After having some time to reflect on my trip to Kyoto during Golden Week of 2013, I wanted to put together my top 5 favorite places I visited there.

Number 5

This was a fun place to go, but the unfinished Silver plating maybe it less appealing than the Golden Pavilion. The only upside was that there was more to do to around the area and less crowded.

Number 4

This was a great place to take a picture of the gorgeous Golden Pavilion, however it doesn’t offer more than that.

Number 3

I went here on my last day in Kyoto, there was tons to do there, with the lined street of shops to the very top, and it offered an incredible view of Kyoto.

Number 2

This was the first place I went in Kyoto and was a terrific place to go after being cramped on a bus for 7 hours. Only 5 mins from Kyoto Station, It offers the Inari Shrine, and is famous for the endless amount of Torii Gates, as well as a nice hike to the top with an incredible view of the Kyoto city.

This was by far the easiest spot to choose, it’s easily my favorite place I went. Besides being able to be inches from Macaque Monkeys and being able to feed them at Iwatayama Monkey Park, there is a ton to do in the city and is only 20 mins out of Kyoto. I highly recommend going here and is truly a unique place in Kyoto as well as Japan.