Cycle Kyoto

Welcome to Cycle Kyoto, your gateway to exploring the ancient capital through its most efficient and intimate mode of transport: the bicycle. Kyoto is a city built on a grid, nestled between mountains and rivers, making it one of…

Your first major stop is Nishi Honganji, located just a short ride from Kyoto Station. This massive temple complex is the head of the Jodo Shinshu sect and stands as one of the largest wooden structures in the world. …

Pedaling north, you arrive at Kitano Tenmangu, a major Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a 9th-century scholar and politician who is now revered as the God of Education. This is a bustling site, particularly…

Continuing your ride toward the hills of western Kyoto, you reach Kinkakuji, the world-famous Golden Pavilion. This Zen Buddhist temple, originally built as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, is an architectural…

Heading back toward the center of the city, the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (Kyoto Gyoen) offers wide, gravel paths that are perfect for cycling. This massive green space was the residence of the Imperial family until the capital…

As dusk approaches, cycle toward the Gion district, Kyoto's most famous entertainment and geisha quarter. This area is a preservation of the Edo-period city, characterized by its narrow streets and traditional wooden machiya…

Your final destination is the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine, located in southern Kyoto. This is the head shrine of Inari, the Shinto god of rice, sake, and prosperity. …

As you return your bicycle and head back toward the station, take a final look at the city skyline, dominated by the modern Kyoto Tower and the ancient silhouette of Toji Temple. You have experienced Kyoto not as a series of…