This video tour focuses on Higashiyama. This spans much of the eastern side of Kyoto, from the iconic Kiyomizu-dera in the south to Enkoji further north. Nestled into the Higashiyama mountain range, many of the temples in this part of town are close to nature. The carefully trimmed Japanese maple of the temples juxtaposed with the rugged mountain trees makes for a stunning contrast!

This photo tour offers some stunning professional images from all across Kyoto, taking an artistic look at some of the smaller details that make the city's scenery so striking. The video visits sites like Arashiyama’s famous bamboo grove; the quaint, tiny restaurants lining the canal along Kiyamachi-dori and Pontocho; and Tetsugaku no Michi (The Philosopher’s Path), providing a refreshing change from the usual sites we tend to see over and over again.

Our next video features a sweeping tour of Kyoto fall foliage, working its way up through Higashiyama to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens before winding through Arashiyama in the west of the city. This tour even highlights great places to grab a hot coffee or tea while on your tour through the crisp fall weather. Featuring gems like Nanzenji, settled at the foot of the Higashiyama mountain range, with its striking aqueduct seemingly dropped right out of the Roman Empire; and UNESCO-certified Toji Temple, a stone’s throw from Kyoto Station, which boasts the tallest pagoda in Kyoto, this tour offers a glimpse of the best fall foliage sights throughout the entirety of the city.

Our last tour lights things up for the grand finale, showcasing the finest autumnal illuminations in Kyoto. Temples across the city light up at night to make the fall leaves truly shine, but none are as dazzling as Kiyomizu-dera, looming above the rest of the city with a great beacon shining into the sky. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is no slouch either, though, with clusters of Japanese maple lining the walkways, their red and orange leaves blazing like fire under the glow of the shrine’s lights. If you haven't experienced fall colors in Kyoto at night, this will give you an achingly beautiful taste of what you've been missing—and a few spots to add to your list!