To finish the day off, let’s spend the last few hours of sunlight at the most…
Kyoto is the second most popular spot for visitors coming to Japan after Tokyo. Where Tokyo is the city of dazzling neon lights, uber-modern inventions and architecture, explosive excitement and a bustling population, Kyoto feels like the exact opposite. It’s the perfect balance to any trip to Japan. Kyoto is history. It’s ancient Zen gardens perfect for internal contemplation, peaceful walks along aged pathways, spiritual visits to sacred temples and traditional creative arts and culture. Whereas Tokyo is a city designed with curated, instagrammable spots, Kyoto is just naturally photogenic. If you’re only visiting Kyoto for a short period and are looking for the best spots to soak in the visual beauty of this city, these are my favourite places to hit up while on your photographic journey in the old capital of Japan, Kyoto.
This is my highlights tour to see the most important aspects of the La Sagrada Familia. It’s perfect for those who just want a short introduction to the church or who are on a time crunch!
La Sagrada Familia is THE MOST important sight to see when visiting Barcelona. Its history, design and the feeling you get upon stepping inside in unparalleled. The church feels like a summation of what Barcelona is all about and understanding it before visiting or while you tour it is so essential to better enjoying this fantastic monument.
Inside the bamboo forest, you’ll come across Tenryuji temple. The temple grounds are known as being one of the most beautiful in Japan and their famous garden, and its zen-like atmosphere was just the thing we were looking for as an to escape from the throngs of people who were started to filter into the bamboo grove.
Arashiyama Village is more than the Bamboo Grove and monkey forest which surround it. Taking a walk down the busy streets and quiet laneways of the small town is an excellent way to experience Japanese culinary treats, see traditional Japanese architecture and explore some lovely shops selling souvenirs and hand made crafts.
If you’re looking for a peaceful day trip from Tokyo, Enoshima is the ticket. This tiny little island off the coast is one of the most serene and beautiful places I had the chance to visit on my last trip to Japan. It was so perfect and quaint it felt like a cartoon seaside village from a Miyazaki film. Hiking up and down the island you’ll be able to see stunning shrines, perfectly manicured parks, a secret garden, and if you’re VERY VERY lucky, a wonderful view of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is known as the shy mountain so don’t expect to see anything but feel lucky if you do. The island itself is inaccessible to vehicles, making it an incredibly quiet location, and walking up the hills, sometimes the only sounds which can be heard the birds and wind through the trees.
Osaka is one of the most vibrant cities in Japan, and while it’s also one of the largest, exploring key parts of this historic town can easily be accomplished in one single day. While spending more time here is always recommended to get to know the inner workings and subtleties of the city, if you’re just stopping over you can easily fill your day with exciting things to do and amazing places to eat.
There are hundreds of Shrines to see in Tokyo, and deciding which ones to see can be tough. I often feel like I’m missing out if I don’t make it to every big item on the “must-see” list. The Meiji Shrine was one of those locations you see on every list, and I thought I’d be remiss not to see it.