Kyoto

Kyoto is a dreamy paradise; a glorious cluster of traditions and modernity, and is basically all of Japan’s best features rolled into one. The Imperial Capital has forever been the muse of many wanderers and with its sublime temples, pretty gardens, thumping nightlife, opulent restaurants, and secretive cobbled alley-ways, the city is rightfully the mother of all destinations. Visit the Kyoto Tower and feast your eyes on the majesty of the futuristic Kyoto Station. Discover your spiritual self at the Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-Dera Temples, and go on terrific hikes around the Fushimi Inari Taisha. Gorge on Japanese food in the comfort of a private landscaped garden, splurge at the Nishiki Market and set up a tryst with the Geishas at Ponto Cho. There is so much to do in Kyoto.

While Kyoto does not really qualify as a ‘day trip,’ given the number of sights it is home to, the city is less than 60 km from Osaka. The high speed Shinkansen (bullet train) will bring you to the Kyoto Station from Shin-Osaka in merely 15 minutes, and the journey should cost you around 1400 Yen if you don’t possess a JR Pass. Reservations are strongly recommended. Alternatively, a 30 minute Special Rapid service along the JR Kyoto Line also connects the two cities.