Kyoto Hotels

Japanese culture is alive and well in Kyoto. Along with numerous Unesco World Heritage Sites, thousands of ancient shrines and temples and many fascinating museums, it’s also home to the stunning new Kyoto Concert Hall which opened in 1995 to commemorate the city’s 1200th anniversary. So, do your research on hotels in Kyoto, hop on a cheap flight, and get ready to discover this city's fascinating heritage.

Soak up the atmosphere of historic Kyoto with a guided tour of the Old Imperial Palace, whose origins date back to 794, although the present building was completed in 1855. Climb the mountain to the 8th-century shrine at Fushimi Inari, dedicated to the gods of rice and sake, with its dozens of sacred fox carvings, and admire the ornate chambers, screen paintings and landscaped gardens of Nijo Castle, once the official residence of a shogun warlord.

The Kiyomizu Temple, a sacred place for Buddhists through the centuries, is now one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Drink health-giving sacred water from the waterfall or find true love by closing your eyes and walking unguided between the stones. Discover Zen tranquillity in the garden of Ryoanji Temple, a collection of rocks arranged in the kare-sansui style by a mysterious unknown architect, or visit the famous "Golden Pavilion", Kinkaku-ji, which was burnt to the ground in 1950 by an obsessed young monk and fully reconstructed shortly afterwards in all its gold-foiled glory.

Find out more about traditional Japanese comic book art at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, which also runs a programme of workshops, live drawing sessions and special events. The Kyoto National Museum, contains important collections of pre-modern Japanese and Asian art and attracts quite a few tourists, though the Museum of Modern Art (MoMAK), housed in a cutting-edge building dating from 1986 is of equal interest. Here you can admire Kyoto School paintings in the Japanese nihonga style, as well as prints, sculpture, crafts and photography from the rest of Japan and further afield.

Most reputable Kyoto hotels will be happy to offer information on these cultural attractions, as well as details of concerts by the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra and other live events during your stay.