Japan (2013) Day 7: Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji & Ginkaku-ji

Date Visited: 16th October 2013

Second day in Kyoto and that's also indicates our second final day in Japan before we left tomorrow. Our itinerary for the day is to do temples sightseeing. We used the Kyoto City Bus One Day Pass which we bought a day earlier in Kyoto Bus Station for 500 yen. Like I mentioned in previous post, except for Arashiyama & Fushimi Inari Shrine, majority of the main attractions may best be reached by bus. 

#1: Stumbled upon Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine not far away from our hotel while looking for breakfast

As there is a bus stop nearby our hotel in Kawaramachi-dori, from there we waited and took the Kyoto City Bus #101 or 205 directly to our first destination of the day, Kinkaku-ji Temple. Upon reaching the Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop, it requires another few minutes walk before we could clearly see the amazing temple itself. Just follow the Kinkaku-ji Temple sign or else, follow the huge crowd go.

#2: Kinkaku-ji from far away

#3: More upclose of Kinkaku-ji

#4: Side view of Kinkaku-ji

Kinkakuji Temple, or also known as Golden Pavilion is a Zen temple located in northern Kyoto whose top two floors wholly coated in shining and brilliant gold leaf. It's obviously one of the well-known attractions cause it's full with crowds of tourists, both local and foreign on that particular day we were there. But what disappointed me the most was there's no reflection shimmering across the surface of the pond, or else it's going to be a perfect phototaking. 

#5: Fudo Hall, a small temple outside the exit 

#6: Japanese prayer tablets 

How To Get To Kinkaku-ji:
Take Kyoto City Bus #101 and 205 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop.
Admission Fee: 400 yen
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm

From Kinkaku-ji, we moved on to another temple, Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto's eastern mountains. In order to get to Ginkaku-ji, it can be reached by taking bus #5, 17 and 100.  Get off at the Ginkaku-ji Michi bus stop and from there, it takes 10 minutes walk. 

#7: The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji

Despite being known as Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji was never coated in silver colour. Instead, it is believed that the name given as a nickname more than a century after the building's construction to contrast it with the Golden Pavilion. 

#7: Meticulously maintained dry sand garden, knonw as the "Sea of Silver Sand" with a massive sand cone named "Moon Viewing Platform"

#8: A beautiful moss garden

After walking along a circular route around its ground, there is a path whereby visitors can walk up to a hill to have better views of the entire temple grounds as well as the city beyond. It's easy walk by the way, don't worry eventhough you don't have a strong stamina. 

#9: View of the entire temple grounds and the city from hill

How To Get To Ginkaku-ji:
Take Kyoto City Bus #5, 7 and 100 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Ginkaku-ji Michi bus stop. It takes 10 minutes walk from the bus stop.
Admission Fee: 500 yen
Opening Hours: Open daily 8.30am to 5pm

The thing about travel along with my mom is she let me do sightseeing during the broad daylight whereas I will accompany her doing shopping spree at night. Sounds fair, right? Right after we done with temples sightseeing, we went to Kyoto-Yodabashi which not far away from Kyoto Station. This is where a vast of electronic products such as cameras and computer stuffs are selling with rock-bottom prices. But the main reason we went there wasn't for that but to look for my brothers' stuff instead.

Before we went back to our hotel, we decided to stopby at Gion which its well-known for geisha district in Kyoto. Gion wasn't far away from where we stayed and that's explain why I made up my mind to stay around Kawaramachi-dori area. As I missed out the chance to catch a glimpse of geisha previously, so I decided to try another luck this time around but unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side again. 

#10: Gion, Kyoto most famous district for geisha

#11: What a cute little donuts? How can I eat all these?

Next Post >>> Day 8: Goodbye Kansai Region & My Shopping Haul