"koneko" wrote in message
ups.com...


Oh, great idea! =) I hope we get there soon enough. What's the latest
you'd say we should get in Kyoto and settle into the hotel before
heading to Kiyomizudera?

If you get in to Kyoto by early afternoon, you would still have time
for Kiyomizudera and the Gion area. Hopefully, you'll be at a
hotel in the station area (I can personally recommend the Hotel
Granvia, which is run by JR and is actually IN the station), so check
in as quickly as you can then take a taxi to Kiyomizudera. The
temple itself is far more interesting than any you would see in Tokyo,
and then you can walk down the hill into the eastern side of Kyoto's
downtown area. The walk down is lined with tourist shops, by the
way, although many of these do have some interesting goods.

The Gion area and the shopping arcades nearby will be a good
place to wrap up your evening, and there is certainly no shortage
of good places to eat there.

With only a couple of days in Kyoto, you're going to have to
scramble the next day, but I would definitely recommend
including Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) and the Golden Pavilion
(Kinkakuji) on the agenda. If possible, and if you like a
pleasant walk which passes by a number of interesting temples,
the "philosopher's walk" (Tetsugaku-no-michi), which is
again back on the eastern side of town, is a good choice.
Again, the JNTO office just a couple of blocks north of
Kyoto station is a great source of tourist information and
assistance.

Bob M.