Northern Higashiyama
One of the best temples in the Northern Higashiyama district, Nanzen-ji Temple is a sprawling Zen paradise surrounded by lush green hills. Opening hours: 8.40am-5pm, last entry 4:40pm March-November 8.40am-4.30pm, last entry 4:10pm December-February
Heian-jungu Shrine is one of the most important and visually impressive Shinto shrines in Kyoto. It’s worth a visit, particularly on Shinto festival days. pening hours: 6am-5:30pm February 15-March 14 & October 6am-6pm March 15 – September 30 6am-5pm November 1 – February 14
Shugakuin Rikyu Imperial Villa is the most spacious and, in some ways, the most pleasing of Kyoto’s four imperial properties. Guided tour hours: 9am, 10am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm (50min)
Only open for two brief periods a year, Reikan-ji Temple is a must-see attraction if you’re lucky enough to be in town when the gates are open. Only open or first two weeks of April and last two weeks of November (check with the Kyoto Tourist Information Office for exact yearly dates). Opening hours: 10am-4pm, last entry 3:30pm Open only in spring and autumn
A small gem of a temple well to the north of the “beaten path,” Manshu-in rewards the visitor with a fine garden, brilliant architecture and superb decorations. Perfect for visitors exploring Kyoto by bicycle, Manshu-in Temple is a rarely visited masterpiece of a temple that is well worth the effort to get there. The garden is a wonderful karesansu (dry gravel “Zen”) garden and the fusuma-e (sliding door paintings) were done by the master Kano Eitoku. Opening hours: 9am-4.30pm
Konchi-in Temple is one of the finer small temples in the Northern Higashiyama Sightseeing district. It’s got a superb karesensui (dry gravel “Zen”) garden that is the best example of shakkei (borrowed scenery) in the city – while the hills that form the backdrop to the garden lie well outside the temple’s walls, they appear to flow seamlessly from the bushes that form the backdrop to the grave garden. Opening hours: 8.30am-5pm March-November 8.30am-4.30pm December-February
One of Kyoto’s most famous fall foliage spots, Eikan-do Temple is a sprawling complex of gardens and halls that’s worth a visit outside of the fall foliage season. Opening hours: 9am-5pm, last entry 4pm
The Northern Higashiyama Area is one of Kyoto’s most important sightseeing districts. It’s less crowded than Southern Higashiyama but it contains at least as many first-rate sights, including fantastic temples, shrines and lots of greenery.
The Northern Higashiyama Area runs along the base of the Higashiyama (Northern Mountains) from Sanjo-dori in the south to Shugakuin in the north. The western boundary of the district is the Kamo-gawa River. The area at the base of the mountains is basically one long strip of temples, while the central area, known as Okazaki-koen, is the city’s museum district.
Places to See and Do
Places to Eat
Just down the hill from Ginkaku-ji Temple, Omen is one of our favorite restaurants in Kyoto. They serve some of Kyoto’s best udon noodles. Opening hours: 11am-9pm Closed one day a month irregularly, usually Thursday
For a hearty bowl of ramen noodles in the Kyoto museum district (Okazaki-koen Park and Heian-jingu area), Karako is the obvious choice. Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 5pm-midnight Closed Tuesday
One of Kyoto’s Michelin three-star restaurants, Hyotei is one of the most attractive restaurants in Kyoto. It’s a kaiseki restaurant that makes few concessions to foreign palates. Opening hours: 11am-7:30pm Closed 2nd and 4th Tuesday of a month (Main building) Closed every Thursday (Annex)
Hinode Udon is a fine lunch restaurant near Nanzen-ji Temple and the Path of Philosophy. As the name suggests, udon noodles are the specialty of the house. Opening hours: 1am-5pm Closed Sunday except for April and November
A great place to eat near Ginkaku-ji Temple, Goya is an Okinawan-themed restaurant with excellent food, cool music and comfortable seating. Opening hours: 11:30-4pm & 5:30pm-11pm Closed Wednesday except for national holidays