21/06/2025
We arrived in Kyoto and jumped straight into a private evening tour through Gion and the geisha districts. We didn’t take any photos of geisha since we were raised with manners. The night ended with a bowl of curry udon so good it made us question everything we thought we knew about noodles.
On day two, we started the morning at the Chion-ji handicraft market, which is absolutely worth planning around if the timing works. From there, we walked the Philosopher’s Path with stops at Eikando, the quiet and quirky Otoyo Shrine, and the grand Nanzen-ji. Lunch was a peaceful meal of fresh tofu and yuba, simple and perfect. We finished the day at Fushimi Inari, winding our way through thousands of red torii gates as the sun began to set.
Day three kicked off with a hands-on roketsu indigo dyeing workshop for a beautiful (and very blue) souvenir we made ourselves. We spent the rest of the day exploring Arashiyama: bamboo groves, temple grounds, riverside paths, and enough snack stalls to derail any lunch plans.
On our final morning, we caught up on laundry and repacking, then made a quick stop at a tiny kaleidoscope museum that turned out to be unexpectedly charming. We wrapped up our time in Kyoto with some shopping and a slow, satisfying cafe crawl. was the perfect home base, tucked into a quiet neighborhood on the Kamo river. My only regret is not spending a bit more time at the rooftop bar (or in the gorgeous bathtub!)
