Where To Find the Best Views in Kyoto
As the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years, Kyoto took the time to develop rich cultural institutions that are woven throughout the city, including many important temples, shrines, and gardens. The city of 1.4 million has plenty of modern architecture, too, like the steel and glass Kyoto Station, or the modern-retro Kyoto Tower. Surrounded by and woven with abundant nature, Kyoto’s cityscape views often take on a green aspect alongside well-known landmarks. From striking night scenes to castles peeking through foliage, check out our list of best places for views in Kyoto.
1. Kiyomizu-dera Temple
The view from the main temple shows the spread of the city.
One of Kyoto’s top three temples and shrines, Kiyomizu-dera Temple is known for its 3-story pagoda and its stunning approach along the narrow, zigzag shopping lanes of Higashiyama. Once you get to the top, the star of the show is the panoramic view of Kyoto from the temple’s large wooden platform, which includes both the city and the pagoda. In spring, summer, and autumn the temple stays open late to welcome night viewers looking to appreciate the lit-up temple grounds combined with the city’s twinkling lights and seasonal foliage.
2. Amanohashidate
The sandbar and pines comprise one of Japan’s top three views.
Amanohashidate is considered one of Japan’s “Three Scenic Views”—immortalized by artists, such as the woodblock printer Utagawa Hiroshige. A thin sandbar covered in pines, it curls out into the ocean with a shrine and temple on either side and hills rising on a distant shore. Amanohashidate is in Kyoto Prefecture rather than Kyoto City, and takes 3 hours by train and foot from Kyoto Station. Ride a cable car to the Mt. Monju viewing platform to reach one of the top viewpoints in Kyoto.
3. Arashiyama
Get a monkey’s-eye view from one of the best observation points in Kyoto.
On the mountain of Arashiyama you’ll find the Monkey Park Iwatayama, the open-air home to about 120 Japanese macaques. From the summit you can see one of the best views in Kyoto City from the southwest, and you’ll share the views with a troop of cheeky monkeys who sometimes perch atop the coin-operated binoculars. While you’re there, you can feed the monkeys from inside a cage (meant to protect you, their human cousins). Your Kyoto nature views will surely include some extra characters.
4. Kyoto tea plantations
Tour the emerald green tea fields.
To the southwest of Kyoto you’ll find the region's tea producing areas, which have been growing green tea for more than 800 years. The best places to see the tea terraces are Ujitawara-cho and Wazuka-cho, about 30–60 minutes outside of the city. You can hike or smell, pick, and drink the freshest green tea amid one of the must-see views in Kyoto–rolling fields of tea bushes clinging to the verdant hills. To enter the plantations, it’s best to book a tour or visit a shop offering experiences, as the farms are private property.
5. Kyoto Tower
Kyoto Tower is a sentry in a low-slung town.
Adjacent to Kyoto Station, the red and white spire of Kyoto Tower is clearly visible from all around. The tallest structure in a city that strictly controls building heights, the viewing platform at 328 feet (100 meters) high offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding city. Built in 1964, the Tower marks a year of progress that also saw Japan hosting the Olympic Games and the opening of the Shinkansen (bullet train).
6. Biwako Valley zipline
Take flight over the forest and lake for exhilarating bird’s-eye views.
If you’ve ever dreamed of flying, then ziplining comes close. The Biwako Valley zipline, about an hour northwest of Kyoto, boasts panoramic views of the cityscapes of Kyoto and Osaka, as well as the vast Lake Biwa—the largest freshwater lake in Japan and one that provides water to the entire region. After some practice zips, the final long course looks out at the lake from 3,609 feet (1,100 meters) in altitude. For those who aren’t quite as adventurous, chair lifts and the Biwako Valley Ropeway offer equally beautiful, but less hair-raising, views.
7. Mt. Kurama
This Kyoto observation point has a bucolic slant.
In the hills of rural northern Kyoto, Mt. Kurama is said to be the birthplace of reiki and is protected by mythical tengu spirits. It’s home to both the temple of Kurama-dera, founded in the 8th century, and Yuki Shrine, which holds a famous fire festival in October of every year. A cable car takes visitors partway up, or you can hike. Either way, the views from the top of the undulating hills and valleys are mystical.
8. Kyoto Gyoen National Garden
This sprawling national garden houses the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Kyoto Gyoen is a free-to-enter national park, although there are subsections that may charge admission. The park is the home of the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho), and the surrounding grounds include many elements of a classical Japanese garden: picturesque ponds, weeping cherry trees, curved bridges, and artfully placed blooms. It’s a wonderful place to bicycle or stroll in the midst of the city, or visit on a private customizable tour of Kyoto.
9. Mt. Atago
Climbers will be rewarded with sweeping Kyoto views.
The tallest mountain in Kyoto City, the sacred Mt. Atago lies in the northwest part of town. Join a Kyoto hiking tour to tackle the mildly strenuous and steep 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) trail and be rewarded with views from the Atago Shrine at the top, elevation 3,032 feet (924 meters). Sunsets are particularly stunning, casting a glow on the shrine as the city lights wink on below.
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