Kyoto in 48 Hours, Beyond the Postcards

Kyoto's problem is not that the famous sights disappoint. It is that eleven thousand other people are looking at them at the same time as you. The fix is almost entirely about timing.

Day one: east, early

06:30 — Fushimi Inari. The thousand torii gates are genuinely magical and genuinely unbearable by ten in the morning. At half six you will have long stretches of the mountain path to yourself. Walk at least as far as the Yotsutsuji viewpoint.

09:30 — Breakfast in Gion. Come back down and eat properly. The area is quiet before the afternoon tour groups.

11:00 — Kennin-ji. Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, and consistently one of its emptiest. The twin dragons painted on the ceiling of the lecture hall are worth the entry alone.

Afternoon — Philosopher's Path, north to south. Most people walk it the other way. Going against the flow makes it feel like a different street.

Evening — Pontocho Alley. Narrow, lantern-lit, and best entered from the northern end.

Day two: west and north

07:30 — Arashiyama bamboo grove. Same logic as Fushimi Inari, same reward. By nine it is a queue.

09:00 — Okochi Sanso Villa. Almost everyone walks through the bamboo and leaves. The villa garden at the far end is one of the most peaceful places in the city, and the entry fee includes matcha.

Midday — Ryoan-ji, then Kinkaku-ji. In that order. The rock garden rewards a slow, quiet visit; the Golden Pavilion is a ten-minute photograph regardless of when you arrive.

Late afternoon — Nishiki Market. Come hungry, eat standing up, and do not walk while eating — vendors would rather you finish at the stall.

Two things that make the whole trip easier

• Buses over trains within the city. Kyoto's subway barely covers it; the bus network does.
• Stay near Karasuma or Kawaramachi. Being central saves an hour a day compared to a cheaper room near the station.

Forty-eight hours is not enough for Kyoto. It is enough to see it properly rather than photograph it badly.