Move to Ina House Gion + Higashiyama Temple Loop
Check out Monterey, move to Gion, then spend the whole day walking to the iconic Higashiyama temples from your doorstep
Day 3 Locations
Itinerary
- 9:00 AM Check out Hotel Monterey
Pack up, check out. Cab or quick train to Ina House Gion (~10-15 min). Drop your luggage at the Ina House entrance or leave it with the host for later check-in.
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Arrive at 44-24 Bishamoncho, Higashiyama Ward. Drop bags (official check-in is usually afternoon). You're now in the heart of Higashiyama — everything today is walking distance.
- 10:15 AM Kiyomizu-dera
~15 min walk uphill from Ina House. The famous wooden stage juts out over the hillside — incredible views over Kyoto. Drink from the Otowa waterfall (pick one stream: health, longevity, or success in study). Opens 6 AM but mid-morning is fine.
- 11:30 AM Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka Lanes
Beautifully preserved stone-paved slopes lined with traditional shops, tea houses, and ceramics. These lanes have looked this way for centuries. Walk slowly — every corner is photogenic.
- 12:15 PM Kodai-ji Temple
Built in 1606 by the widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Stunning bamboo grove, raked sand garden, and teahouses designed by Sen no Rikyu. Less crowded than Kiyomizu.
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Arguably the most photogenic alley in Kyoto — stone-paved, ryokan-lined. Walk through then stop for yudofu (simmered tofu hot pot), the Higashiyama specialty. Okutan Kodaiji is a classic spot.
- 2:45 PM Kyoto National Museum
Short bus or cab south (~10 min) — or walk. World-class collection of Japanese art: ceramics, scrolls, Buddhist sculpture, samurai armor. The Heisei Chishinkan building by Taniguchi is stunning. Budget ~1 hour. Right across the street from Sanjusangen-do — pair them.
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Literally across the street from Kyoto National Museum. A 120m-long wooden hall holding 1,001 gilded Kannon statues in silent rows — one of the most staggering sights in Kyoto. No photos inside, just presence. Budget 45 min.
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Short ride north back to Gion. Chion-in is the headquarters of Jodo Buddhism — the sanmon gate is the largest in Japan and the temple bell is Japan's heaviest. Walk through the vast grounds into Maruyama Park next door — Kyoto's most famous cherry blossom spot. The weeping cherry (shidarezakura) is often lit up at dusk in April.
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Return to Ina House for official check-in (~5 min walk from Maruyama). Freshen up, then find dinner in the Gion backstreets — obanzai, a small izakaya, or splurge on kaiseki for your first Ina House night.
Tips
- Ina House is in Higashiyama — every temple today is a 5-15 min walk from your door
- Kyoto National Museum and Sanjusangen-do are directly across the street from each other — always pair them
- Kennin-ji (Zen, Twin Dragons ceiling) is 5 min from Ina House — drop in any Gion evening if you want another
- Maruyama Park at dusk in April = peak Kyoto experience