Bike Tour of the East Side of Kyoto
Duration: 5-6hrs Distance: 12km Difficulty: Easy
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Heian Shrine's spectacular garden → Ginkakuji the "Silver" Pavilion → the Path of Philosophy → Nanzen-ji temple grounds → Gion District
Starting at Heian Shrine you get a fantastic introduction to Japanese garden design at the sprawling garden of Heian Shrine. This a a real gem as it's usually not crowded at all so you can stroll the gardens at leisure while we talk about the traditional customs of the old capital.
From here it is a short trip to Ginkakuji which has one of the most relaxing and classic Japanese style gardens from the days when the tea ceremony had a huge influence on the culture of Japan. This was a retirement villa for a famous shogun and grandson of the shogun who built the Golden Pavilion across town. Here you can see buildings which are over 500 years old and a masterful display of gardening skill.
From there a trip down the Path of Philosophy which is one of the most pleasant paths in Kyoto. Hugging the hills there is an abundance of nature and plenty of little shops and cafes along the route. This takes us to Nanzen Ji temple, one of the great temples of the Zen faith. The grounds here are spectacular and we can even see a Romanesque aqueduct running through the nature filled site.
Then it's on to two of the famous streets in Gion called Hanimikoji and Shirakawa Dori. Here you can soak up the atmosphere and maybe even spot a geisha running off to an appointment. One this pleasant day you can see lots of nature, beautiful gardens and get a taste of zen.
Starting at Heian Shrine you get a fantastic introduction to Japanese garden design at the sprawling garden of Heian Shrine. This a a real gem as it's usually not crowded at all so you can stroll the gardens at leisure while we talk about the traditional customs of the old capital.
From here it is a short trip to Ginkakuji which has one of the most relaxing and classic Japanese style gardens from the days when the tea ceremony had a huge influence on the culture of Japan. This was a retirement villa for a famous shogun and grandson of the shogun who built the Golden Pavilion across town. Here you can see buildings which are over 500 years old and a masterful display of gardening skill.
From there a trip down the Path of Philosophy which is one of the most pleasant paths in Kyoto. Hugging the hills there is an abundance of nature and plenty of little shops and cafes along the route. This takes us to Nanzen Ji temple, one of the great temples of the Zen faith. The grounds here are spectacular and we can even see a Romanesque aqueduct running through the nature filled site.
Then it's on to two of the famous streets in Gion called Hanimikoji and Shirakawa Dori. Here you can soak up the atmosphere and maybe even spot a geisha running off to an appointment. One this pleasant day you can see lots of nature, beautiful gardens and get a taste of zen.
