Kiyomizudera (清水寺)

It was almost closing time when we arrived at Kiyomizudera. They are having their annual autumn illumination display at that time, so we had the luxury to go there at night. The temple is open from 6:00 - 18:00, but during spring and autumn, it's possible to get in from 18:30 - 21:30. It was the last stop of our Kyoto trip, so as tired as we were, we just gut it out hoping that the beauty will somehow relieve us.

From Arashiyama, we took the Hankyu-Arashiyama line (阪急嵐山線) bound for Katsura (桂行), and from Katsura station, transferred to the Hankyu-Kyoto line (阪急京都線) going to Kawaramachi (河原町行). That is normally 220円, but again, it was free because of our Kansai Surutto Pass. From Kawaramachi, we took bus 207 in the direction of Kujoshakomae (九条車庫前) and alighted at the Kiyomizu bus stop (清水道). That's another 220円 fare that became free because of the pass. The temple is 10-15 minutes away from the bus stop.

There were so many people at that time, because illuminations are not just something in Japan, they are really considered as special events. We arrived at around 9:00PM, barely making the closing time. We got our tickets immediately for 400円 each. During daytime, tickets are sold for only 300円. Wasting no time, we got in and took pictures of the gate, the facade and some of the illuminated trees around the temple.

Like Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji, there's a one-way path from the entrance to the exit. Going around the entire place shouldn't be missed. After going through one of the temples, the path will lead you to the majestic view of Kiyomizudera. This was where everyone was jockeying for position. Although tripods were not allowed for maximum space, it was really hard to control such a big crowd. Continuing with the trail will lead to a fork in the path. We took the one that said it was the farther one to the exit, hoping to catch other views of the temple. From what I remember, we got out just before 11:00PM.

Kiyomizudera Official Website
Kiyomizudera from japan-guide

Arashiyama (嵐山)

According to my Japanese friend, Arashiyama is one of the best spots in Kyoto during Autumn. Though we were able to go there when we went to Kyoto, I think we weren't able to visit everything that we wanted. First, I never really had a concrete plan on how to go around Arashiyama. I thought we could just walk around, go somewhere that interested us and not let the itinerary restrict us. But I didn't expect the drove of people. As exaggerated as it may seem, it looked like everyone in the Kansai area converged in Arashiyama on that day.

We got to Arashiyama by taking the Hankyu Arashiyama line (阪急嵐山線) all the way until its terminus, Arashiyama station (嵐山駅). A short walk from the station is Togetsukyo (渡月橋), or Togetsu bridge, probably the most well-known landmark of Arashiyama.

Togetsukyo

Towards the bridge were different food stalls, all having queues of people. I thought there were already too much people at that time, until I saw the other side of the river, and the number of people crossing the bridge. But we were already there, so we still went ahead.

After crossing the bridge, we were met by locals offering "tours" via chariots pulled by men. We didn't have time, and probably the money as well (we didn't ask how much it was), but that probably cost us the chance to see the famous bamboo groves of Kyoto. As it turned out, it would take time to reach the bamboo groves on our own, and it was already dusk. There were too many people roaming around for us to have a chance to get there faster, and we also didn't know which temple to go to in case we decided to visit one. The Arashiyama part of the itinerary didn't have details, but I never thought it would be that bad. Anyway, we just enjoyed the riverside, took that opportunity to rest, then headed back to Arashiyama station to go back to downtown Kyoto.

Kinkakuji (金閣寺), the Golden Pavilion

Just like Ginkakuji (銀閣寺), we went to Kinkakuji via bus for free, using our Kansai Surutto pass. So from the former, we had two options, Bus 102 or Bus 204. We took the latter bus, starting from the Ginkakuji bus stop (銀閣寺道) and alighting at Kinkakuji bus stop (金閣寺道). The temple is just a short walk from there along Kuramaguchi Dori (鞍馬口通).

There's an abundance of trees as you enter the temple grounds before paying for the admission, which is 400円. It was autumn when we went there, so the path was very colorful. There was a big bell, which I really didn't know what for, although it looked like couples lined-up to ring that bell. Before the actual gate and the ticketing windows is a map of the Ginkakuji temple grounds.

Again, like Ginkakuji, there's a path towards the actual temple, and around the entire grounds. There were a lot of people in strategic spots where you would think photographers took pictures of the temple, so be patient and just wait for your turn to get in front. There's a turn right beside the temple where you would be very close to the structure. As we went along, the path became uphill, providing a nice overhead view of the temple, as well as the gardens along the way. People also threw coins at statues, which was supposed to be for good luck. We wanted to stay a little longer, but we were running out of time, so we tried to cover everything for about an hour.

Japanese information about Kinkakuji
Kinkakuji from japan-guide

Ginkakuji (銀閣寺), the Silver Pavilion

Ginkakuji is one of the major tourist spots in Kyoto. But, unlike most tourist spots in Japan, especially in Tokyo, it is not easily accessible by train. Most spots in Kyoto can be accessed by bus, and since we came from Fushimi Inari Shrine, we rode Bus 17 from Demachiyanagi station (出町柳駅) towards Kinrin Shako-mae (錦林車庫前行). Normally, the fare is 220円, but some city buses were also included in our Kansai Surutto Pass, so that ride became free. We alighted at the Ginkakuji bus stop (銀閣寺道), and because there were a lot of other tourists, we just followed them towards the temple.

The walk from the bus stop to the temple took about 10 minutes. There were many shops along the way, most of them selling souvenirs. Admission to the temple grounds is 500円. Actually, the place was not really that big. Once you get inside, the actual temple is already there, next to the sand garden. The route goes around the entire grounds, covering the other temple called Togudo and the ponds and gardens around the pavilion. We covered the entire place for about an hour, and walked back to the bus stop to get to our next stop, the Golden Pavilion.

Japanese information about Ginkakuji can be found here.
Ginkakuji from japan-guide