Kyoto City has continued to successfully introduce morning and night-time sightseeing to avoid and reduce visitor congestion. Previously seen as an example of 'over tourism', Kyoto is now held up as an award-winning role model for other cities after implementing a suite of sustainable tourism initiatives which balance the needs of local community with the tourism appeal of the city. Efforts to encourage visitors to visit many of the city's major attractions at different times of the day have had positive outcomes for locals and visitors alike. Here are some tips of our top sightseeing locations for morning and evening visits to avoid crowds and get some of the best photo opportunities.

Recommended Morning Sightseeing

There are some Kyoto sites which are very special at dawn, plenty of temples and shrines have started to extend opening hours allowing early morning visits.

1. Kiyomizu-Temple, a grand stage overlooking Kyoto's sun rise

This popular temple is open from 6am to 6pm. Head up there first thing in the morning for a treat of sunrise from Higashiyama.

2. Yamashina Canal Promenade

A refreshing walk along the lush green canal is known and loved by locals and less known by tourists. Part of the bigger Lake Biwa Canal which brings water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto, the Yamashina section of the canal is 4 km. If you happen to visit during cherry blossom season this is a must visit highlight as the canal is lined with 600 cherry trees spectacular when in bloom and in contrast to the yellow rapeseed blossoms below the trees.

3. Kyoto Gyoen National Garden the centre of Kyoto City

Now designated as a national garden this area is open to all 24 hours a day. Originally the court nobles residential area in the Edo period. After the transfer of the capital to Tokyo, buildings were removed, and Kyoto Gyoen (garden) was established to preserve the Imperial Palace. Today, there are famous historic spots in this garden including Kyoto Imperial Palace. The perfect place to find yourself in the presence of nature.

Recommended Dusk/Night-time Sightseeing

Kyoto has many night-time festivals periods with extended hours of temple and shrine visitations, make sure you check what's on when you are next in town. Here are some of the evening sightseeing spots we can recommend year-round to experience the falling of dusk and some night-time views.

1. Higashiyama evening walking

During the day Higashiyama can be very crowded, however, the streets fall quiet from dusk, Ninen zaka and Sannen zaka are delightful cobblestoned gently sloping laneways retaining the look and feel of old Kyoto. They lead down from Kiyomizu temple to Nene no michi (Nene's pathway) illuminated by small lights the area has an alluring atmosphere.

2.Toji Temple – the five-Storied pagoda that emerges in the night sky

This world heritage site changes form at night as the lit-up pagoda appears like a beacon in the landscape. It can be seen from a far. The Temple itself is open until 5pm (last admission 4.30pm) but holds a number of evening opening periods with the gardens lit-up to enjoy.

3. Kyoto Tower panoramic views

A Kyoto landmark, this retro style tower stands 100 metres above ground and boasts 360-degree views from the Observation Deck. It makes for a magical place to view the entire city in the evening. Regular opening hours: 9am to-9.20pm (Last admission 9pm)*. More information LINK

Kyoto Wins Sustainable Story Award

Measures such as planned decongestion and manner education for visitors have again won Kyoto City an award as one of the top 100 Sustainable Stories Green Destinations in 2021. Selected now for 2 years in a row, in 2020 Kyoto City was accoladed for the “Achieving harmony between citizens life and tourism" category for efforts to improve the lives of locals by linking tourism to promoting the Kyoto economy and regional development.

This year the award-winning actions were in the category of “Tourism Reset & Recovery”, for “Balancing tourism with measures to prevent infectious diseases and their spread”. To make the city a place for tourism to resume safely and sustainably during and after the pandemic the focus was placed upon education of manners and reducing congestion. These were achieved by introducing a series of specific initiatives.

1. Kyoto Etiquette Campaign (Kyoto Machi-quette)- a campaign outlining etiquette guidelines for visitors to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic- The domestic campaign uses clever Japanese wordplay with a Kyoto style nuance to make the messages repeatable and memorable. None of the messaging is pushy or judgmental, it simply helps to convey information in a fun but educational way. Both domestic and international messaging asks sightseers to avoid the “3C's”: Closed spaces with poor ventilation/ Crowded places with many people nearby/ Close-contact settings such as close-range conversations.
2. Crowd forecasting by time of day and area - The city developed a forecasting tool on a website to help visitors know in advance the level of crowding at various sites and allow them to avoid crowded spots https://ja.kyoto.travel/comfort/ (use auto translate). Furthermore, a live camera image allows visitors to check touristic sites in real time as well as a congestion radar provided by Yahoo Japan Corporation.

*Note: Due to COVID-19 some venues are adjusting their opening hours, please check before visiting the venues.