Tag: day trip
Monkeying Around at Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
There can be no doubt that Arashiyama is one of Kyoto’s most popular day trip destinations for both locals and visitors alike. Featuring a scenic landscape, quaint shopping street, bamboo grove and various shrines and temples, it’s not hard to see why....
A Great Half-Day Hike Near Kyoto: the Kibune – Kurama Hike
Looking for a way to enjoy nature, soak up culture and get some exercise, all at the same time? Well, look no further than the Kibune – Kurama hike. This easy two hour hike covers almost 4 kilometers through the Kitayama mountains...
Bathing in the Buff At Kurama Onsen’s Open-Air Bath
Tired body? Looking for a break from the tourist crowds of Kyoto? A day trip to Kurama Onsen might be just what the doctor ordered. Located less than an hour from the city, Kurama is a rural, mountainous retreat, lush with cedar...
Exploring The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama is a lush, scenic district west of Kyoto which translates directly to ‘Storm Mountain’. During spring and autumn, the titular mountain becomes blanketed in cherry blossoms and autumn foliage respectively. When the wind blows, the dying petals and leaves are whipped...
Tokyo Day Trip: Koedo, Kawagoe’s Breath of Edo
We hear music in the distance. Drums beat and flutes whistle a traditional sound—ancient Japanese melodies in an otherwise modern city. We follow the alluring tune and quickly become engulfed by a town that stands still in time. Men and women in...
A Dragon, a Goddess, and a Shrine: Why You Need to Visit Enoshima Island: Part 1
Sun, sky, an epic romance between a goddess and a vicious five-headed dragon, Enoshima Island has it all. Home to ancient shrines, winding pathways framed by traditional restaurants and shops, and candle-lit caves, the island is a not-to-be-missed day or overnight trip...
The Kyoto Scramble: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 3
With approximately 1600 temples (Silver Pavilion etc), 400 shrines (Yasaka Shrine), 5 castles (Nijo Castle etc), and numerous other picturesque sites, Kyoto offers enough to keep sightseers occupied for weeks. If you’re on a tighter schedule, however, it’s also possible to tackle...
Beat The Heat With These Three Kawadoko River Dining Spots in Kyoto
Summers in Kyoto can be surprisingly hot and humid. Luckily, the pragmatic ancient locals realised long ago that the river's surface, with its lower air temperature and higher velocity breeze, had serious cooling potential. With a little ingenuity, kawadoko river dining came...
Ise to Kyoto in the Cheap Seats: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 2
After a night in the tea fields, our party rose at dawn and drove the 30 minutes from Odai to Ise. It was the beginning of cherry blossom season, and the mountains were lush with small pink flowers. It was beautiful, but...
Forests, Lakes and Ancient Trails: Day trips in the Kiso-Valley
Deep in the mountains of Nagano prefecture, sidling the Japanese Central Alps, lies the pristine Kiso Valley. The clear and cool Kiso River snakes its way through the landscape, flanked by wooded peaks that house rushing waterfalls and ancient trees. Each season...
