Heian Shrine is one of those "got away" spots that makes us want to plan another Kyoto trip. This isn't just another shrine - it's basically a scaled-down version of the old Imperial Palace, built to celebrate Kyoto hitting the big 1-1-0-0. Those massive orange torii gates are apparently some of the largest in Japan!

What really hurts about missing it is the garden - we heard it's especially magical during cherry blossom season with those weeping cherry trees doing their thing. And don't even get me started on the Jidai Festival, where the whole place turns into a living history book with people parading around in historical costumes from every era.