot, as well as a place to explore a few bars for a late-night drink and to meet some of the locals.

Day two of our Kyoto springtime tour starts with taking the bus to Kiyomizu-michi bus stop, and then walk down Kiyomizu street, a crowded shopping street with tons of energy.

Here you can take a leisurely walk uphill to Kiyomizu Temple, while exploring some traditional food like matcha-flavored sweets or roasted chestnuts, and shopping for souvenirs in different stores.

Once you get to the temple, take some time to walk around and enjoy the ancient wooden structure, pray at one of the various sub-temples, and wash your hands in the pure water that flows from the Otowa waterfall to seek health, a long life, or success.

From the top, you can get amazing photos of cherry blossoms dotting the mountainside, and even stop to have a quick tea and snack.

Head west toward Kiyomizu Street and you’ll come to a narrow alleyway called Sannenzaka, where you’ll find several cute traditional shops along the hill.

Continue along this road, curve left, and the pagoda for Hokan-ji Temple will come into view. This is a particularly beautiful scene at this time of year.

At the end of a very busy street called Shijo, this shrine dominates the area with a huge bright red gate that screams Kyoto.

Once inside, you will find tons of paths to explore, and in the spring, they are lined with food stalls selling everything from fried noodles to candied fruit.

The shrine then connects to Maruyama Park, which is one of the most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto.

The park is filled with cherry trees and has a scenic Japanese garden, so it is common to grab a tarp and a drink underneath the falling petals to enjoy the views.

For lunch, take a quick 5-minute walk down the back streets of Gion to try Sangencha. This Kaiseki restaurant on a quiet back street serves traditional Japanese cuisine in multiple tiny courses. It specializes in local delicacies and gourmet food, from vegetables to tofu and fresh fish. The service is personalized to each guest and the meals include Japanese sake for you to try.

After lunch, make your way to Gion Corner Theater, about a 10 min walk away.

If you haven’t had a chance to experience Japanese cultural shows like dances or theater, Gion Corner is a perfect event that encapsulates seven different Japanese traditions in one.

The show (held at 6 PM) aims to give tourists a taste of a variety of traditional Japanese traditions, including tea ceremony, Kyoto dancing, flower arrangement, music with the koto instrument, traditional court music, kyogen comedic play, and bunraku puppet theater.

Once you are ready to get up and moving again after the Ginza Corner show, make your way to Kiyamachi Street, about a 20 min walk away from Shijo Kiyamachi on the opposite side of the Kamo River.

Heading north along the street, you will enter the heart of Kyoto nightlife. Along a small canal (the Takase River), both sides of the streets are lined with restaurants, dance clubs, and bars.

This is where many Kyotoites go to hang out after dark and it is a perfect chance to mingle with the locals and have a great meal with drinks. Every block has small side streets filled with small sake bars, or beer gardens resting on the roofs of buildings.

Hawkers call out to you on the street while you walk to charm you into eating at their restaurants or coaxing you into a bar or club. If you are ready to have a lively night now, Kiyamachi is the place to be.

Day three starts off at Togetsukyo Bridge, in the heart of the area of Kyoto known as Arashiyama. The bridge runs over the Katsura River and the views from it are beautiful.

In the springtime, cherry trees with their pink and white blossoms dot the mountains and small covered row boats float across the river. The scene is one for perfecting your photography skills.

It only takes a few minutes to cross the bridge, but there are small food shops along the river to explore if you want to take some leisurely walking time.

Tenryu-ji is a gorgeous temple with a huge pond in the middle of Arashiyama, set a little bit back from the Randen Arashiyama Station.

It is a great way to step away from the crowds to enjoy a bit of nature.

The temple grounds are vast, covering a huge area with many small paths to a large pond filled with colorful koi fish.

In the spring, cherry trees are found around the pond and reflect into the water.

The temple itself holds exhibitions for different types of traditional Japanese art, so you can check out the painted sliding doors, as well as view the inside of the Japanese temple complex.

Exit Tenryu-ji at the north gate to walk into the famous Arashiyama bamboo forest. When you think of Kyoto, the bamboo grove in Arashiyama is one of the most recognizable sites. The walk is 400 meters, and each side is lined with bamboo trees that sway gently in the wind. It is a perfect place to take photos and see the care that was put into growing and maintaining the grove.

Walk back 15 min through the streets of Arashiyama to get to Saga Torokko Station and get in line to ride the Sagano Romantic Train. This train line goes from Arashiyama to Kameoka, taking about 25 min. The train has an open concept, so seeing the mountain and valley views is easy from any seat. In the spring and fall, the train is most popular, showing off either cherry blossoms or fall leaves that run through the gorge of the Hozugawa River.

Once you get to Kameoka, take a 15 min walk to check out lunch at Matsusho, a Kyoto specialty restaurant serving course dishes with fresh vegetables, meat, and green tea. The traditional restaurant has amazing views of the garden, along with a huge cherry tree, so you can enjoy spring blossoms while filling up on local dishes.

During the day, Nijo Castle has an incredible indoor track where you can explore a ton of Kyoto history, and boasts a massive garden with dozens of cherry trees.

But in the evening, things get even better, as the trees are lit up for a magical night viewing of the cherry blossoms.

The event goes on from March 8th to April 7th and you can enter from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (closes at 10 p.m.).

The castle is also home to a digital art event that displays projection mapping illumination on the castle walls.

Walking through the gardens of lit-up petals and illuminated artwork is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If you have more than three days in Kyoto during the springtime, or if you move quickly while you travel and need some more things to see, check out some other great seasonal sights that could easily make the list of must-sees while you are in Kyoto.

Toji temple is a popular place for seeing cherry blossoms during springtime. The seven-story pagoda towers above a garden filled with cherry trees. Toji temple also has a seasonal nighttime illumination, where the blossoms and pagoda are lit up, so you can enjoy the views after dark as well.

Hirano Shrine in the north is where the Okasai Festival is held on April 10th, celebrating springtime and the cherry blossoms. If you are in Kyoto around this time, check out the religious procession with Heian period costumes and traditional music, as well as a nighttime illumination that showcases the blossoms.

Fushimi Momoyama is home to an ancient castle, and its grounds are located in a quiet neighborhood in southern Kyoto. The garden features dozens of cherry trees and picturesque views of the rebuilt castle. Since the castle grounds are farther away from popular tourist destinations, this is a great place to enjoy springtime in Kyoto away from the crowds.

The grounds of Kyoto’s Imperial Palace are massive, with hidden gems and small trails that wind through nature. The surrounding park - Kyoto Gyoen National Garden
- is home to a ton of cherry trees and is a great spot to put down a tarp and have a picnic under the blossoms. Since the grounds are so big, you are sure to find a quiet place to enjoy the springtime weather.

Hakusa Sonso is an ancient residence and garden of the famous painter Hashimoto Kansetsu. It is one of the only well-preserved residences of painters in Kyoto from the early 1900s and features a large garden, tea house, museum, and a personal Buddhist temple. The garden spans over 10,000 square meters, so it is an easy place to get away from the crowds and get lost in a more peaceful and natural part of the city. In the spring, there are tons of blooming flowers and plants to enjoy throughout the garden. The museum has rotating exhibits that feature Kansestu’s work, as well as other Japanese painters, so you can get a taste of art and history while exploring Kyoto.

One of the best ways to get around Kyoto is by bus. The buses go to all the major destinations, they are easy to navigate, and they generally show up on time.

If you will be taking the bus a few times during the day, it is recommended to get a Bus One-Day Pass. The pass can be purchased at Kyoto Station and as well as on the bus itself and costs 700 yen. Scan the card the first time you use it, and then just show the date to the driver every time you get off the bus. The pass is unlimited, so if you are in for a day of sightseeing, it’s a super convenient way to get around.

Similar to the Bus One-Day Pass, this pass will let you visit almost all the major sightseeing spots within Kyoto and can be used on subways in addition to the municipal buses, Kyoto Bus (some routes), and select routes on the Keihan bus. The pass costs 1,100 yen for adults.

If you will be taking the bus less often, or using a combination of trains and buses, you can purchase a prepaid transit card at all the major stations or from our page here.

These contactless IC cards come in various brands - like ICOCA in western Japan and Suica or Pasmo in eastern Japan - but all of them can be charged at the station ticket machines with a predetermined amount of money. Then when you get on and off the train or bus, simply tap your card to pay. (Since these cards are also accepted at many vending machines, convenience stores, and elsewhere, they are a convenient alternative to cash and are a great way to avoid having to dig around in a coin purse for change!)

Finally, while the Japan Rail Pass is excellent for getting around between major cities, it would be applicable only on the Kyoto Station to Umahori Station leg, or from Kyoto Station to Momyama Station (for Fushimi-Momoyama Castle) in this itinerary.

If you're looking for a more structured way to explore Kyoto, joining a small tour group can be a great option. These tours provide expert guides, insider knowledge, and a chance to experience the best of Kyoto.