Early Summer! The Moments I Keep Falling in Love with Kyoto!

Kyoto in early summer is a vast energy field🌿
Filled with enchanting details
Lush greenery and vitality everywhere🍃
Here are 3️⃣ curated routes
Spend two or three days soaking in Kyoto's beauty

✅Route ❶ Mizuiro-tei ➠ (🚶6min) Park Hyatt Kyoto ➠ (🚶2min) Ninenzaka ➠ (🚶2min) Akuya Chaya ➠ (🚶2min) Nishimuki-in ➠ (🚶3min) Meihoutei ➠ (🚶8min) Kiyomizu-dera
A perfect Citywalk route for early risers—arrive before 6:00 AM to have Kyoto all to yourself!
Stroll along ancient stone paths, past traditional wooden houses, where every quiet street is a photo-worthy backdrop. The 3-hour walk is mostly uphill (a bit tough on the legs), but Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka get crowded early, so the sooner you go, the better for photos. To save energy, you can reverse the route starting from Kiyomizu-dera.

✅Route ❷ Eikan-do Zenrin-ji ➠ (🚶7min) Nanzen-ji ➠ (🚶4min) Tenju-an ➠ (🚶4min) Blue Bottle Coffee ➠ (🚘8min) Kamo River
Experience Kyoto’s lush greenery without leaving the city. Sit on the veranda and admire the garden—ponds, bridges, rock formations—every glance reveals a new scene. Look up at towering trees, down at delicate moss, and lose yourself in layers of soothing green.

✅Route ❸ Rurikoin ➠ (🚘12min) Sanzen-in ➠ (🚶2min) Hosen-in ➠ (🚘30min) Kibune Shrine
This countryside route isn’t very transit-friendly, so hiring a car is ideal for a relaxed day trip.
At Rurikoin, the lacquered table on the second floor mirrors the view outside. Sanzen-in boasts ancient trees, moss-covered grounds, a babbling stream by a red bridge, and adorable Jizo statues. I personally love Hosen-in for its tranquility—sip matcha and enjoy sweets in a 270° garden view. Kibune Shrine glows magically at dusk; don’t miss the water fortune-telling or the riverside afternoon tea—pure bliss for cooling off in early summer!

Post by cinnabar_5972 | Jun 11, 2025