myself to visiting only one palace and one temple?
Because im scared that they all look alike.
2007-08-18 00:11:26 · 6 answers · asked by DeathStar 4 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Japan
They don't all look alike. There are both Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines, each with its own individual atmosphere and characteristics.
You could easily do four or five comfortably in a day if you wanted to. Shinto shrines don't charge an admission fee, so you can go and see the Heian Shrine and Fushimi Inari (My Fav in Kyoto!) for free if you wanted.
All the major Buddhist Temples, especially the touristy ones, will charge an admission price (between ¥300 and ¥700) I liked Kiyomizudera and Sanjusangendo the best. Kinkakuji I found overrated, (and ridiculously crowded). Its sister temple on the opposite side of the city, Ginkakuji, was much less crowded, (and just as beautiful in my opinion).
You can also see the secular attractions like the Tokugawa Shoguns' Nijo Castle (conveniently in the middle of the city) and the Katsura Imperial Villa, the rural escape of the Heian Emperors (this you have to take a bus for, to the outskirts of the city).
You can get everywhere on the Kyoto City Bus system. A day pass cost only ¥500, and you can buy them anywhere, probably at your hotel's front desk too!
I can definitely tell you it will be worth while to see at least five sights. If you limit yourself to just one palace and temple, you're not giving yourself the full experience Kyoto has to offer.
Hope this helps you out some,
Peace.
2007-08-18 17:31:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you saw only one palace and one temple you'd really be missing out. Kyoto and the surrounding area are full of beautiful shrines and temples, and many have special features that would make it impossible to confuse them with any other site. The one with the golden pavilion (Kinkakuji) isn't like the one with the waterfall (Kiyumizu), the one with the 1,000 statues of Kannon (Sanjusangendo), or the one with the biggest statue of Buddha in Japan (Todaiji in Nara).
An overeager tourist does run some risk of getting "templed out", though. Don't feel you need to check off every temple and shrine in your guidebook. There's a lot to see and do in Kyoto, so you don't need to spend your whole trip on temples. There are plenty of places to shop and eat in Kyoto, many museums you can visit, and if you're lucky you may even have the chance to see a real geisha.
A good plan may be to restrict yourself to just one or two temples per DAY in Kyoto. My top recommendations would be the ones I mentioned by name above, but there are many other worthwhile and interesting ones to see.
2007-08-18 21:21:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like SanjuSangendou and Kiyomizudera best, but many others are interesting. Kinkakuji is worth a look. Also, there are some nice temples and the treasure house in Nara, which is not that far away.
There's no need to restrict yourself unless you just have no time.
2007-08-18 09:17:11 · answer #3 · answered by Insanity 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
They absolutely do NOT all look alike. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors. You should see as many as possible.
My favorite is Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion.
2007-08-18 08:01:31 · answer #4 · answered by Adam 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Definitely visit as many as you can! They are all different and unique.
2007-08-18 21:24:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
If you thnk Kinkakuji looks like Kiyomizudera then your seeing-eye dog will enjoy the trip even if you don't.
2007-08-18 07:55:56 · answer #6 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋