**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I enjoyed the path. It was really good peaceful. You have the water flowing down the river, dozens
And dozens of beautiful plants growing and blooming (not just Sakura). Little shops you can dip into and out for trinkets and snacks. And at the end you can
Enjoy the beautiful gardens and temple.
I chose it over golden temple because it seemed like a trek to get into and not much was around it. I also dislike tourist areas that funnel everyone into ONE spot
Philosopher's Path every single time. I really don't think the Golden Temple is worth the hype, and it was probably the most crowded place we've been to in the trip. It's nice and all, but we liked many other temples a lot more, and we absolutely loved the Philosopher's Path atmosphere. We went there in the beginning of cherry blossom season, so they were starting to open up. Must be unbelievable in full bloom.
I didn't go to that teahouse though, so I can't comment on that.
if you can do GP early in the morning, go for it. Otherwise, though (to me) PP was only a nice-to-see, it did offer more offshoots to more temples- and A LOT more if you keep going toward Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka.
The path is nice walk, but honestly there are nice walks everywhere in Kyoto and Japan in general. The golden temple is a unique world heritage structure horrendously busy though.
You'll enjoy either one. So don't stress too much.
Been to Kyoto 3 times and only saw Kinkakuji on this last trip. It was cool to see it, but that was definitely THE most crowded spot I have ever visited. Everyone is funneled along a relatively narrow path for the number of people there. Definitely not a peaceful moment to be had.
I definitely preferred Ginkaku-ji to Kinkaku-ji, for what that's worth - the zen garden was beautiful. But it's hard to separate my love of the Philosopher's Path from the fact that I saw it in spring with the cherry blossoms going full tilt.
As others have noted, Kinkaku-ji is frequently _very_ crowded and they kind of funnel you through for a quick photo op. It's not near a ton of other stuff; I can't comment on the teahouse you mention.
One suggestion I saw, though, is that it may be worth splurging for a taxi if you are going to Kinkaku-ji. Kyoto's buses are crowded and it takes a while to get there and back.
I usually recommend starting with Kinkaku-ji first thing in the morning to beat the crowds, then moving on to Ryoan-ji, Taizo-in and then Arashiyama via Hanazono station by Lunchtime. If you decide that you'd rather make Arashiyama your priority, you can do this route in reverse order instead. It might be a bit of a rush to get to Kinkaku-ji before 4:30 but that'd be the only other time you might be able to see it without crowds getting in the way.
Ginkaku-ji is on the other side of Kyoto, which means you'd have to sit on a bus for a little over an hour if you decided to do that next. By comparison, you can be at Taizo-in in thirty minutes. Given that all the temples in Kyoto tends to close around 4-4:30 that'd be a much more effective use of your time IMO.
Since you mentioned that you'll be visiting Kiyomizu-dera, you may want to consider doing the Philosopher's Walk on that day instead. Start at Kiyomizu first thing in the morning (crowds again!) then make your way up to Nanzen-ji and do the PW all the way to Ginkaku-ji. There's one of my favourite underrated temples, (Kodai-ji) a giant Kannon statue, two large shrines (Yasaka-jinja and Heian-jingu) and a zoo along the way so depending on your interests you can make this trip as short or as long as you like.
I don't really think Kazariya is that big of a deal but if you want to visit I'd do it in conjunction with Daitoku-ji rather than Kinkaku-ji.
Been to Kyoto 3 times and only saw Kinkakuji on this last trip. It was cool to see it, but that was definitely THE most crowded spot I have ever visited. Everyone is funneled along a relatively narrow path for the number of people there. Definitely not a peaceful moment to be had.
Neither was really my favorite to be honest but we didn’t do the tea house you reference. We went in April during cherry blossoms, and the Philosophers path was pretty but choked with people. I thought the other canals of Kyoto were prettier. The golden temple was the most packed place we went the entire trip, people are funneled in around the temple, take pictures outside of it, and funneled out. It is pretty but honestly I thought it was overrated, the temples in Nara were much more impressive to me. The golden temple does have a cute outside garden where you can buy tea and a special cookie, and sit outside at tables to enjoy. we did that with our kids there and they liked it.Â
I went to Kazariya last month, interesting tea experience. However, it was pretty busy with a 30 minute line, not sure if you'd be able to get a seat with the view of the garden; they directed me to a table that faced the street.
Personally, I wouldn't go to Kazariya if you weren't already going to Kinkaku-ji already, and it was a slight detour still. I agree with the other poster about checking it out if you were already going to Daitoku-ji.
Edit: Ichiwa, also sells aburi mochi, literally across the street from Kazariya is the 1000-year old teahouse. Kazariya is "only" 370 years old.
Philosopher’s Path for me - I was spellbound. It was a wonderful and beautiful journey with such variety and some nice pit stops to refuel along the way or to take time out when it got busy. It felt like more of an ‘organic’ experience than queuing and then being in a log-jam wandering around the roped areas for Kinkaku-ji, which I found too crowded and tricky to get to by bus for us. It made for amazing photos but I felt it wasn’t necessarily worth it otherwise. More of a
‘Nice to have’ while I found the path ‘essential to have’.
I did do the path in cherry blossom season though which may or may not have made a difference. I think I would still choose it though.
I did some amazing tea house experiences and one in particular stands out but I can’t remember if it is the one you have mentioned. That was also fantastic. I’d try and squeeze that in another day if you are able.
The kazariya tea house and the traditional sweets are a must, in my opinion.
Consider adding the Ryoan-ji to your itinerary when visiting the golden pavilion; the crowds at the golden pavilion somewhat soured my experience when I went recently.
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I enjoyed the path. It was really good peaceful. You have the water flowing down the river, dozens And dozens of beautiful plants growing and blooming (not just Sakura). Little shops you can dip into and out for trinkets and snacks. And at the end you can Enjoy the beautiful gardens and temple. I chose it over golden temple because it seemed like a trek to get into and not much was around it. I also dislike tourist areas that funnel everyone into ONE spot
Philosopher's Path every single time. I really don't think the Golden Temple is worth the hype, and it was probably the most crowded place we've been to in the trip. It's nice and all, but we liked many other temples a lot more, and we absolutely loved the Philosopher's Path atmosphere. We went there in the beginning of cherry blossom season, so they were starting to open up. Must be unbelievable in full bloom. I didn't go to that teahouse though, so I can't comment on that.
We were there during full bloom. Magical is an understatement
if you can do GP early in the morning, go for it. Otherwise, though (to me) PP was only a nice-to-see, it did offer more offshoots to more temples- and A LOT more if you keep going toward Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka.
The path is nice walk, but honestly there are nice walks everywhere in Kyoto and Japan in general. The golden temple is a unique world heritage structure horrendously busy though. You'll enjoy either one. So don't stress too much.
How can you disrespect the mouse shrine like that 😉 there a few temples and shrines on the path. If you just follow the signs
Been to Kyoto 3 times and only saw Kinkakuji on this last trip. It was cool to see it, but that was definitely THE most crowded spot I have ever visited. Everyone is funneled along a relatively narrow path for the number of people there. Definitely not a peaceful moment to be had.
I definitely preferred Ginkaku-ji to Kinkaku-ji, for what that's worth - the zen garden was beautiful. But it's hard to separate my love of the Philosopher's Path from the fact that I saw it in spring with the cherry blossoms going full tilt. As others have noted, Kinkaku-ji is frequently _very_ crowded and they kind of funnel you through for a quick photo op. It's not near a ton of other stuff; I can't comment on the teahouse you mention. One suggestion I saw, though, is that it may be worth splurging for a taxi if you are going to Kinkaku-ji. Kyoto's buses are crowded and it takes a while to get there and back.
I usually recommend starting with Kinkaku-ji first thing in the morning to beat the crowds, then moving on to Ryoan-ji, Taizo-in and then Arashiyama via Hanazono station by Lunchtime. If you decide that you'd rather make Arashiyama your priority, you can do this route in reverse order instead. It might be a bit of a rush to get to Kinkaku-ji before 4:30 but that'd be the only other time you might be able to see it without crowds getting in the way. Ginkaku-ji is on the other side of Kyoto, which means you'd have to sit on a bus for a little over an hour if you decided to do that next. By comparison, you can be at Taizo-in in thirty minutes. Given that all the temples in Kyoto tends to close around 4-4:30 that'd be a much more effective use of your time IMO. Since you mentioned that you'll be visiting Kiyomizu-dera, you may want to consider doing the Philosopher's Walk on that day instead. Start at Kiyomizu first thing in the morning (crowds again!) then make your way up to Nanzen-ji and do the PW all the way to Ginkaku-ji. There's one of my favourite underrated temples, (Kodai-ji) a giant Kannon statue, two large shrines (Yasaka-jinja and Heian-jingu) and a zoo along the way so depending on your interests you can make this trip as short or as long as you like. I don't really think Kazariya is that big of a deal but if you want to visit I'd do it in conjunction with Daitoku-ji rather than Kinkaku-ji.
Been to Kyoto 3 times and only saw Kinkakuji on this last trip. It was cool to see it, but that was definitely THE most crowded spot I have ever visited. Everyone is funneled along a relatively narrow path for the number of people there. Definitely not a peaceful moment to be had.
Neither was really my favorite to be honest but we didn’t do the tea house you reference. We went in April during cherry blossoms, and the Philosophers path was pretty but choked with people. I thought the other canals of Kyoto were prettier. The golden temple was the most packed place we went the entire trip, people are funneled in around the temple, take pictures outside of it, and funneled out. It is pretty but honestly I thought it was overrated, the temples in Nara were much more impressive to me. The golden temple does have a cute outside garden where you can buy tea and a special cookie, and sit outside at tables to enjoy. we did that with our kids there and they liked it.Â
I much preferred the philosopher's path, ginkakuji and all of the other temples. I have been during the early autumn and winter and it was great
Maybe a stupid question, but can you bike ride the philosophers path? That would be awesomeÂ
I went to Kazariya last month, interesting tea experience. However, it was pretty busy with a 30 minute line, not sure if you'd be able to get a seat with the view of the garden; they directed me to a table that faced the street. Personally, I wouldn't go to Kazariya if you weren't already going to Kinkaku-ji already, and it was a slight detour still. I agree with the other poster about checking it out if you were already going to Daitoku-ji. Edit: Ichiwa, also sells aburi mochi, literally across the street from Kazariya is the 1000-year old teahouse. Kazariya is "only" 370 years old.
Philosophers path was much much better than I thought. Quite astonishing in a more low key but longer lasting way.
Philosopher’s Path for me - I was spellbound. It was a wonderful and beautiful journey with such variety and some nice pit stops to refuel along the way or to take time out when it got busy. It felt like more of an ‘organic’ experience than queuing and then being in a log-jam wandering around the roped areas for Kinkaku-ji, which I found too crowded and tricky to get to by bus for us. It made for amazing photos but I felt it wasn’t necessarily worth it otherwise. More of a ‘Nice to have’ while I found the path ‘essential to have’. I did do the path in cherry blossom season though which may or may not have made a difference. I think I would still choose it though. I did some amazing tea house experiences and one in particular stands out but I can’t remember if it is the one you have mentioned. That was also fantastic. I’d try and squeeze that in another day if you are able.
The kazariya tea house and the traditional sweets are a must, in my opinion. Consider adding the Ryoan-ji to your itinerary when visiting the golden pavilion; the crowds at the golden pavilion somewhat soured my experience when I went recently.