Kyoto Holiday Deals

Holiday In Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan, is the classy dinner party to Tokyo’s neon-lit rave and Osaka’s all-night office shindig. Book a Kyoto holiday package and meet “The City of Ten Thousand Shrines” (1,600, to be exact), home of Nintendo, tea ceremonies and Japan’s “spiritual essence”—not available for purchase, unfortunately.

Things to Do in Kyoto

Kyoto was the centre of the Imperial Court for over a thousand years, and it has the fashion to prove it. A whole district named for its famous weaving method, and a visit to Nishijin Textile Centre is well worth it. Watch craftsmen perform this intricate weaving technique, see live silkworms doing their thang and catch a kimono fashion show. Then try on a kimono of your own—or even rent one for a day. How’s that for a profile picture?

Rather “monkey” around on your Kyoto holiday? Arashiyama Monkey Park is just a 20-minute ride train ride west and guarantees you’ll have the best snaps on Facebook. You’ve got to earn it though—it’s a steep climb up to primate heaven. At the top, you’re rewarded with 360-degree views of Kyoto and more than 150 macaque monkeys just waiting to photobomb you. Get up close and personal with a feeding session or stick to the free option: monkey selfies!

Shopping, Dining & Nightlife

Made new monkey friends, but still missing your old pals Louis, Giorgio and Coco? Kyoto packages offer plenty of opportunity for a reunion. The intersection of Shijo and Kawaramachi Streets just south of downtown has three department stores with six-plus floors to fill your upscale shopping needs and empty your wallet. With all these fashion finds, true shopaholics should book one of lastminute.com.au’s Kyoto car hire options so all those bags don’t weigh you down. (And bring an extra suitcase, too!)

Buddhist cooking focused on “clean eating” way before it was cool, and Kyoto holidays have a whole type of meal to prove it. Shojin ryori meals are served at many temples, so remove your shoes and dig in to this six-course extravaganza. Prefer to eat out of a barrel? Any Japan holiday should include a tour of the local markets. In Kyoto, the best is Nishiki Market, five blocks packed to the gills with shops offering chilli coated rice cakes, tofu doughnuts and matsutake mushrooms—you may not be able to sample the pricey ‘shrooms, but plenty of food-on-a-stick is available for the taking.

You’ve got your Jimmy Choos and brand-new bling (leave the samurai sword at home), so now it’s time to see and be seen—and Pontocho is the place to do it. Running along the riverfront from Shijo Street north to Sanjo Street, this three-quarters of a kilometre has more nightlife than Bali on summer break. From geisha-spotting near the tea houses (classy!) to raucous double-decker clubs with shots flowing (fun!), you’ll find it all here.

What’s Next?

Kyoto’s got a dinner party placeholder with your name on it. Search a great selection of Kyoto holiday packages on lastminute.com.au and discover what Japan’s most historic city is bringing to the table. It’s sure to be delicious.