Kinosaki is a pleasant historical hot spring town, allows you to have a unique Japanese experience while strolling around in Yukata, and hot springs hopping.
Rakusai Chikurin Bamboo Park/ Kyoto
Rakusai Chikurin Bamboo Park is located in south-west of Arashiyama. You can see beautiful bamboo forest without the crowds like Arashiyama’s bamboo forest.
Wakanoura Bay/ Wakayama
Wakanoura bay, in Wakayama is a good choice for escaping to a less-known part of the Kansai area with rich scenic beauty, praised in the oldest Japanese poems.
Kimii-dera Temple/ Wakayama
Kimii-dera, an impressive temple with golden Buddhas, located in Wakayama is famous for its cherry blossoms, and the magnificent view of the Wakanoura Bay.
Nonomiya-jinja Shrine/ Kyoto
Nonomiya Jinja Shrine with a unique black torii-gate has a great reputation for women. It’s an interesting stop along the Arashiyama bamboo grove walking path.
Imai-cho Preservation District/ Nara
Imai-cho,a well-preserved historical district, a temple town of Shonen-ji with 500 traditional Edo houses laid out in a 2 km grid, is located in Kashiwara,Nara.
Saiho-ji Temple/ Kyoto
Saiho-ji Temple, commonly known as Koke-dera in the Arashiyama area offers a stunning Japanese garden. It’s hard to believe that moss can be a reason to visit.
Hoshida-Enchi Park/ Osaka
Hoshida-Enchi,a national park with the largest wooden foot bridge in Japan, is located in the east side of Osaka for a day hike or a picnic.
Mount Hieizan 1day highlight trip
Mount Hieizan, Kyoto’s eastern mountain range is known for Enryaku-ji. It’s a decent 1day trip out of Kyoto to enjoy gardens, temples and shrines, and hiking.
Former Chikurin-in Temple/ Shiga
Former Chikurin-in Temple, located at the foot of Mount Hieizan in Shiga, originally a villa of Enryaku-ji monks, is famous for its huge and beautiful garden.
Kyoto Uji 1day highlight trip
Uji is a suburb of Kyoto well known as the capital of Japanese green tea, located on the banks of the Uji-gawa River. It’s a decent 1day trip out of Kyoto.
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto/ Japan’s three best festivals「日本三大祭り」
The highlight of Gion Matsuri festival is the “Yamaboko Junko” parade. Massive floats are pulled through the narrow, winding streets of Kyoto. See the schedule.