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Kyoto is one of the oldest cities of Japan and is the former imperial capital of Japan until 1868, when Japan’s capital was moved to Tokyo.  It has a very traditional appearance, with hundreds of Buddhist temples and shrines.  It is a do-not-miss site in a Japan tour, and a good city to do a walking tour in.  Kyoto is a fairly compact and flat city that is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The history of Kyoto is a long one, steeped in the culture of Japan. Many of the key sightseeing spots are close together, and can be combined into a number of walking tours.

A key area to do a walking tour is the Eastern Mountain District, or the Higashiyama district.  The tour starts at a Zen temple, the Nanzen-ji, one of Kyoto’s best-known temples. It is home to a magnificent Zen rock garden.  There are many other temples worth exploring.  You may want to take a private tour of these areas.  The trail leads to the Tetsugaku-no-michi (The Path of Philosophy).  This road is particularly lovely in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom on each side of the street.

Not far from the Philosopher’s Path is the Eikando Temple, also known as the Zen-rinji Temple.  This was built in the year AD. 856 and is famous for a statue of the Amida Buddha.  With the right private tour guide, you can find out more of the history of this and other sites and interesting lore and traditions.
    
In Central Kyoto there is the old Imperial Palace which was the Emperor’s residence before the capitol was moved to Tokyo, and the Nijo Castle, which was the castle of the Shogun. The old Imperial Palace includes many interesting old buildings and several gardens on 27 acres. The Kyoto Imperial Palace clearly shows the Japanese taste for simple decor at the residence of the Imperial family until the capital was relocated to Tokyo in 1868. The Nijo Castle is a huge area complete with stone walls, and gardens, and was the castle of the Tokugawa shogun.

Sites worth adding to your walking tour are the Temple of the Silver Pavilion,
It was built in 1482 for the Shogun, and is designed for the beautiful tea ceremony, and moon viewing ceremony, with a beautiful garden of sand, rocks, and moss. One of the small sand hills is designed to resemble Mount Fuji. Japanese rock gardens like this one have been copied all over the world.

The Nomura art museum features mainly of objects used in tea ceremonies, calligraphy, ceramics, and the traditional masks used in Japanese theatre, Noh masks.  Nearby is the Heian Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most famous shrines.  It’s a replica of Kyoto’s first city hall. The garden is famous for its cherry blossoms in spring, and its falling maple leaves in the autumn.

Also worth seeing is the Ryoanji Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple. It is well known for its dry garden of rocks over white sand, representing the philosophy of Zen. Another celebrated temple is the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion).  It is Kyoto’s most popular temple and Japanese garden. Many tours end at the Kyoto Handicraft Center, one of the best places in Japan to buy traditional souvenirs.  You can design your own wood cut for block printing with ink.