According to #traveltok, Kyoto is chaos.
Perhaps you have seen the videos of tourists thrusting their smartphones at geisha as the women attempt, unsuccessfully, to shield their ivory faces. Maybe you’ve witnessed the pandemonium through your screen, as selfie-stick-wielding holidaymakers sweep through the streets without a shred of spatial awareness or cultural respect.
I visited the Japanese city amid government crackdowns on ‘paparazzi tourists’ who harass working geishas. Parts of the iconic Gion district have become no-go areas, and you can’t walk 10 steps without seeing a sign that bans the taking of photos.
So it came as no surprise to me when a video went viral on X, with the caption: ‘Unpopular opinion, Kyoto is the seventh ring of hell right now.’
I get it.
Japan welcomed the most visitors in history in 2024, as the country’s weak currency fuelled a tourism boom that drew 36.8 million people to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.
Those who visited Kyoto would have battled hoards of people, tightly packed on cobbled streets to catch an Insta-worthy shot of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kiyomizu-dera Temple. They would have witnessed the thousands at Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine jostle for photos of the iconic red and black Tori gates, and found a small city buckling under the weight of a record number of tourists.
Yes, I appreciate the irony of my writing this…as a tourist in the city.
But after visiting in the quieter October period – avoiding the height of summer or cherry blossom season – Kyoto became the highlight of my honeymoon.
Kyoto: A must-visit
The city is a must-visit if you’re prepared to a) deal with a few crowds and, b) respect local rules and customs.
Japan’s capital until 1868, Kyoto is steeped in history, with winding alleys hugged by jaunty wooden terraces and tea houses dating back hundreds of years.
If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a geiko or maiko (apprentice geishas) on their way to an appointment, their ebony hair elaborately styled as they totter along in vertiginous wooden platforms. I saw one darting from a taxi into Ichiriki Chaya, the most famous of the city’s teahouses. I continue to tell everyone I meet.
If you can tear yourself away from Gion, the city’s 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines share an equally fascinating history. Despite wanting to swerve the crowds of course I had to visit the busiest of them all, Fushimi Inari.
Locals advised us to visit before 7am, but jetlag won out and we arrived at the mountainside shrine to the Shinto god of rice just after 9am instead.
While the initial throng of tourists marching from the train station to the entrance was thick, it only took 10 minutes for the crowd to thin as we climbed through the shrine’s steep gates. The incline is enough to deter the masses and after 20 minutes, you can easily snap a pic that suggests you have the place to yourself. The summit is virtually deserted.
Lesson learned: most people won’t walk further than absolutely necessary.
After a 25-minute train ride, I was ready to tackle Sannenzaka, a stone-paved pedestrian road and tourist magnet with a path leading to one of the best views of Kiyomizu-dera Temple. You’ve almost certainly seen the photos.
We arrived, ignorantly, at 10am, along with hundreds of others doing the same. We didn’t get the road to ourselves, but compared to the horror scenes on social media, the street was as good as empty.
Nishiki was another story. We shuffled along the historic food market (it dates back to 782) like hangry ants, fighting for spots in the corners of tiny eateries to slurp oysters, crunch on golden tempura (a large stick of deep fried goodness will set you back 600 yen, or £3, each) and snaffle freshly-sliced sashimi at such reasonable prices it would make a Londoner weep (I’m talking 600 yen, or £3, for a tray of tuna or 500 yen, £2, for a tray of fatty salmon).
It sounds stifling, but it’s worth it for the spectacle and the variety of fresh food alone.
Storm in a social media teacup?
Kyoto was not nearly as packed as claustrophobic TikTok videos suggest; I was able to enjoy tourist must-dos while also finding pockets of peace.
The tranquil Philosopher’s Walk weaves its way for 2km along a canal in the northern part of the city’s Higashiyama district. This was a moment of calm where we passed no more than 10 people in the 40 minutes or so we meandered along, though come cherry blossom season I can’t vouch for its serenity.
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Pontocho, one of the historic alleys of tea houses and family-owned restaurants, is usually a hub for hungry travellers. The narrow backstreet is home to everything from local yakitori restaurants to high-end establishments, but by swerving peak hour we managed to score a table at Suishin Honten without much fuss.
Sitting on tatami mats with our feet dangling through holes in the floor, we munched on pork hot pots, thick cuts of salmon and salty edamame as waiters carried over rounds of sweet plum wine. Even better, the food was hustled over so quickly we were in and out in an hour and able to pull up a chair at nearby Bar Grid for some late-night Highballs or a wooden boxed-sake for 800 Yen (£4).
From takeaway sake shots to fluorescent sweet potato ice cream from the viral Imo Pippi (one of the more expensive of my city eats at 1400 Yen, or about £7), Kyoto’s culinary scene is unparalleled — and you don’t need to test your patience at busy joints to get incredible meals at reasonable prices. I’d argue the quieter spots are even better. Just have Google Translate to hand as English menus were limited.
And, hey, if all else fails the lure of Konbini (Japan’s convenience stores) is hard to resist. The hype around a Suntory highball in a can, Family Mart chicken and 7-Eleven egg sando is well and truly justified. Even better, you don’t have to queue.
Where to stay in Kyoto
Hilton Kyoto
Opened in September 2024, one of the latest Japanese outposts of the Hilton chain is conveniently located a short walk from Sanjo station, which connects you to the city centre (and the Shinkansen bullet train. It’s also a 10-minute walk from Pontocho and the historic geisha district of Gion.
Rooms are sprawling, which is a welcome treat in Japan (they did introduce the world to capsule hotels, after all). The hotel’s design connects the history of the city with the modernity of the chain. Traditiona shoji screens are juxtaposed with western-style superking beds. Look closely and you’ll even see a map of Kyoto etched into the carpet. It’s these small things that make such a large hotel chain outpost feel more personal.
The hotel may boast 313 rooms, but it doesn’t feel like a cramped establishment where guests are rushed through their stay. Its separate executive lounge, its rooftop bar with views of the neighbouring mountains and a tranquil courtyard garden help create a sense of separation not only from your fellow traveller but from the busy streets below.
While Kyoto’s food is a calling card, don’t miss a meal at the hotel’s in-house restaurant Seven Embers, led by executive chef Mariangela Ruggiero. From tasty cuts of tuna or thick beef fillets to goldleaf ice cream, the courses had me rolling to my room. Luckily I had that superking awaiting.
Standard rooms start at approximately 50,000 yen (£258).
The largest King Kyoto Suite starts at around 180,000 yen (£930).
Banyan Tree Kyoto
Another new hotel to the city, the Banyan Tree franchise’s Kyoto flagship is nestled high in the hills of the historic Higashiyama ward, only steps from Sannenzaka street.
The hotel is a haven above the hoards, with its own bamboo forest, a Noh stage and a luxurious private onsen pumping natural spring water straight into a tub in my room. I managed to drag myself away from the bath to enjoy a full body massage in the hotel’s spa, where I was kneaded and rolled for an hour before swiftly returning back to the onsen. It’s a hard life.
If I wasn’t already floating on air, we took our robe-fitted selves to dinner where we enjoyed a sake pairing over seven courses. Appetizers of persimmon and marinated salmon made way for sashimi and deep-fried tofu, followed by sushi of Pacific saury fish – all washed down with local Junmai and Daiginjo sakes.
Word of warning, the hotel sits high above the city, where, if you’re on foot, you have a choice of a sweeping hill ascension or a slog up a steep staircase, so it’s not a hotel you’ll pop in and out of – once I was out for the day, I was *out* for the day.
Luckily, in a meshing of the old and new, where shoes come off at the door as you walk around on tatami mats, the inviting room, with a chaise longe overlooking a small garden, plus that onsen, were waiting to ease my weary trotters.
A Serenity King Room at Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto starts from £894 per night, inclusive of breakfast, taxes and fees.
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