More than 2 million tourists flock to Japan to admire the pillowy cherry blossoms that sink Japan into a sea of pink for a few weeks each spring. Sakura season may steal the show, but autumn is equally enchanting. For one of the best displays of fall foliage, head to Kyoto – the former imperial capital – between mid-November and early December.

In a city that has more than 2,000 temples and shrines – many of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites – deciding which ones to skip can seem an insurmountable task. To help, Gafencu has curated a three-day itinerary of our favourite temples, historical sites and cultural curiosities.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more dazzling introduction to Kyoto than Kinkaku-ji. Cloaked in a coat of gold leaf, the Buddhist temple is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city. Located nearby, Ryoan-ji is world-famous for its rock garden. Not a single tree or blade of grass can be detected here – only 15 strategically placed rocks in a rectangular plot of gravel, raked daily. Some believe the stones symbolise a tiger and her cub crossing a stream, while others say the arrangement stands more broadly for nature.

After philosophising for some time on the transience of beauty and nature, head to Ninna-ji (a 15-minute walk). Founded in 888 AD by Emperor Uda, the Buddhist temple is one of the oldest of its kind in Kyoto.

From there, hail a taxi and head to Nijo Castle, a sprawling, moat-encircled enclosure of palaces, gardens and support buildings. Each room inside Ninomaru Palace was decorated in a style that glorified the shogun, and its distinctive nightingale floors – so named for the chirping sound they make when walking across them – were cleverly designed to warn occupants of intruders.

Get an early start the next morning to beat the crowds that will inevitably clog the passageways of Fushimi Inari-taisha, a Shinto shrine and one of the most photographed spots in the city. Thousands of orange torii (gates) climb their way up Mount Inari, paying tribute to the Shinto god of rice.

Now that you’ve seen the most popular sites in Kyoto, opt for something off the beaten track. The nearby Honen-In is a modest but magical temple tucked away in a secluded spot. In a similar vein, Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pagoda, is the less ostentatious sibling of Kinkaku-ji.

You’d be forgiven for feeling a tad ‘templed out’ at this point, but a trip to Gion District will remedy this right away. Shops and fine dining options abound, and if you’re lucky, you may glimpse a geisha on her way to work.

Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, leave the city behind on day three and head deeper into the forest. In Western Kyoto lies the Arashiyama bamboo grove and a number of smaller temples and parks.

For your first meal of the day, try Shigetsu, a Zen vegetarian restaurant inside Tenryu-ji temple. Each dish of shojin ryori – a traditional Buddhist meal – is delightfully simple yet bursting with flavour.

Bellies now full, the bamboo grove beckons. Underneath those towering stalks, the shade-bathed path leads visitors on a trance-like journey, with the soothing sway of trees in the breeze serving as soundtrack. 

Aside from Tenryu-ji, our favourite temples in the area were Jojakko-ji and Gio-ji, which both feel worlds away from the camera-clicking masses at popular sites like the Golden Pagoda.

Nature’s beauty may be fleeting, but the restorative powers of fresh air and crisp, colourful leaves will linger long after one leaves Kyoto.

Text: Emily Petsko
Photos: Emily Petsko, AFP

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