Peaceful gardens and ancient temples in Kyoto

You've arrived in Kyoto! I would highly suggest you base yourself in the Good Nature Hotel Kyoto because it truly has it all: spacious rooms, a great location as well as vegan food. Drop off your luggage and start exploring!

I highly recommend to make your way to Gion early in the morning - from Good Nature Hotel Kyoto where I stayed at it's only a short 5-10min walk. Grab a coffee, pass by the traditional Tatsumi bridge for that perfect IG photo and soak up the authentic atmosphere of the Gion district. I absolutely love to wander around here, enjoy the blossoms in spring and people watch. Gion is also great to wander around at night when the cherry blossoms are illuminated!

If you get hungry, I highly recommend to grab a pastry or a sandwich on the way from Sizuya. You could visit Yasaka Shrine as the café is just next to it, however, I highly recommend to come back here in the evening.

From here, it takes about 10-12mins to walk to the famous quarters of Ninenzaka as well as Sannenzaka. If you want to take pictures, you might want to head here as early as possible (around 5am honestly) and/or stay at Saka Hotel Kyoto for prime access to the area. I personally have seen this same shot so much that I did not bother to get this shot myself. There is a lot to explore in this area, so I recommend to really take your time to walk around, check out the shops, visit one of the many temples or shrines in this area, grab lunch or a snack and just overall don't rush it too much. You can find some of my highlights further down on this day but my main tip would be to take your time!

Getting hungry? Okutan Kiyomizu is the oldest tofu restaurant in Kyoto and an absolutely stunning tranquil retreat from the busy streets of Ninenzaka. The perfect spot to recharge and enjoy a vegan lunch!

If you're a Ghibli fan, you do not want to miss the Ghibli Store here - it is the prettiest most detailed store I have seen so far! Walk through Totoro's forest before you reach the actual store, I really loved this one so much.

Another thing that is pretty easy to miss while walking through Ninenzaka is Yasaka Koshin Shrine which is so so fun! It is small, and a popular spots for taking pictures, but you should make sure to see it when you are in the area. Write a wish on one of the colorful cloths!

In the evening, after dinner, I recommend to return to Yasaka Shrine. This shrine truly comes alive at night for me when the plethora of lanterns are lit. The best part - it is pretty much completely empty at night! I loved enjoying this shrine all to myself with the serene atmosphere at night.

If you're up for grabbing a drink, RUTUBO is an amazing cute little bar that we found in Gion! We loved the decorations outside and popped in. Staff was super friendly, the snacks were amazing and drinks generous. Overall, one of my favorite bars for a relaxed atmosphere.