We got here really early at opening time. I think the ideal time would have been 10 am. Not many individuals but so many school children……..hundreds! They were all very well behaved though. So viewing without crowds is a problem . This temple is a must. Very majestic surrounded by a pond full of huge carp. So one goes with the flow and walks around the temple and it’s done in about an hour.

Another ‘must see’ when visiting Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji is an iconic, gold-leaf covered temple. Impressive, plus surrounding gardens. All built for a past Shogun who apparently decided to retire there. Very serene.

This temple stands up within the many marvelous ones Kyoto has. It’s the easiest one to recognize and remember. A bit far from the central part of town, but certainly worth taking the 50-minute long bus from the train station. Crowded but still pleasant to walk by

Beautiful gardens lend themselves to a nice walk amongst the crowds an school kids. Walking is easy and the pavilion is pretty spectacular in the full sun. It is somewhere you should visit if only for the local cultural significance. Just remember to be polite and wait your turn.

A lovely, slow, one way, flat walk around stunningly manicured gardens. Not over crowded although a lot of school kids! Breathtaking to see the pavilion and lots of photo opportunities. Definitely worth seeing if you have a couple of hours to spare.

A beautiful walk around breathtaking gardens. Very well maintained and the walk is one way, meandering and flat. Whilst there are a lot of tourists, it doesn’t feel over crowded. The MANY school kids made it a bit noisy and hard to take a photo, fortunately there are quite a few opportunities. Definitely worth visiting If you have an hour to spare.

You can not visit Kyoto without visiting Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) in the stunning shine of the late morning sun. It is very busy here with large tour groups and groups of school kid’s. Probably better to arrive in the early morning. We arrived around noon and the sun glistened off of the two beautiful gold leaf floors and the stunning golden Phoenix that adorned the top of the temple. There are some stairs but very manageable. Even though it was busy, we got some beautiful unobstructed photos. Gaze in awe.

This golden Zen Buddhist temple is absolutely beautiful and one of the top things to do in Kyoto however it is a very busy tourist attraction making photo opportunities challenging. It is best to go as early as possible - before 09.00. Definitely worth a visit for the serene atmosphere and scenic walk.

Despite this being a reconstruction as the original was burnt down, as man made structures go one of the most beautiful sites i saw in Japan in a month. The gold is mesmerising and i was fortunate to have sun and blue sky. Try and pick your day if you can. Its set on a beautiful pond with a stunning garden around it. I was worried because of all the comments about so many people etc but don’t let this turn you off. Yes there are a lot of people but you will get beautiful photos if you have a small amount of patience . Also time if you have it and space to stand soak up the beauty of this incredible temple in its gorgeous surroundings. No one is rushing you out!! The complaints about business and getting to places early i have found unnecessary. Less busy then many Sites/ museums, galleries in places like, France, Venice, London… you have come all the way here here don’t miss things .

Quite an experience. Public transportation is a bit difficult so we use taxi from Emanichi JR station. It is a big site with the very impressive Golden Pavilion. We were lucky to catch the maple foliage as well. A good site to enjoy the garden.