Kyoto Fall Travel Guide: Fall Foliage, History, Culture, and Art

With summer heat lingering in September, this is a good time to balance outdoor sightseeing with museums and tea culture rather than spending long hours outside.
View exhibitions and architecture at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, then explore the villa architecture and art at the Asahi Group Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art.
If you venture to Uji, visit Byodoin Temple and then take time to savor Uji tea at Kyoto Uji Matcha Cuisine Tatsumiya or Tsujiri Uji Main Store. Before the leaves begin to change, the start of fall offers a relaxed opportunity to explore culture, art, and Uji tea.

As the heat eases in October, it becomes more comfortable to explore temples, shrines, gardens, and museums on foot.
Visit Kennin-ji Temple in Gion, then explore Nanzen-ji Temple, Murin-an, and the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art around Okazaki.
On October 22, the Jidai Matsuri, one of Kyoto's three major festivals, is held. A procession of approximately 2,000 people dressed in costumes representing eras from the Meiji Restoration back to the founding of Heian-kyo travels from the Kyoto Imperial Palace grounds to Heian Jingu Shrine.
It makes for a fall day in Kyoto that moves seamlessly among history, culture, art, and festival traditions.

In November, trees across Kyoto change color, creating seasonal scenery alongside temples, shrines, and gardens.
Explore Nanzen-ji Temple and Murin-an, admire the foliage at Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Kurodani Konkai Komyo-ji Temple, or venture farther to Byodoin Temple in Uji and Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Yawata.
Extending your journey to Nariaiji Temple in Miyazu reveals fall scenery distinct from that of Kyoto City. After viewing the foliage, head to a hot spring inn in Kameoka or Arashiyama and end a day of history, culture, and seasonal scenery with a relaxing soak.

This temple has a distinguished history as Japan's first Zen temple established by imperial decree. Its Hojo contains sliding-door paintings by the Kano school, carvings attributed to Hidari Jingoro, and a rock garden designed by Kobori Enshu.
The Sanmon Gate was rebuilt in the early Edo period by Todo Takatora and also appears in the kabuki play "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri." Between Nanzen-in and the Hojo Garden stands the Suirokaku Aqueduct, built during the Meiji period to carry water from the Lake Biwa Canal. A walk through the grounds reveals temple architecture followed by modern civil engineering.

The former villa of Aritomo Yamagata consists of a garden incorporating the Higashiyama mountains as borrowed scenery, a main house, a Western-style building, and a tea room. It is the only garden among the villas in the Nanzen-ji area open year-round and is designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
Walking through the garden, visitors encounter bright lawns and streams fed by the Lake Biwa Canal while viewing a modern Japanese garden designed by seventh-generation landscape architect Jihei Ogawa up close. At the garden café, drinks and sweets are served in the same place where Aritomo Yamagata once admired the garden.

This museum combines historic architecture blending Japanese and Western styles with contemporary exhibition spaces. Its collection contains more than 3,800 works, primarily from Kyoto's modern painting circles, including Japanese-style and Western-style paintings, sculptures, prints, crafts, and calligraphy.
As you walk through the museum, the atmosphere changes from the bright Central Hall to the Hall of Light, the Sky Courtyard, and the Higashiyama Cube, which accommodates contemporary art. Take in the architecture itself while exploring works from a wide range of periods and genres.

Known as Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, Kennin-ji is the head temple of the Kennin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Its Chokushimon Gate, Sanmon Gate, Hatto Hall, and Hojo are arranged in a straight line, forming a layout characteristic of Zen temple complexes.
The famous Twin Dragons ceiling painting was created by artist Junsaku Koizumi in 2002 to commemorate the temple's 800th anniversary and covers an impressive area of approximately 1,900 square feet. The Hojo contains sliding-door paintings by Kaiho Yusho, while the main temple building displays a high-resolution digital reproduction of Tawaraya Sotatsu's National Treasure, Wind God and Thunder God Screens, allowing visitors to appreciate architecture and painting together.

Byodoin is one of Uji's best-known temples and offers insight into the history and art of the Heian period. Enter the grounds and view Phoenix Hall, which enshrines a statue of Amida Buddha, from the front to appreciate its magnificent symmetry.
The Byodoin Museum Hoshokan displays many treasures passed down through the temple, including a temple bell, phoenix ornaments, and statues of Bodhisattvas on Clouds. At the Toka tearoom on the grounds, visitors can also try exclusive blends made with tea leaves grown in Uji, naturally continuing their temple visit with an Uji tea experience.

This historic shrine stands on Mount Otokoyama between Kyoto and Osaka. It was long revered as a protector of the imperial family and the nation, and after the rise of the Seiwa Genji clan, many warriors visited to pray for victory.
The main sanctuary has a distinctive architectural style known as Hachiman-zukuri. The present structure was built by Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa family. Near the shrine buildings stands a large camphor tree said to have been donated by Kusunoki Masashige, its branches still covered in abundant leaves.

This museum occupies a villa built by businessman Shotaro Kaga. It stands at the foot of Mount Tennozan, which separates Kyoto and Osaka and was also the site of the decisive Battle of Yamazaki.
The museum displays ceramics and other works associated with the mingei folk craft movement by artists such as Kanjiro Kawai, Shoji Hamada, and Bernard Leach, as well as works from Claude Monet's Water Lilies series. Along with its collection of approximately 1,000 pieces, the contrasting architecture of the main building and annexes is also worth noting.

This World Cultural Heritage temple complex spreads across the slopes of Mount Otowa. As you climb the hill and walk from the Nio-mon Gate past the three-story pagoda to the Main Hall, the scenery continually changes with the elevation of the grounds.
The approximately 1.4-million-square-foot grounds on the mountainside contain more than 30 temple structures and monuments, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. The Main Hall's approximately 43-foot-high stage was built using a traditional method of interlocking timbers without nails. The foliage generally reaches peak color from mid- to late November, when visitors can walk through fall scenery formed by historic temple buildings and colorful trees.

This head temple of the Jodo school of Buddhism brings together the history of the final years of the shogunate and fall foliage. Buildings including the Sanmon Gate, Amida Hall, and Mieido Hall are scattered throughout the grounds, which also served as the headquarters of Matsudaira Katamori, lord of the Aizu domain, during the closing years of the Edo period.
During the annual special fall viewing, visitors can enter the usually closed Shoin and the Shiun Garden, a stroll garden known for its fall foliage. The leaves typically reach peak color from mid- to late November, and the grounds are illuminated at night during this period. Walk through the Shoin and garden to see vivid seasonal colors complementing the historic temple.

Founded in 704, this temple stands halfway up Mount Nariai overlooking Amanohashidate. Its grounds contain the Bottomless Pond, associated with an old tale about defeating a giant serpent, the Front-Facing Dragon attributed to Hidari Jingoro, and a five-story pagoda.
The temple draws visitors with changing scenery throughout the year: 3,000 cherry trees in spring, rhododendrons in early summer, colorful foliage and illuminations in fall, and snow-covered landscapes in winter. The leaves generally reach peak color from mid- to late November. After visiting the temple, continue to the panoramic observation deck at the summit for views of Amanohashidate and mountains covered in fall colors.

This long-established restaurant on the approach to Nanzen-ji Temple has helped preserve the local tradition of yudofu, or boiled tofu. Guests can savor its signature yudofu and yuba while overlooking a stroll garden measuring approximately 43,000 square feet.
Junsei Shoin, located within the garden, was built as a medical school during the Edo period and is now a nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property. The satisfying Hana Course offers a choice of yudofu made with Japanese soybeans or freshly prepared yuba as the main dish, accompanied by simmered dishes, dengaku, and more. Enjoy warm yudofu while admiring the garden and historic building.

Founded in 1899, this Kyoto cuisine restaurant stands beside the Lake Biwa Canal near Heian Jingu Shrine. Its signature dish is the Teoke Bento, a colorful assortment served in an elegant wooden bucket crafted by Living National Treasure Kiyotsugu Nakagawa. It features a carefully arranged selection of seasonal ingredients.
The restaurant also offers Creative Heian Dynasty Cuisine, which recreates meals eaten by Heian-period aristocrats based on historical sources and adapts them for modern tastes. In Okazaki, guests can explore the history of Kyoto cuisine while appreciating not only the food but also the tableware and presentation.

Overlooking the Uji River, this matcha cuisine restaurant traces its origins to a tea wholesaler founded in 1840. Its defining feature is an innovative approach that transforms tea from something to drink into something to eat, opening up new possibilities for matcha.
Dishes include Matcha Tofu, made with premium Uji matcha over three full days, and Tea-Fragrant Grilled Trout, prepared with roasted gyokuro tea stems. Drawing on knowledge developed through its history as a tea wholesaler, the restaurant combines matcha with seasonal flavors in a meal that presents Uji tea as cuisine.

This shop operated by a long-established Uji tea company with more than 165 years of history combines a retail area with a tearoom. Stop by while exploring Uji to choose from parfaits and Japanese sweets made with stone-ground matcha, as well as a selection of tea leaves.
The calm interior overlooking a courtyard also provides a relaxing setting for tea. Conveniently paired with visits to Byodoin Temple and Uji Bridge, it offers a chance to savor Uji tea between sightseeing stops and select tea leaves or sweets as souvenirs.

This casual restaurant on the rear approach to Motoise Kono Shrine serves dishes made with ingredients from Tango. Its menu makes generous use of fresh local ingredients from the Tango region.
A particular highlight is the Tango Treasure Bowl, topped with akamoku seaweed, seasonal local squid, and locally sourced Japanese ivory shell. The menu also includes a rice bowl made with Kanadaru sardines, noodles made with ancient red rice, and a chiffon parfait flavored with matcha from Miyazu's long-established Isono Kaikado. Enjoy the distinctive flavors of Tango while looking out over Amanohashidate from the terrace.

This luxury hotel stands directly across from the World Heritage Site of Nijo Castle on the former site of the Mitsui family's principal residence. Beyond the gate lies a spacious garden of approximately 14,000 square feet, designed to carry on the relationship between the Mitsui residence and its garden.
The distinctive entrance is the Kajimiya Gate, originally built in 1703 and restored using the skills of contemporary master shrine and temple carpenters. Among its 161 guest rooms are suites overlooking Nijo Castle and rooms with open-air baths supplied by natural hot spring water. With restaurants and a bar surrounding the garden as well as natural hot spring facilities, guests can continue relaxing at the hotel after sightseeing in Kyoto.

A thatched-roof gate welcomes guests to this long-established hot spring inn at Yunohana Onsen in Kameoka. Its baths each have a different character, including a women's open-air bath with a tub made from a 1,000-year-old cherry tree and a men's open-air bath lined with blue stone from Shikoku.
The 25 comfortable guest rooms combine traditional Japanese design with modern touches, creating the feeling of relaxing amid the mountains visible outside the windows. The dining room serves monthly kaiseki menus featuring ingredients from Kyoto, extending the experience from the hot springs to seasonal cuisine.

This Japanese-style hot spring inn in Arashiyama incorporates natural hot springs and the atmosphere of Kyoto. Its 105 guest rooms come in three styles—Kyoto Machiya, Kyoto Japanese, and Kyoto Modern—with 10 room variations when different layouts are included.
Guests can soak in natural Arashiyama hot spring water in the indoor section of the large communal bath, then experience five private bathhouses, each with a different atmosphere. Dinner is the seasonal Shiki Yuzenn meal based on the concept of one soup and five dishes, accompanied by a choice of Kyoto-style side dishes and freshly fried tempura. It is a fitting way to end a day in Arashiyama with hot springs and Kyoto cuisine.