Tom Bricker – Travel Caffeine

Our Los Angeles itineraries offer step-by-step 1-day plans for every area of the city, and we also have some itineraries for areas of Southern California outside L.A. These touring plans offer tips and strategy for the best things to do, museums to visit (and skip), where to eat, minimizing parking costs and drive times, and other ways of experiencing Los Angeles efficiently.

The importance of efficiency cannot be understated. We’ve found out the hard way that a lot of California “itineraries” are simply lists of things to do, and clearly were not tested by anyone as none account for one important, stress-inducing variable: traffic.

To remedy this, we’ve come up with and tested these itineraries in a way that avoids traffic, and reduces the amount of driving to the greatest extent possible. One of them doesn’t even require a car at all, which is a small miracle given the sprawl of Southern California. We also try to avoid paid parking as much as possible, and maybe seem abnormally giddy about that, but traffic and paid parking are two very big deals when it comes to visiting Los Angeles!

Of course, the reduced exposure to traffic and parking fees is immaterial if the stops on the itineraries are garbage. Obviously we’re biased, but we think the places included in these Los Angeles and Southern California touring plans are pretty good.

Our L.A. itineraries balance must-see points of interest with hidden gems, while also encouraging a sense of leisurely exploration and “stopping to smell the roses.” Los Angeles is defined by its rich tapestry of neighborhoods, each one of which has its own distinct character and brings something special to the table. While museums and the like are great, simply spending time being there in Los Angeles is a quintessential part of the experience, and we strive to highlight that in these itineraries.

1-Day Los Angeles Highlights Itinerary – Our first and most popular Los Angeles itinerary, this is for people who only allocate a single day to L.A., and are attempting to see all of the best points of interest. While this is also the foundation and first day for multi-day itineraries, we’d recommend moving a couple stops from this itinerary to another day for those with more time in SoCal.

2-Day Best-of Los Angeles Itinerary – My favorite one of the bunch, this basically takes the Highlights itinerary above, gives it more breathing room, while also adding some things and rearranging stops to increase efficiency. It’s still a pretty packed schedule, with several museums, a couple hiking options, pretty drives, the area’s most beautiful beach, and more.

1-Day Downtown Los Angeles Walking Itinerary – “There’s nothing to do in downtown Los Angeles” or (worse yet) “Los Angeles doesn’t really have a downtown” is antiquated thinking that really sells DTLA. To the contrary, this is my second-favorite itinerary overall and probably my favorite 1-day itinerary if you set aside the fact that it doesn’t hit as many iconic spots as the ‘Highlights’ itinerary above.

1-Day Hollywood Itinerary – Parts of Hollywood are the most overrated places in California. Tourists flock to Hollywood Boulevard because it’s iconic, but there’s a lot to dislike about that area of Hollywood. This itinerary starts from that perspective, and focuses on the “real” Hollywood, hidden gems, while also spending a bit of time at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theater, Dolby Theater, El Capitan Theater, and other recognizable points of interest.

1-Day Santa Monica & Venice Beach Itinerary – These adjacent beach cities near Los Angeles are trendy and hip, which can make them intimidating places with too much emphasis on “places to see and be seen.” We largely eschew that, highlighting the interesting things to see and do in Venice and Santa Monica via this walking tour, along with excellent places to eat and drink.

1-Day Los Angeles Westside Itinerary – Between Santa Monica and Downtown L.A. are a number of areas on the Westside that have great things to do. While Beverly Hills is the most renowned of these, Culver City, Brentwood, Century City, Bel Air, and Westwood all have great museums and things to do, including the Sony Pictures Studios Tour and great dining in Little Osaka.

1-Day Laguna Beach Itinerary – We are really partial to Laguna, which we think is the best beach city in Southern California. The “problem” with it, which is also an asset, is how far removed it is from Los Angeles. It’s quite the drive, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. This itinerary provides a flexible approach, allowing you to see multiple coves, points of interest, and restaurants…if you want. Or, you can just spend all day lounging at our recommended hidden gem beaches.

1-Day Walt Disney-Inspired Itinerary – This is the lone oddball that doesn’t fit neatly with the others, as it’s more of a niche interest option for Disney fans who want to ‘walk in Walt’s footsteps’ through Los Angeles and beyond. There’s a lot to see, but we don’t recommend this to anyone but the most dedicated Disney enthusiasts.

If you have a full week in Southern California, we’d recommend the above six itineraries in order, plus a free day. If you’ve got more time, consider adding on Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Joshua Tree National Park, San Diego, or one of the many other excellent cities outside of Los Angeles.

Speaking of which, we currently are still “field-testing” our itineraries for San Diego, Long Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, Palm Springs, and Pasadena, but those should be coming relatively soon. More to the point, we’ve spent extensive time in each, and can make recommendations if anyone has questions in the comments.

If you’re planning a trip, check out our Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles or our California category of posts. For even more things to do, The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles: 1001 Ideas is an exceptional resource, which is written by other locals. If you enjoyed this post, help spread the word by sharing it via social media. Thanks for reading!

Your Thoughts

If you’re planning a trip, how much time are you budgeting for Los Angeles? Need help with any other beach cities or towns near L.A.? Have you done a day in any of these Southern California cities? If so, which do you recommend? Spots we recommend that you do not agree with? Any additional tips to add that we didn’t cover? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Los Angeles & Southern California Itineraries appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

%ARABICA is the most popular coffee shop in Kyoto, which is the heart of Japan’s third wave coffee scene. Founded in Kyoto and the source of the iconic % symbol coffee cups that are now ubiquitous in Arashiyama and Higashiyama, % ARABICA is incredibly busy and beloved. This post reviews whether %ARABICA is worth your time and energy, how to beat the lines, and shares photos from the cafes.

We’d be remiss not to begin with %ARABICA’s origin story. Founder Kenneth Shoji spent his college years hanging out and studying in a Venice Beach, California Starbucks and was inspired by the location. Upon graduating and reflecting upon what he wanted in life, the big things were a simple and down-to-earth life and an amazing cup of coffee every day. And so %ARABICA was born.

When it first opened in Kyoto a few years ago, %ARABICA was not a tourist destination unto itself as is the case today. With each of our visits the last few years, it seems the Arashiyama and Higashiyama storefronts have gotten busier and busier. Now, you’ll be hard-pressed to walk through either district and not see countless tourists taking selfies with those iconic % cups.

None of this success was accidental, or the result of an eye-catching design for the cups. Shoji was dedicated to creating the best coffee possible, so he borrowed money and bought a coffee farm in Hawaii. He also started trading green beans from around the world and became the sole-exporter of a Japanese roasting machine along with the distributor of one of the best espresso machines.

He then spent a year persuading Junichi Yamaguchi, a world champion of latte art, to become head barista at %ARABICA. There are several user reviews on Google and TripAdvisor of people meeting Yamaguchi. To my knowledge, he still is head barista at %ARABICA’s flagship Kyoto, Japan cafe in Higashiyama.

As for the %ARABICA coffee shops themselves, the first thing you’re almost certain to encounter is a line. While the shops are operating (in addition to the two mentioned here, there’s also a third location in the Fujii Daimaru shopping mall near Nishiki Market in Downtown Kyoto–this one is less busy and less touristy), there’s almost certainly going to be a crowd.

In fact, I’ve never not seen a line during operating hours at the Higashiyama location. The line begins to form shortly before opening, and stays until closing. In fact, given that the nearby Kiyomizudera Temple closes before the coffee shop, there’s often an influx of visitors leaving the temple who arrive just before the coffee shop’s 6 p.m. closing. So don’t plan to go later to avoid the crowds–that doesn’t work.

The flagship store is located on Yasaka Street, the road that travels between Yasaka Pagoda, the symbol of Higashiyama, and Kiyomizudera Temple, one of the city’s most popular points of interest. It’s easy to find via Google Maps, but there’s about a 95% chance you’ll naturally walk past this coffee shop when you head to Kiyomizudera.

If this %ARABICA location is a must-do for you, arriving before 9:30 a.m. is essential. Even then, you can expect to encounter a line ranging from around 5 to 15 minutes. Later in the day, it will be considerably worse (depending upon the season). Early in the day, most people are in ‘grab and go’ mode, which also provides a better opportunity to peruse the interior.

The Arashiyama %ARABICA coffee shop is slightly more laid back. Slightly. It similarly has long lines throughout the day, but it’s not uncommon to see it without a line (or much of a line) before 10 a.m. Later in the day it gets busy and stays that way, but it’s rarely as long of a wait as the Higashiyama store.

The location in Arashiyama is a bit removed from the normal tourist corridor. With that said, I’d argue that this is an even better location, situated near the historical Togetsukyo Bridge, overlooking Oi River and the Arashiyama mountains–home to the beloved Kyoto Iwatayama Monkey Park, which we highly recommend. %ARABICA benefits greatly from being just around the corner from the “main drag” of Arashiyama, though.

In addition to the three Kyoto locations, we’ve also been to %ARABICA in Paris, France.

Due to the success of the original locations in Japan, %ARABICA has aggressive expansion plans (I’m hesitant to put a number on how many shops are currently operating, because more seem to be added by the month), which include the United States and no less than a dozen other countries.

The menu at %ARABICA is simple enough to facilitate easy ordering, but substantial enough to let you know they are “for real” in terms of third wave coffee shops. There are a variety of espresso beverages, each with the choice of hot or iced and single origin or a blend.

The most noteworthy thing about the interior of the stores is the respect for the process and how this is on full display. Examples of different roasts are on display, beans are stored in a temperature-controlled cases with the roasting being done in-house, and the barista is visible from the counter when they make your drink. %ARABICA is fully transparent from start to finish.

In terms of design, the cafe embraces a sense of modernity mixed with Japanese simplicity. You’ll find crisp white walls and clean lines accented by exposed wood and the aforementioned displays. Unfortunately, you’ll also find a dearth of seating and cramped interiors.

In our Best Coffee Shops in Kyoto, Japan post, I made a bold prediction: “5 years from now, %ARABICA will be the next Starbucks.” That was probably the caffeine buzz doing the talking, as the coffee at %ARABICA is really good, and the cafe is simultaneously very serious and very trendy, serving ‘two worlds’ of coffee drinkers in a better manner than Starbucks.

However, one thing I overlooked that is crucial to the success of Starbucks is the inviting nature of its shops and the sense of community it fostered early on, which persists today.

Perhaps their newer shops are different, but I’ve yet to visit a %ARABICA that I’d describe as “pleasant” or “inviting.” The design is great, sure, but you cannot possibly hang out there (unless you pay for a booth).

Rather, it’s the atmosphere of Arashiyama and Higashiyama that you’re enjoying while drinking %ARABICA…and I already know I love those places, irrespective of the coffee. (In fact, I’d rather go to the Higashiyama Starbucks–with its inferior coffee–than the flagship %ARABICA, all things considered.)

As for whether %ARABICA is worth your time, it depends. The lines do get obnoxiously long thanks to the trendiness and popularity of of %ARABICA, and the only way to beat those is going early at a time when you might be better off aggressively touring Kyoto’s top temples to beat the crowds there. Additionally, as we note in our above-referenced ‘Best Coffee’ post, %ARABICA is not the top third wave shop in Kyoto. However, if you’re serious about coffee and want to see a future worldwide power player before it becomes ubiquitous, %ARABICA is definitely worthwhile. If we’re just talking cost and taste (without factoring crowds), %ARABICA is unquestionably worth it.

If you’re planning a trip to Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend that you start by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

Have you gotten coffee at %ARABICA? What did you think of the experience? How was your coffee–delicious or all hype? Would you recommend % ARABICA to a first-timer visiting Japan? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post %ARABICA – Kyoto, Japan’s Most Popular Coffee Shop appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Our free travel newsletter features updates about California, Japan, Europe, the U.S. National Parks, and other places to visit, vacation planning tips, and free downloadable wallpapers.

Most importantly, it includes our FREE 101 Things to Do in Southern California eBook. After subscribing via the form below, you’ll receive a confirmation email. After you confirm, you’ll automatically receive a “Welcome” email with a link to download this free eBook.

If you’re thinking about visiting California, we think you’re really going to enjoy this. The eBook is 51 pages long, featuring 75 photos, with 101 different things to do in Southern California covered, along with why we recommend each.

The eBook is divided into regions, with sections devoted to Los Angeles, the Beach Cities, the Valley, San Diego, and beyond. There are plenty of places near-ish to Disneyland, for those of you who are emphasizing those parks on your SoCal vacation.

In addition to the newsletter being free and offering those perks, we are committed to your privacy and will never sell your email address or spam you with ridiculous junk. If all of this sounds good to you, we hope you’ll sign up!

Thanks again for your readership and support of TravelCaffeine–we hope you’ll enjoy our newsletter! In the meantime, we look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you!

~Sarah & Tom Bricker

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Notre Dame Cathedral Paris is one of the most popular tourist spots in France, drawing millions visitors every year. In this post we’ll share photos of the architecture inside, outside, and above Our Lady of Paris’s bell towers, along with some tips for visiting Notre Dame de Paris and avoiding crowds. (Last updated April 18, 2019.)

As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, a devastating fire destroyed the roof and iconic spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Due to the fire damage, Notre Dame de Paris is unlikely to reopen to the public for at least three years, a spokesman for the Parisian landmark confirmed. Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the badly burned Notre Dame Cathedral within 5 years.

At this point, we’d put little credence in these Notre Dame Cathedral reopening timeframes. While the rebuilding will have no shortage of funding, full analysis of the damage hasn’t taken place. Plus, restoration efforts frequently run over schedule. We suspect that the ultimate timeline will be dictated by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Having Notre Dame fully recovered from fire damage just in time for the Paris Summer Olympics would be a compelling media storyline. In other words, if you’re planning to visit France before Summer 2024, you should not count on Notre-Dame de Paris being open. We’ll update this post with more Notre Dame reopening info once it’s released, but for now, here’s the original post…

Even though we think Notre-Dame de Paris is a bit overrated, it’s still an unequivocal must-do, and one of the world’s most historically significant structures. This post is more about establishing reasonable expectations for Notre Dame de Paris than it is about bashing one of the preeminent religious and historical landmarks in all of the world.

We have been to Notre Dame Cathedral Paris multiple times–and would return again–so it’s not as if we dislike the place. Rather, we think it’s important to approach it with a sense of realism rather than expecting it to live up to the romanticized depiction of the cathedral that might live in your head.

If you have not visited Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, you’ve no doubt heard of it and seen photos and video of it. It’s regular fodder for travelogues and documentaries about France. It is also the titular setting of Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris, and the legacy of film and theater adaptations Hugo’s work has spawned.

The most well known of these to English-speaking audiences is probably Disney’s adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. An argument could be made that Notre Dame de Paris is a secondary “star” of Hugo’s work and subsequent adaptations, and audiences have been enthralled by a romanticized idea of the cathedral since.

Much of the appeal of Notre Dame de Paris is derived from its historical and spiritual significance, and these are elements that are undermined by the hordes of crowds it attracts.

It’s not just that, but also the way the cathedral chooses to forgo a strictly spiritual experience in favor of capitalizing on its commercialism. To be blunt, there’s a pretty clear difference between the objectives of a cathedral and those of a theme park.

To be fair, this isn’t completely avoidable. Notre Dame Cathedral Paris could strip its interior of any commercial elements and adopt a slate of vigorous rules like those found at other cathedrals in Europe, but its popularity would still diminish certain elements of its spiritualism.

Moreover–and perhaps most importantly–Notre Dame de Paris has a reputation that precedes it for good reason.

While a good many ‘overrated’ travel experiences are the result of diligent marketing or offer points of interest that rest on their laurels or reputations established decades ago that are no longer merited, Notre Dame de Paris is still very much an excellent place to visit.

It’s just not the end-all, be-all of cathedrals and churches as some might suggest. This is where it’s worth pointing out that something can be overrated, but still really, really good. (Technically, even second-best would be overrated if it’s considered the best.)

To wit, we consider visiting the nearby Sainte-Chapelle to be the more enjoyable experience, and would likewise highly recommend Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a Roman Catholic church perched atop Montmartre that offers sweeping views of Paris, to be a must-do. Neither have quite the historical and cultural legacy of Notre Dame, but they are similarly breathtaking and arguably better overall experiences.

Since we’ve now established that Notre Dame is good and is still worth visiting despite the crowds you’ll encounter in the process, let’s turn to some tips for making the most of your visit…

These tips really depend upon what you intend to do at Notre Dame de Paris. We’ll start with the higher-demand option…

If you’re interested in panoramic views of Paris and an up-close look at the gargoyles perched at the top of the cathedral, you’ll want to tour the “Towers of Notre Dame.” The fee for this is €10.00 (or included with the Paris Pass/Paris Museum Pass), and only a handful of people are admitted at a time.

The limited admission is due to the tight climb to the top, which is 387 steps through a narrow spiral staircase. Keep in mind that these stairs were built centuries ago, and are not exactly up to modern building standards. You’d think the least Quasimodo could’ve done was install an elevator.

The quarters are incredibly tight, to the point that some visitors may have issues physically navigating. (If you’re claustrophobic, you likely will not want to do this.) We found this to be physically strenuous to a moderate degree–more so than the 387 steps might suggest.

Even if you are able and willing to make the climb, you might be discouraged by the long line.

I would hazard a guess that the same number of people are admitted to the Towers of Notre Dame in an hour as are admitted to the regular interior in a single minute. As such, the wait time swells for the Towers of Notre Dame to over an hour early in the morning.

We arrived shortly after Notre Dame de Paris opened on an off-season day in the fall, and we still ended up waiting just over 2 hours. From what I understand, the line forms well before the Towers open, and in the summer this is significantly worse.

If you want to do the Towers of Notre Dame, your best option is going to be to arrive nearly an hour prior to opening time, or waiting until the evening and doing a more expensive guided tour.

After making the climb part of the way up, paying, and then continuing on the rest of the way, we were rewarded with an up-close look at the world-famous Notre Dame gargoyles, and sweeping views of Paris. The gargoyles were around a foot out of reach, making the experience quite intimate and reasonably immersive.

One thing to note is that, while this experience is entirely open-air, there is netting all around. I mention this because it’s often omitted from photos (like mine!) because it isn’t exactly photogenic. The good news is that there are plenty of openings to insert a camera for net-free photos, so the rest of the world can think you had an unobstructed view of the gargoyles and totally open-air views of Paris.

The reality isn’t quite as pretty. Still gorgeous, but worth mentioning to avoid the disappointment of seeing the netting up there for the first time when you exit the stairs.

If I were to do it again–and I would like to someday–I’d definitely pay more money to do a guided evening tour. I’d love to capture night photos of the gargoyles and see the City of Lights…well, lit up.

As far as tips for the interior, my main one would be to go during daylight hours. During the day, the gorgeous stained glass rose windows are backlit, and you can see their full beauty and detail.

After sunset and in the evening, these windows are not nearly as pretty. Since they are one of the main reasons for visiting Notre Dame de Paris, you don’t want to miss them.

That’s really about it. The line for the main interior of Notre Dame de Paris can get really long, but it moves quickly in our experience.

The interior is quite large and people generally filter in and out rather quickly, so turnover is such that you shouldn’t expect to wait in this line more than 30 minutes, except during the height of summer tourist season. (On the other hand, there was no line whatsoever when we visited at night.)

Visiting first thing in the morning is going to minimize the ‘touristy’ vibe of Notre Dame de Paris.

However, you will encounter a large crowd even then, so I wouldn’t necessarily plan my day around Notre Dame de Paris unless you’re doing the Towers. There are other, more popular (high-demand, low-capacity) points of interest in Paris, which makes it difficult to prioritize this.

Overall, Notre Dame de Paris is a stunning landmark, and one of the most iconic religious sites in the entire world. Considered the symbolic heart of Paris, it features brilliant architecture and beautiful design details. It also has quite the historical legacy, and is really a spot that no one visiting Paris should miss (free admission doesn’t hurt!). When viewed simply as a historic, world landmark, it does not disappoint. On a spiritual level, it doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but given the demand to see Notre Dame de Paris–an estimated 13 million visitors per year–that is unavoidable to an extent. You shouldn’t even consider skipping it if you’re visiting Paris.

If you’re planning a trip to France, we recommend starting by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Paris, France to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about France for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

If you’ve visited Notre Dame de Paris, do you agree with our assessment that it’s a bit overrated, or is that heresy? Is Notre Dame Cathedral on your bucket list? Any other thoughts on this popular point of interest in France? Thoughts or tips of your own to add? Does visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral de Paris interest you? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post Inside Notre Dame Cathedral Paris: Photos & Info appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Our 2-day Paris, France itinerary takes you to the most popular things to do in the City of Light, and provides an enjoyable and efficient walking tour through most of the iconic districts. Included are the best art museums, historical monuments, and a few places with great views of Paris.

Note that it’s physically impossible to see all of Paris’ highlights in two days. Even if you literally walk into each of the museums on this list and immediately walk out to “check them off” (not a recommended strategy, for what it’s worth). However, we really try–and these are two morning until nighttime days in Paris that should leave you exhausted but satisfied, having spent the perfect two days in Paris.

If you’re still planning your vacation to France, we’d recommend allocating more time in Paris. For first-time visitors, we would recommend at least 4 days in the city, and ideally 5 days. Even with two full days, this perfect 2-day Paris itinerary is confined to a relatively condensed area of Paris, and doesn’t venture much outside of that, save for Montmartre.

More time is definitely necessary if you also want to visit Versailles, Disneyland Paris, or make a day-trip farther outside the city. We will have 3-day to week-long itineraries very soon, we’re just starting with a shorter itinerary because it’s easy to build these out.

We’d also highly recommend purchasing the 2-day Paris Museum Pass, as you will more than break even using it for this itinerary. You can read our Paris Museum Pass: Is It Worth It? post for more info, but the answer to that question is yes if you’re following our 2-day Paris touring plan here–and that’s true even if you have to skip a couple steps.

The order of these two days can be switched as necessary; we’ve ordered them this way simply because there’s more walking on the first day that will familiarize you with the city, and because it’s the more ‘intense’ day that’ll require fresh legs.

Day 1

Sainte-Chapelle – With Notre-Dame Cathedral likely closed for between 3 and 5 years (our bet is that it reopens in time for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics), that won’t be an option for any near-term trips to France. The good news is that the lesser-known Sainte-Chapelle is arguably the more awe-inspiring experience, and is located mere steps from Notre Dame.

We suspect this is going to be a pretty common itinerary pivot going forward, and the smaller Sainte-Chapelle is simply not equipped for an influx of crowds. Even previously, we recommended arriving at Sainte-Chapelle right when it opened or shortly before closing, and we’ll double-down on that recommendation now.

Other Museum Pass Options – During your half-hour walk from Sainte-Chapelle to the Rodin Museum (you could take the RER or Metro to cut some time off that, but it’s a lovely walk), there are a few Museum Pass eligible spots you might consider visiting quickly.

Chief among these are Conciergerie and Musée Delacroix, both of which can be pretty quick visits. Of the two, we’d more highly recommend Conciergerie, which was formerly a prison, presently a law court, and is also part of the former royal palace. It’s a pretty and unique space, with fascinating history that can be experienced in relatively short order (if you want).

On the other hand, Musée Delacroix is interesting because it’s the artist’s former apartment and studio, but the exhibit area is very small. It’s not something we’d seek out, but you’ll walk literally right past it, and it’s an easy and interesting way to spend 30 minutes.

Rodin Museum – While we wouldn’t rank Musée Rodin among our top 5 museums in Paris, that’s largely a matter of personal preference; the sculptures are beautiful, but they’re not so much our cup of tea. Nevertheless, the Rodin Museum is highly regarded and beloved by visitors…and also, it’s included in the Paris Museum Pass and you’ll walk right past it.

Our full post about the Rodin Museum offers a variety of info and tips, but the big recommendation is to do the outdoor areas first. This is especially true on a nice autumn or spring day, when the weather makes it more enjoyable to be outdoors. We far preferred these green spaces, and as noted above, there are a number of exquisite works on display outside.

Army Museum – This name may not exactly rouse enthusiasm or curiosity, but this is one of the best museums in Paris. Le Musée de l’Armée offers a fascinating collection of all things war related, and recounts the tumultuous military history of France.

With over 500,000 military artifacts and basically the framework for an entire French History 101 course laid out on placards in the galleries, you could easily spend an entire day here. Our first visit, we ended up spending over 4 hours here and still barely scratching the surface.

Even if have even a passing curiosity about Napoleon, the French Revolution, France’s involvement in the World Wars, or literally any historical events that have shaped contemporary France, the Army Museum is a must-visit. Budget 2 hours here, focus on a specific area or topic, and try not to overshoot.

Petit Palais – Located directly across the street from Grand Palais, we recommend Petit Palais since admission to the permanent collections is free, and getting inside the building is the main goal here. Both were built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition and are fascinating as much for their art as their architecture.

There are some nice pieces in the permanent collections, but what we love about the Petit Palais is its Beaux-Arts architecture, triple arcade, and domed roof. It has a light and airy environment that’s a departure from other art museums in Paris. (It’s an especially nice change of pace after the decidedly dark Army Museum.)

Tuileries Garden – This public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde is popular with tourists and locals alike, probably skewing a bit more towards the latter.

We don’t consider Jardin des Tuileries a “destination” point of interest, but there’s lovely horticulture, views of the adjacent icons, and places to sit. Plus, you’ll stroll right through it en route to your next stop on the itinerary.

Palais Garnier – The opulent Paris Opera House is one of our favorite places in the city. Featuring a medley of architectural styles, the overarching theme of Palais Garnier is lavishness. It’s an architectural gem, and arguably the most extravagant building in a city renowned for its grandiosity.

It’s an odd comparison, but we also view Palais Garnier as a way to experience a slice of Versailles if you’re not making the half-day trip out there. They’re two totally different things, but the impression on visitors is very similar. Note that the Palais Garnier does not accept the Paris Museum Pass and sometimes has inexplicable closures, so check the online schedule day-of before you visit.

Galeries Lafayette Paris – At Christmas, this luxury shopping mall is a must-visit. During the holidays, the beautiful rotunda is adorned with a giant Swarovski Christmas tree that’s suspended in mid-air. The design of the tree changes yearly, with it looking like the above photo a couple of years ago. All other times of year, it’s a lovely mall, but you may feel uncomfortable there.

After Galeries Lafayette, you might consider walking to the Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette Metro Station and taking that to the Palais Royal Musée du Louvre stop. It’s about a 5 minute ride versus a 20 minute walk.

Louvre – In an ideal world, you’re doing this day of the itinerary on an evening when the Louvre is open late. At present, this is Wednesday and Friday, when it’s open until 10 p.m. (Shuffle these two days to achieve that, if necessary.) If not, you’ll very likely have to cut out a stop or two to arrive at the Louvre with enough time to experience a few of its exhibits before it closes at 6 p.m. (on other nights).

Don’t budget more than 3 hours on the Louvre, and don’t go in with any agenda whatsoever. The Mona Lisa is just as disappointing in person as everyone says, and I can’t think of a single exhibit in the museum–even the famed ones–that are actual must-sees. Rather, the highlight of the Louvre is the museum itself, and simply being there. The presentation is phenomenal, so soak that and the museum’s decadent design and architecture up, rather than racing from forgettable exhibit to forgettable exhibit.

Arc de Triomphe – Even if you finish up at the Louvre close to 10 p.m., there’s still time to hop aboard the Metro at Palais Royal Musée du Louvre Station and take the Line 1 to Charles de Gaulle – Étoile and walk to the Arc de Triomphe, which is open until 11 p.m. nightly.

Paris is aglow with color and lights during the evenings, and the best way to see this is from the Arc de Triomphe. This is actually our favorite view of the Paris skyline, as it offers the ideal elevation and the view includes the Eiffel Tower, which, for obvious reasons, cannot be attained when you’re in the Eiffel Tower.

Day 2

Morning in Montmartre – Our second day of the itinerary bears striking resemblance to our 1-Day Paris Highlights Itinerary, albeit with a couple stops from that moved to Day 1 here, and other options added.

As with that, we highly recommend getting to Montmartre early to beat the crowds. This won’t save you any times in any lines, but this quaint, art village feels intimate and pleasant early in the morning, and that atmosphere gives way to touristy madness later in the day.

Ideally, you’ll want to take a relaxed stroll up the hill of Montmartre coming from one of the western Metro stations (we recommend Lamarck-Caulaincourt), which is the village’s more charming side. Spend some time wandering side streets, perusing art shops, and perhaps stopping for café au lait and breakfast.

End your morning in Montmartre by visiting the stunning Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which we think is another more than ample substitute for Notre-Dame. After that, you’ll leave for the Latin Quarter via one of the stations to the east. No need to linger on that side of Montmartre.

Pantheon – Rather than returning to Lamarck – Caulaincourt, we’d now recommend seeing a different side of Montmartre by walking to Gare du Nord and taking the RER B to Luxembourg. From there, you’ll walk to the Pantheon.

This is yet another stop that’s included with the Paris Museum Pass, and is a relatively quick visit (if you want it to be). Admittedly, the Pantheon is not among our favorite spots in Paris, but others absolutely love it and it’s worth at least a quick visit.

Latin Quarter & Luxembourg Gardens – As with Montmartre, the Latin Quarter will be overrun with tourists later in the day, so after a quick visit to the Pantheon, make this area your next stop. There are intimate alleyways full of antiques shops, independent booksellers, charming cafes, and it’s all a lot of fun to explore…so long as it’s not wall to wall tourists.

By the time late morning hits and the area starts getting more crowded, escape to Jardin du Luxeumbourg. This formal park and garden rounds out our “Versailles Consolation Duo” for those who don’t make that trip. The Luxembourg Gardens feature detailed statues, vibrant flowers, plenty of water features, and–most importantly–shade and seating. This makes it perfect for a picnic, so stop into a boulangerie for sandwiches and sweets before heading to Jardin du Luxeumbourg.

Musee d’Orsay – This is the top museum in Paris, and arguably the best art museum in the world. Our full Musée d’Orsay post discusses the “why” of this in detail, but suffice to say, this is not to be missed. Even with 2 days in Paris, you’ll want to limit your time here to under 3 hours.

The bulk of that time being spent in the upper Impressionist gallery, which is home to several masterworks by Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Degas, and other key members from the movement, including pieces on display at the Impressionist Exhibitions in Paris. However, be sure to also see the lower level exhibits, which also contain stunning pieces and great variety.

Musée de l’Orangerie – A short walk across the Seine, is the Orangerie Museum. This has a number of works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, but is most famous for being chosen by the impressionist painter Claude Monet as the permanent home for his Water Lilies (Nymphéas) paintings, which are displayed in two large oval rooms.

We love Musee de l’Orangerie, which is small but packs a powerful punch thanks to Water Lilies and a heavy concentration of masterworks in its lower levels. From here, you’ll have a long walk on the banks of the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. Taking the RER between the two is a time-saving option, but we love this scenic Seine stroll, so we’d highly recommend taking the leisurely walk instead of the train.

Eiffel Tower – We disagree with the consensus that recommends doing Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning to beat the crowds. Instead, go shortly before sunset and get a ‘2 for 1’ by experiencing the view during the day and at night. Seeing the City of Light transition from daytime to sunset to dusk to night is an incredible experience that’s worth the elevated crowds.

Our Eiffel Tower: Tips & Mistakes post covers what to do and not do for more thorough planning. Visiting the Eiffel Tower can be frustrating and time-consuming, so you’ll definitely want to avoid common pitfalls and time things so you’re up there for the window between sunset and dusk. After this, we’d recommend culminating your 2 perfect days in Paris with a late night dinner in the area; there are countless options within a few blocks of the Eiffel Tower!

If you’re planning, we recommend starting by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Paris, France to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about France for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of our 2-Day Perfect Paris Itinerary? What are your must-dos for a single day in the City of Light? Anything on here you’d skip? What about snubs you think are essential? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Questions about the itinerary? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post 2-Day Best of Paris, France Itinerary appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Kyoto, Japan is home to thousands of shrines and temples–literally. Most cost around 500 yen, but some are free to enter. In this post, we rank the best options that don’t charge an admission fee and recommend which to include in your itinerary.

While spending around $3 to $5 per temple may not sound like much, it does add up quickly. For example, if you’re visiting Kyoto for 4 days, that could be as many as 25 admission fees, or $125 per person. For a family of four, that’s $500 just to enter temples!

We’ve visited hundreds of temples and shrines in Kyoto–many of them several times. I shudder to think of how much we’ve spent on admission fees…but that’s not the point here. Rather, it’s because our Top 100 Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan list includes around two-dozen options that are totally free or have free areas.

Here are the best of Kyoto’s free temples and shrines, with their overall ranking on that top 100 list included in parentheticals. Note that you can click on each temple or shrine’s name to read and see our full post about it…

Yasaka Shrine (#49) – This makes the list because it’s so easy to visit. Located between the Gion and Higashiyama Districts, Yasaka Shrine is a spot you’re likely to naturally pass while walking between two of Kyoto’s most popular districts or to Kawaramachi Station.

We’re always drawn into Yasaka Shrine’s courtyard, which is filled with lanterns and has an enchanting atmosphere at night. It’s also home to several festivals throughout the year, and you can frequently find outdoor food vendors lining the path between the shrine and park near it.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (#48) – Located in northwest Kyoto, this free shrine is a popular place to visit during spring for its plum trees and fall for its autumn foliage, as well as during its monthly flea market.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine has an intriguing layout. The main shrine, worship hall, and the Ishi-no-Ma Hall have combined roofs above them and are interconnected. There’s also a paid garden that’s open during certain times of year, and it’s beautiful during fall colors season.

Kamo Shrines (#45 & #46) – Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrine are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Northern Kyoto. While considered important and free to visit, the Kamo Shrines are also off the beaten path and a bit of a commute from the city’s main tourist areas.

Shimogamo Shrine is the easier of the two to access, as it’s located at the junction of the Takano and Kamo rivers north of Kyoto Gyoen and the Imperial Palace. It’s in a large park public, surrounded by an old growth forest, which is a unique setting. If you’re thinking of visiting the Kamo Shrines, start with Shimogamo for these reasons.

Heian Shrine (#39) – This is a tough one. The free area is large and one of Kyoto’s most famous shrines, but not in a way that evokes grandeur or makes you want to spend time exploring the grounds. To the contrary, the shrine feels impersonal and lacks much of substance to see. The design is neat and memorable, but that’s partly because the wide open courtyard is unique.

Then there’s the paid garden area behind the main buildings of Heian Shrine, which are exquisite. There’s a winding path with beautiful weeping cherry trees, small ponds, intimate areas for contemplation, and lovely design. These gardens are charming, and you’re arguably missing the highlight of Heian Shrine if you only do the free areas.

Chionin Temple (#33) – The free grounds here are large and impressive. Chionin Temple’s main entrance Sanmon gate stands right at the road–you can’t miss it if you’re walking the road between Maruyama Park and Shorenin Temple. Continuing inside, you’ll encounter a long and steep set of stairs, which might get your heart rate up a bit.

At the top of the stairs is a large open area with pathways to temple’s main buildings. The most prominent of these are the main Miedo Hall and Amidado Hall, with other less-significant buildings and one of the temple’s paid gardens in this general vicinity. The paid garden is far from essential, so don’t worry about missing that.

Yoshida Shrine (#32) – One of several temples on Mt. Yoshida, which is a hill between downtown Kyoto and the Higashiyama Mountains. This cluster includes some of our favorite hidden gem temples in Japan: Kurodani Temple, Shinnyodo Temple, and Yoshida Shrine along with its array of sub-shrines.

Yoshida Shrine is within a hillside park that’s also home to a number of interesting spots, plus sub-temples and shrines. One of these is Takenaka Inari Shrine, which is sort of like a bargain version of Fushimi Inari. Another is Daigengu Saijosho, which is only open the 1st day of every month, and for Setsubun.

Shinnyodo Temple (#28) – This under-the-radar and free temple makes for a short but sweet visit. It makes both our Top 10 Fall Color Spots and 10 Best Hidden Gem Photography Spots lists for Kyoto, an impressive feat for such a low-profile location.

Most of Shinnyodo Temple’s grounds are free to visit, including the main hall, pagoda, and smaller buildings behind the main hall. However, there is a paid inner chamber accessed from inside the main hall that includes the temple’s garden and costs 500 yen to enter. (This paid area is totally skippable.)

Kurodani Temple (#23) – This is another free temple situated in the Yoshida Hill area, which is home to a trio of temples and shrines we love. All of the buildings here are free to see, and this temple that’s removed from the touristy side of Kyoto is a peaceful hidden gem.

We’ve now made several visits here, and I think we’ve seen a grand total of 1 or 2 other tourists. It’s far from a busy temple to begin with, but most of the people here seem to be using the temple as a shortcut coming from work or school, or neighborhood residents who treat Kurodani as a functioning temple. Don’t miss it!

Honenin Temple (#22) – Entirely free, easy to access from the (also free) Philosopher’s Path, and a quiet respite from the crowds, Honenin Temple is highly recommended. Even though it’s not a huge or high-profile temple, Honenin packs a powerful punch.

The thatch-roofed Main Gate has a sense of restrained beauty, and upon entering down through it, you’ll see the “Byakusadan – Terrace of White Sand.” These are twin white sand mounds with seasonal designs etched on top, surrounded by moss. Other buildings provide a lot to love at Honenin Temple.

Tofukuji Temple (#18) – Here, the outer grounds are free, and this is where you’ll find the treasured Sanmon Gate and the main hall, among several other buildings scattered about. We like this free area in the fall when pockets of color help make it pop. It’s tough to recommend a visit to Tofukuji Temple for the free areas alone.

It’s understandable if you’re on a tight budget and can’t do dozens of paid temples in Kyoto, but the free area of Tofukuji is not what elevates this temple to one of the best in Kyoto–the Hojo Garden and Tsutenkyo Bridge are the stars here. The effort to get to Tofukuji Temple is not worth it for the free areas alone in our estimation.

Daitokuji Temple (#13) – The free grounds at this sprawling temple complex are highlighted by the Chokushimon Gate from Kyoto’s Imperial Palace, the Karamon (Chinese Gate), and Sammon Main Gate. There are also several “public” halls (Butsuden Hall, Hatto Hall, and Hojo Residence), none of which can be entered.

The rest of Daitokuji Temple is a series of 24 sub-temples, some of which are open to the general public (for a fee) and some of which are privately owned. A couple of these are worth paying admission to see, particularly if you like Japanese gardens.

Ninnaji Temple (#10) – This UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northwest Kyoto, Japan offers free admission to its grounds, including a large and well-landscaped area. Most notable in the free area is the towering five-story pagoda and the massive Niomon Gate.

Note that while admission to the grounds of Ninnaji Temple is normally free, during special events (namely cherry blossom season) there is a fee applies. Access to Goten Palace, which we highly recommend, also requires a 500 yen admission.

Daikakuji Temple (#8) – This temple offers a large free area outside of its main grounds that include a pagoda, other buildings, and a huge pond. Around this pond there are many trees that make Daikaku-ji a popular cherry blossom and fall colors location.

Inside, the temple is comprised of several buildings connected by elevated wooden walkways and covered corridors. Entrance to the inner area of Daikakuji Temple requires paying the admission fee. (It’s worth it.)

Nanzenji Temple (#5) – This temple ranks so highly due to its impressive variety spread amongst its many buildings and subtemples: a Sanmon gate, main hall, shrines, rock gardens, tea rooms, pond gardens, fusuma, and an aqueduct.

That aqueduct is the unequivocal highlight. It’s something we’ve still yet to see anywhere else in Japan, and following the aqueduct up the hillside reveals a treasure trove of other details at Nanzenji Temple. There are a few paid areas at Nanzenji Temple, but most of the highlights are free for all to see.

Fushimi Inari Shrine (#1) – What can we say about Fushimi Inari Taisha that we haven’t already said? That it’s not just the best free thing to do in Kyoto, it’s arguably the best thing (paid or free) to do in all of Japan. That we’ve visited dozens of times and still discover new things at Fushimi Inari. That you could visit multiple times (morning, midday, and night) and have unique experiences.

There’s a ton more that could be said, but suffice to say, this is far and away the best free option in Kyoto. If you’re trying to do ‘Japan on a dime’ then you should really budget several hours at Fushimi Inari, and perhaps a visit for sunrise and a return trip in the evening. Perhaps even do a hike (also free!) from here to Tofukuji Temple or visit the Secret Bamboo Forest of Fushimi Inari (another freebie!).

Your Thoughts

Have you visited any of these free temples or shrines in Kyoto? What did you think of the experiences? Which ones would you recommend to a first-timer visiting Japan? Which would do you think are skippable? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Best Free Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

This 1-Day Eastern Tokyo, Japan Itinerary covers highlights including Sensoji Temple, fish markets, museums, and the SkyTree. This touring plan is an efficient step-by-step route for visiting the best of what the city has to offer. It’s a jam-packed day that covering the best of Eastern Tokyo’s highlights, all in a time-saving manner.

Tokyo is commonly divided into the low city and high city. The former is on the delta of the Sumida River and it’s what remains of the historic Tokyo, or old Edo. The latter is the modern metropolis, and where most visitors spend the vast majority of their time.

Only experiencing the west side’s high city is a huge mistake. Districts like Kanda, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, Ueno, Asakusa, Honjo, Tsukiji, Fukugawa, and Akihabara are vibrant in their own right, and provide a different flavor of culture than do the ‘headliner’ areas to the west.

In Eastern Tokyo, you’ll find temples and shrines from the Edo period and remnants of the Meiji era. While much of these areas have been redeveloped following the Great Kantō Earthquake and subsequent firebombing air raids, this side of Tokyo retains a historic charm, and is imbued with a sense of character cultivated over the course of 600 years.

The history and character of Eastern Tokyo is a stark contrast to Western Tokyo, which feels like the city of the future. These two halves of Tokyo form a more interesting, deeper whole, and we’d encourage you to spend roughly equal time in each half of the city if you have the time. With that said, here’s our 1-day Eastern Tokyo touring plan…

Tsukiji or Toyosu Market – Tokyo now has now two iconic fish markets: Tsukiji is the old option where a bunch of stalls are still located and Toyosu is the new market where there’s a marketplace of vendors, wholesale operation, and tuna auction. Toyosu Fish Market is housed in three interconnected buildings and there’s a lot to see, do, and eat there. If you’re up early, go to Toyosu Market.

If you’re not an early riser but still want to get a flavor of the market, we’d recommend Tsukiji Market, which is the original and still-beloved Tokyo fish market. There’s a lot of great food to eat and some activity to see. Plus, it’s way easier to go from Tsukiji Market to our next destination.

Hamarikyu Gardens – A short walk from Tsukiji Fish Market is Hamarikyu Gardens. Here you’ll find what’s essentially a nicely-landscaped stroll garden with exemplars of traditional Japanese architecture around a large pond with a teahouse in the center. Here, you can enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets.

From here, it’s about a 15 minute walk to Shiodome Station where you’ll catch the Oedo Line to Ryogoku Station.

Museum Madness – From Ryoguko Station, you’ll be a stone’s throw from two great museums. First, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which we praise as one of the best museums in all of Japan, and an absolute Tokyo must-do. This is a great survey of Tokyo and Japanese history, with varied and engaging displays that could entertain you for hours.

Second, there’s the Sumida Hokusai Museum, which offers intimate exhibitions featuring the work of internationally-famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai. This museum is a nice companion to the Edo-Tokyo Museum; it’ll take you an hour or less, but is still worth doing, especially if you use the Grutto Pass program for free/discounted museum admission. From there, it’s back to the station and on the Oedo Line to Ueno-Okachimachi Station.

Ueno Park – You’ll start at the south end of Tokyo’s museum district, and have the chance to wander through, seeing some of the beautiful gardens, temples, shrines, and museums. What, if anything, you do in Ueno Park is your call. You could spend the entire day here museum-hopping (on hot days, we have!) and still not see it all. With limited time in the city, we wouldn’t recommend that.

Our favorite museums here are the Tokyo National Museum and National Museum of Nature and Science, home to the above–and other–dinosaurs. The National Museum for Western Art and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum also rank highly. We do not recommend the Ueno Zoo, which we think is a colossal disappointment.

Kitchen Stadium..err…Street – After exploring Ueno Park, walk over to Kappabashi Street. This is a shopping street between Ueno and Asakusa is aimed at restauranteurs, but is also fun for tourists. Kappabashi Street is a cool place to visit not because you’ll purchase anything but because it’s really fascinating to see.

If you’ve ever wondered where all of those plastic food displays that every restaurant in Japan seems to have come from, this is your answer. It’s a lot cooler than it might sound, and even if we’re wrong, it’s on the way to Asakusa.

Old Tokyo – Next, head east to Asakusa, where you can experience the Tokyo of a bygone era. It’s not historic in the same way as Kyoto, but Asakusa does feel like a time capsule that time has passed by. Be sure to peruse the side streets that offer shopping arcades, particularly Nakamise Dori, which has souvenir shops and food vendors that have been serving visitors for centuries.

Nakamise Dori and its vendors line the approach to Sensoji Temple, which one of the top tourist attractions in Tokyo. Sensoji Temple doesn’t do a ton for us, but if you aren’t visiting Kyoto, it’s a must-visit. Even if you are continuing on to Kyoto, it’s worth seeing how it stands in contrast to the towering, ultra-modern skyscrapers in Tokyo.

Tokyo SkyTree – Our “Review: Is SkyTree Worth Doing?” post is not the most ringing endorsement for the observatory, but it does offer a nice bird’s eye view of Tokyo. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount Fuji. On a less clear day, you might struggle to see Tokyo Disney Resort.

Time your visit so you arrive at the Tokyo SkyTree shortly before sunset. Stay at the top for 45 minutes or so, watching the city transition from day to night. Afterwards, dine at one of the many restaurants in the shopping complex below the Tokyo SkyTree. Alternatively, head to Akihabara, which is less than 20 minutes away via the subway.

Evening in Akihabara – Wandering around and marveling at the neon signs and vibrance of Akihabara is a great way to end your night in Tokyo. This area is famed as the city’s electronics district, and there are many stores, arcades, maid cafes, cat cafes, etc. that you can check out in Akihabara.

It’s not a hip or luxe district, so those of you who want normal shopping will feel more at home here, too. Stores we recommend visiting (even if you’re just window shopping) include Yodobashi, Laox Main Store, Sofmap, Don Quijote, Super Potato, Mandarake, and Radio Kaikan. The last one is an Akihabara landmark, with many smaller shops selling everything from electronics to anime, manga, models, and more.

This agenda is pretty jam-packed, and it’s very different than the day you’ll likely have exploring western Tokyo. The two sides of the city are very different from one another, with one or the other likely resonating much more with you. This is perfectly normal, and the good news if you have 3 or more days in Tokyo is that you can call an audible and easily spend more time on the side of Tokyo that appeals to you, and less time on the side that doesn’t.

For all of your planning needs–from places to stay to things to do and much more–please consult our Ultimate Tokyo, Japan City Guide. If you’re planning a visit to other cities, please check out my other posts about Japan.

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Eastern Tokyo? Did you visit any of these districts or do these things? Do you prefer “Old Tokyo” or the modern megapolis? What would make your itinerary for these areas of the city? Any additional tips or thoughts from your visit to add? If you haven’t been to Tokyo, what interests you most about the city? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post 1-Day Eastern Tokyo, Japan Itinerary: Ueno, Asakusa & Akihabara appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

As we detail in our Dining Guide to Kyoto, Japan, the city is renowned for its Michelin-star restaurants and traditional Japanese cuisine. However, sometimes you just want a delicious burger. In this post, we review the best burger joint in Kyoto, and share our experience devouring their biggest burger.

Some of you might be cringing at the idea of visiting Kyoto, with its vast array of delicious Japanese restaurants, and eating a burger. I can understand that, and I’ve felt that way. However, after spending a week or more eating ramen, sushi, udon, etc., sometimes something familiar and comforting is in order.

I’ve been in that exact situation several times, especially during our month-long stays in Japan. Prior to that, I would’ve said I could eat ramen for every meal and never gotten sick of it. That is, until I found myself making a midnight run to McDonald’s because I was really craving a burger, any burger. Towards the tail-end of our two-month stay in Japan, I was especially craving a burger, which is how we ended up at Smile Burger…

I should preface this by saying that American sensibilities about and expectations of burgers are totally different from those of Asians and Europeans. In the past when I’ve given subpar reviews to burgers in places outside of the United States, I’ve had readers vehemently disagree, saying the best burger they’ve had was outside of the United States. Most of these people, I’m assuming, are not Americans.

America’s slogan is literally, “Land of the Free, Home of the Best Damn Burgers on the Planet.” We may quibble amongst ourselves as to which restaurant serves the best burgers, but our burgers reign supreme. I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it is. I’m also not some illogical ‘patriot’ who assumes all things ‘Murica are better than all things foreign.

The United States can’t touch the culinary scenes of many other countries, which do nuance and a variety of cuisines much better than us. So many other places do so many things food-wise better than the United States. I will readily concede this. However, nobody does burgers like America.

In Japan, we’ve found that hamburgers often have a different consistency than is typical of burgers in the United States, with some tasting like hybrids of hamburg steak and meatloaf. Normally, this can be attributed to a binding agent like egg or blended patties with some pork also being used. Nothing against this type of burger, it’s just different.

One thing that has always impressed me about Japan is the dedication at some restaurant to reproducing authentic international cuisine. Superlative French restaurants abound. We’ve written separately about Pizzeria Napoletana da Yuki, which has amazing pizza thanks to an owner who trained for years in Napoli, Italy and uses a wood fire Napoli pizza oven. In the same vein, enter Smile Burger…

As soon as I saw that Smile Burger Q on the menu, I knew I had to have it. It looked huge and probably enough to serve 4 people, but my stomach and taste buds were imploring me. Mind you, I hadn’t eaten a burger in around 2 months at this point.

It turns out that we chose wisely, because ours was the 100th Smile Burger ever ordered. The owners of the restaurant made a big deal out of this, giving us free drinks, taking photos with us, and featuring us on their Facebook page.

クワトロNO.100出ちゃった。

Posted by Ｓｍｉｌｅｂｕｒｇｅｒ/スマイルバーガー on Thursday, December 7, 2017

I’d by lying if I said that this wasn’t one of the proudest moments of my life. I don’t know why, but this felt like an incredible honor and I was perhaps a bit too hyped about being the 100th person to order the Smile Burger Q. Now I know what it (probably) feels like to win The Price is Right.

Sarah later remarked that I was smiling ear to ear the entire time we were at Smile Burger, and she hadn’t seen me that excited for anything in a while. I’m pretty much in a perpetual state of excitement when we’re in Japan, so this was basically dialing things up to 11.

Smile Burger’s patties taste like something you’d find in the United States, albeit slightly fattier and more tender thanks to the blend of Australian and Japanese beef used for the burgers.

The rest of the burger is fantastic, with a thousand island-esque sauce, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and an impossibly airy and soft bun. I could’ve done without the ketchup, but it’s otherwise a fantastic burger.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate a little over three-quarters of the burger, and would’ve eaten the entire thing by myself if Sarah wasn’t there. It was just what I needed after subsisting on a diet of (mostly) ramen and sushi for the previous two months, and my senses felt heightened after conquering this behemoth burger.

Smile Burger is within walking distance of the popular Kiyomizudera Temple, and is a convenient stop halfway between Kiyomizu-Gojo Station and the temple. Prices at Smile Burger range from around 1050 yen (~$10) for the classic burger to 2800 yen for the 4-patty Smile Burger Q.

As the title of the post suggests, Smile Burger is by far my favorite burger joint in Kyoto. I’ve tried a handful of other options, and have yet to find anything that meets my American burger tastes and expectations as well as this. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend any of them, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s all have locations in Kyoto. If you want something predictable and safe, those are suitable alternatives. My quest to find the best burgers in Kyoto will continue, but for now, Smile Burger is the unequivocal champion.

Your Thoughts

Have you had a burger in Japan? Did you find it to be good, or was the taste a bit off? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that America generally does burgers better than anywhere else? Have a favorite burger place in Japan? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this burger joint in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Biggest & Best Burger in Kyoto, Japan appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Sumida Hokusai Museum is an art museum in Tokyo, Japan dedicated to the internationally-famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, commonly referred to as Hokusai. In this review, we’ll take a photo tour of the exhibits, review whether the Hokusai Museum is worth your time, and offer tips & basic info for visiting.

Katsushika Hokusai is Japan’s most recognizable and acclaimed artist; even if you don’t recognize the name, you’d recognize the art, which has become ubiquitous as symbols of Japan. Hokusai is best known for the woodblock print series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji which includes the iconic print, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.

At the time of this review, the Sumida Hokusai Museum has a 3.9 score on Google and 4/5 on TripAdvisor. Not terrible scores, but bad enough to put this museum so far down the list of things to do in Tokyo that most people will probably skip it. We think that’s a mistake…

Despite those scores, the Sumida Hokusai Museum has a couple of things going for it. First, it participates in the Grutto Pass program for free/discounted museum admission. As you’ll read in that post, we highly recommend the Grutto/Grutt Pass to anyone with more than 2 days in Tokyo. This undercuts one of the common complaints about the Sumida Hokusai Museum, and that’s the admission cost.

Second, the Sumida Hokusai Museum is within walking distance the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which we praise as one of the best museums in all of Japan, and an absolute Tokyo must-do. This undercuts complaints in other Hokusai Museum reviews that the commute is long and the museum small for all of the effort.

It’s absolutely true that the Ryogoku district of Tokyo is a bit removed from other popular tourist spots in Tokyo. However, unless you’re spending your days exclusively in Western Tokyo (a mistake way too many tourists make), it’s actually pretty easy to include this district in your itinerary. Stop at Ryogoku Station after an early morning at Toyosu or Tsukiji Fish Market, make the short walk to the museums, and then continue on to Asakusa. It’s really simple.

The other complaint about Sumida Hokusai Museum is that it’s small. There’s no getting around this one–it is a small museum, especially as compared to the Edo-Tokyo Museum or other general interest museums in Ueno Park. However, I think that doing the Hokusai Museum immediately after Edo-Tokyo Museum offers a nice (and very welcome) change of pace.

In that massive museum that spans a variety of topics and centuries, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and feel you’re missing a lot. Arriving at the smaller Hokusai Museum gives you a chance to catch your breath, decompress, and savor each individual piece before moving on. (Despite its footprint, the Hokusai Museum does house 1,800 works by the artist, which display on a rotating basis.)

The Hokusai Museum’s permanent gallery on the fourth floor is located in a single room, but is dense with interesting art, information, and interactive exhibits. Here you’ll find high-quality replicas of Hokusai’s artworks on display, including some of the artist’s most famous works. There are also multilingual panels and videos that offer a deeper dive into Hokusai’s art and his life.

Interestingly, the temporary exhibitions have larger galleries on the museum’s third and fourth floors. These typically showcase works by students of Hokusai and they require an additional admission fee, which is usually more expensive than the permanent exhibitions.

This is also where some of Hokusai’s original artwork can be viewed in detail. Unlike the permanent exhibition, only the titles of the artworks are translated into English here. If you start upstairs and go through some of the interactive exhibits, that’s generally not a big deal–you’ll have the requisite background you need.

The Sumida Hokusai Museum itself is a work of art, designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Sejima Kazuya. The structure was envisioned as a monolithic block, is broken up by angular cut-outs designed to bring light into the structure. Geometric forms of the facade reappear inside, with triangular walkways and angular motifs. The modern design vaguely reminds me of a wave, albeit one represented in a less organic and more structural way.

In addition to the two floors of exhibition space, the museum also conducts seminars, lectures, and workshops that aim to highlight Hokusai’s work to a broad audience.

On the first floor there’s a gift shop and small library with a selection of English books about the artist himself, along with Japanese history, art, and culture.

If you take a taxi from your hotel in Shinjuku just to see this one museum before immediately bouncing, you will undoubtedly be disappointed.

By contrast, if you’re already in the area for the Edo-Tokyo Museum or otherwise find a way to incorporate the Hokusai Museum into your itinerary, it’ll be a lot more satisfying. (Check out our 1-Day Eastern Tokyo, Japan Itinerary: Ueno, Asakusa & Akihabara for that.)

Sumida Hokusai Museum is a 5 minute walk from Edo-Tokyo Museum or the Ryogoku Station along thethe JR Sobu Line and Oedo Subway Line. If you don’t purchase the Grutto Pass, admission costs 400 yen for the permanent exhibits and varying fees for the temporary exhibits. You find more info about visiting and current pricing on the museum’s official site.

Ultimately, we like the Sumida Hokusai Museum a lot. This review may sound like I’m making excuses for its substantive shortcomings, and perhaps that’s true. I’d counter that this is a realistic assessment of the museum based upon how it slots into a logical Tokyo itinerary. The Hokusai Museum could be larger, but it packs a powerful punch in its small size, and that exhibition space is hardly the downside some other reviewers make it out to be. As an experience dedicated to Japan’s most acclaimed artist, we’d recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum.

Your Thoughts

Have you visited the Sumida Hokusai Museum? Did you think it was worth the time and money? How much time did you spend here? Would you recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum to first-timers in Tokyo, Japan? Any additional tips or thoughts from your visit to add? If you haven’t been to Tokyo, does this interest you? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post Review: Is Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo, Japan Worth It? appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

For a few weeks each year during the Winter Solstice, the sunset casts an ethereal glow through Keyhole Arch on Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Beach that is absolutely breathtaking. This natural phenomenon doesn’t have fixed dates, but if you’re in Monterey, California in December or January, it’s a must-see. In this post, we’ll share tips for experiencing the Keyhole Arch “Light Show,” photos of what it looks like, and peak dates for experiencing this stunning event.

The light comes through the Keyhole Arch perfectly (or close to it) during this time of year due to the angle of the sunset, which also explains why there aren’t fixed dates for the event. As the angle of the sun gradually changes from day to day, the best days for the “Light Show” are right in the middle of the date range, as that’s when the sun is directly in the middle of the arch at sunset. The earlier and later dates in the range will see the weaker quality of light.

If you’ve never been or are unfamiliar with Big Sur, it’s an area of the Central California Coast located off of the Pacific Coast Highway and encompassing a fairly large chunk of land roughly between Carmel and San Simeon. There are no official boundaries of Big Sur, so don’t expect to see “Now Entering” and “Now Leaving” signs when you arrive.

In fact, there’s not really a consensus as to where Big Sur even is…ask different people and you might get a different definition. Generally, it’s about a 90 mile stretch along the PCH consisting of the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, jagged coastline, and forest of Redwoods.

Pfeiffer Beach is located near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which is off the Pacific Coast Highway about 37 miles south of Carmel. Fortunately, Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has reopened, so the route to access the beach is a little easier than it might’ve been last year or previously.

The beach itself is down a narrow, one-lane dirt road. If you have an overly large or overly small vehicle, you might have issues navigating this road, especially if your vehicle is large and there’s oncoming traffic. At the end of the road is a paved parking area with restrooms, and from there, the beach itself is a leisurely 10 minute walk. You can camp at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, albeit not on this particular beach.

There are numerous California State Parks in the area, plenty of public beaches, and many other cool points of interest like McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge, among other things. I’m no expert on Big Sur, but it driving through and visiting some of these spots, it seems like tourism is the big “thing” in Big Sur, with not many businesses (that I saw, at least) operating that in some way don’t directly relate to tourism.

As for the best time to experience the Keyhole Arch “Light Show,” we think mid-January is about the sweet spot in terms of the best light. Between Christmas and New Year’s, a lot of people tend to come to this beach because that’s either when they’re off from work or traveling to California, so we’d recommend avoiding those dates if you can. If you want lower crowds, aim for around January 2-10, as that’s typically ever-so-slightly before the peak of the lighting, but after the holiday rush.

Aside from this particular time of year, Pfeiffer Beach is a popular spot and one of California’s many impressive beaches along the Pacific Coast Highway that is known for its purple sand. That purple sand coupled with the rays of light shining through the Keyhole Arch at sunset almost make it feel like something out of science fiction (or perhaps that sunlight is tractor beam aimed at reclaiming E.T.’s precious purple sand that his planet lost), and it’s really a sight to behold.

If you’re thinking of paying Big Sur a visit during the Winter Solstice–and I highly recommend doing so even if you’re not a photographer–be prepared to encounter tons of other people. Photos of the Keyhole Arch rays of light have made it into mainstream media, and it has become something of a destination event.

Thankfully, it’s still fairly under-the-radar, and does not draw nearly the crowds of the Firefall at Yosemite National Park, which occurs each February. That event blew up due to extensive coverage in the mainstream media over the last 5 years, and we fear the same could happen with Keyhole Arch–and this quiet beach does not have the capacity or infrastructure to support those colossal crowds. (So let’s try to keep this a relative secret.)

On the night I visited, the small, dirt road leading down to Pfeiffer Beach was closed, which meant a bit of a hike down to the beach for most visitors that probably deterred a lot of people, but there were still probably 10 other photographers on the beach right at sunset, all jockeying for a position in the path of the Keyhole Arch’s light, which is quite narrow.

Normally, people would jockey for position nearer to the rocks in the water for reflections of the light, but the tide was low this particular evening. If you visit on a weekend evening when this road is open, don’t be surprised if you’re fighting for positioning with 40 or more others, as reports I’ve heard from others indicate it’s a very popular occurrence.

Because of this, one thing you might consider doing is foregoing the tripod or trying for an alternative location–or both. My approach for the photos here was to start out by hiking up a hill directly behind Pfeiffer Beach (and the Arch) and taking photos from up there. This spot offered a great view, and was totally uncrowded. Unfortunately, there’s no trail leading up, so you sort of just have to scramble up, which isn’t too difficult if you’re reasonably fit.

The upside to this spot is that it’s somewhat unique and going to be a lot more peaceful and serene of an experience. While the phenomenon of the light shining through is truly majestical, there’s nothing majestic about seeing it elbow-to-elbow with 20 of your closest friends. If you’re going to Pfeiffer Beach simply to experience this event, the higher elevation is somewhat compelling in this regard.

The downside to this spot is that it doesn’t have quite the same affect in that you aren’t actually seeing the light head-on as it comes through Keyhole Arch at sunset, and you’re somewhat limited in the kind of shot you can try from up here. The perspective up high is unique, to be sure, but I don’t think it’s as good as a lower angle.

What I did, and would recommend doing, is starting at the higher elevation, and then (safely) rushing down about 10-15 minutes before the actual sunset time. Again, this requires a bit of fitness, as it’s not easy running down a trail-less hill with a camera bag in a quick and safe manner.

This is what I did, taking my tripod-mounted shots from the hillside and then shooting handheld from the beach itself with two cameras (one with a telephoto lens, the other with a wide angle/fisheye). The advantage to shooting handheld is that you aren’t constrained to one fixed spot as you would be with a tripod, and aren’t disadvantaged if another photographer moves in your way, which is likely to happen.

You can move around more nimbly, and other photographers aren’t as likely to be irritated if you politely ask if you can quickly swoop in front of them for a shot, and then quickly run out of their way. Since you’re probably only going to have one crack at photographing this natural phenomenon, this also means walking away with a greater variety of shots.

The downsides to this are primarily in that shooting without a tripod is sloppier, doesn’t require you to stop and think about composition as much, and prevents you from going for a longer exposure to capture wispiness in the water. It all depends upon what kind of photographer you are, and how many keepers you expect.

I’m a quantity over quality kind of guy, so I don’t mind if I have to raise my ISO a little or have slight imperfections in my shots. I enjoy the thrill of the fast-paced “chase” that moving around gives me, and in this case, I think having a tripod can be inhibiting (and potentially stressful if a lot of other photogs are there, getting in your way, and you can’t adjust or quickly move around them when tethered to a tripod). That’s just me, though, and I know everyone is different.

Overall, I highly recommend a visit to the Big Sur region if you’re taking a California road trip, and a stop at Pfeiffer Beach is a must, regardless of whether you can make it out during the Winter Solstice. The beach is beautiful and photogenic any time of year, and well worth the drive down to the parking area. I think this whole area has a lot to offer that’s unique from other areas of California, and I plan on revisiting Big Sur in the near future!

These photos were all taken by me with my Nikon D810 + Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, and my Nikon D750 + Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. I used my MeFoto travel tripod for the first photo, and shot the rest handheld.

If you’re planning a California road trip or vacation, check out my California category of posts for other things to see and do! To get some more Big Sur photo ideas or to purchase prints, check out my Big Sur Photo Gallery. For photo licensing inquires, please contact me.

Your Thoughts…

Have you been to Pfeiffer Beach or any other part of Big Sur? What do you think of it? Have a favorite spot? Have you photographed the Keyhole Arch “Light Show”? Interested in shooting it? Have any questions or other thoughts? Please share below in the comments!

The post Keyhole Arch “Light Show” on Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Hollywood. Tinseltown. Showbiz City. This post offers planning tips for visiting the neighborhood in Los Angeles that has a reputation as being the epicenter of the film business, a glamorous spot to rub elbows with celebrities. With the Oscars showcasing the glitz and splendor of Hollywood tonight, I thought this would be a perfect post to run today.

The biggest tip? Don’t go. Well…that’s a bit of an oversimplification. Go, but avoid the touristy spots. We cover exactly what to see (and not see) in our 1-Day Hollywood, California Itinerary. That’s a step-by-step touring plan focusing on the good side of Hollywood, and what you should do. This post is more about the pros & cons of visiting, avoiding pitfalls, and other strategy for having a good time.

If you are thinking about visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame and many other spots on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards, there’s strong potential for disappointment. The idealized Hollywood in your head is most certainly better than the real thing. It’s not the Hollywood you will see on television before the Oscars. That’s staged, and about as true-to-life as the giant robots in Transformers. That area is actually more like Times Square: West Coast Edition.

The real Hollywood–the parts many visitors see, at least–is a tourist trap, filled with shady businesses, crumby souvenir stands, and panhandling “entertainers” who will attempt to shake you down for a photo with them. Fortunately, there are some aspects of Hollywood (and beyond) that will give you a slice of the showbiz scene without the unpleasant side. We’ll cover both the good and bad sides of Hollywood in this post…

Note that I’m not intending to disparage Hollywood. I write all of this as someone with an immense amount of pride in my adopted home state. The State of California is like the Terminator (from Terminator 2), and could kick some serious ass in a head-to-head BattleBots style combat match against any country on earth.

The problem with Hollywood is that the most recognize aspects of it are the worst ones. Whenever we have guests, they want to see where the Oscars are filmed, go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and see some of the famous icons. These are the worst aspect of Hollywood, unfortunately.

Hollywood, the touristy place, is best known for the Chinese Theater, Dolby Theater, El Capitan Theater, and Hollywood Walk of Fame. These are all spots you’ll see showcased during the Oscars, and are all located on Hollywood Boulevard, between Orange and Highland Drives.

To be sure, there are some compelling reasons to visit these spots. The TCL Chinese Theater and El Capitan Theater are both excellent places to watch movies (although I prefer the Cinema Dome, which is part of the ArcLight Hollywood over on Sunset). The Hollywood Walk of Fame and Dolby Theatre don’t do much for me. (Skip the Dolby Theatre Tour–it’s a waste of time.)

Moreover, there’s a lot more to the neighborhoods of Hollywood (and the neighborhoods outside of it, particularly WeHo), and these areas beyond the strip are worth exploring.

If you’re visiting by car, you should know that parking in Hollywood (or just about anywhere in Los Angeles, for that matter), can be a challenge. By far the easiest option is to just head into the garage at Hollywood & Highland, which is a mall that includes Chinese and Dolby Theaters. With validation (available with a purchase at shops in the mall), you get 2 hours for $2 or 4 hours for $2 with validation from the Chinese Theater.

You’ll exit this parking through the front of the Dolby Theater, which is right next door to the Chinese Theater, so it’s a great location for a quick visit.

If you don’t get validation, the cost for parking is $2 per 10 minutes, with a maximum daily rate of $15 (which isn’t that bad by L.A. standards). If you don’t plan to buy anything and aren’t going to spend a lot of time in Hollywood, we recommend looking for street parking at a meter to the east of the main draws.

It should be fairly easy to find an open meter even on Hollywood Boulevard (or a street or two over) within a 10 minute walk. This will end up being significantly cheaper–and offer an easier exit than the garage if you’re visiting during a busy time.

If you do stop on this stretch of Hollywood Blvd, we’d recommend only spending a little time strolling the Walk of Fame (particularly the far ends away from the hordes of tourists), getting photos at the various theaters, and then heading elsewhere.

Do not get photos with the street “entertainers.” They aren’t there posing out of the kindness of their hearts. They will expect money if you take a photo with or of them, and will sometimes be forceful about it.

Another thing to skip is most of the museums. From celebrity wax museums to Ripley’s, there are several junk museums in this area (one of which recently earned the dubious distinction of “worst wax museum in America“).

I’ve done Madame Tussauds Hollywood, and while it’s a better wax figure museum, it’s still not anything I’d recommend to anyone unless you’re drunk or really love selfies. By contrast, the Hollywood Museum (pictured above) is actually a decent little spot, that feels like you’re stepping into the home of a passionate Hollywood aficionado. Now, neither of these spots would make my ‘Top 10 Things to Do in Los Angeles’ list, but if you’re set on spending a day in Hollywood, they’re good options.

While spending valuable vacation time seeing a movie isn’t something I do, it’s worth noting that the Chinese Theater (now officially known as the TCL Chinese Theater) is actually a really cool place to watch a movie, and actually isn’t that expensive, especially during “bargain” matinee pricing. It’s reminiscent of being in an old Hollywood style theater, and worth considering. If you’re a cinefile looking for the best movie-going experience, head instead to ArcLight (home of the famed Cinerama Dome, which is beloved by filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino) or the outdoor Cinespia.

I’ve never dined at any of the restaurants in this area of Hollywood, and that’s because it’s almost entirely populated by tourist traps that, presumably, rest on the laurels of their “fame” while serving mediocre food. With such a rich and diverse culinary scene in Los Angeles, no one should consider rolling the dice on one of these restaurants. In a pinch, there’s an In-N-Out Burger a block over on Sunset Blvd, but you’re really better off heading to West Hollywood, where the dining scene is strong.

With all of that said, one final thing you should know is that Hollywood isn’t actually the filmmaking capital of the world. Hollywood has become synonymous with showbiz, and has morphed into an abstract term encompassing the industry as a whole rather than a location. This much can be evidenced from the article title “Hollywood Continues to Flee California at Alarming Rate.” No, it’s not a story about a neighborhood trying to go rogue and secede from California. The article, like so many, uses Hollywood as a term for the film industry as a whole.

In turn, visitors to California conflate the use of the term Hollywood–in reference to the industry–as reference to Hollywood, the area around Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. That’s the reputation, and there certainly are some showbiz offices in Hollywood, but in actuality, most movie-making that occurs in California occurs north of Hollywood, in and around Burbank. If you want the “Hollywood experience” from a showbusiness perspective, head up to Burbank.

There are a few Hollywood-esque things to do around Burbank, including the Universal Studios Hollywood‘s excellent Studio Tour, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, and Paramount Pictures Studio Tour. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is really popular, and we highly recommend it. You can also get free tickets to see sitcoms, game shows, and talk shows filmed at these studios. That can be a lot of fun.

I’m a big fan of Universal Studios Hollywood because it offers the Studio Tour, plus traditional theme park attractions like the (new) Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I think the best way to experience Hollywood as an industry is by driving down Hollywood Blvd. first thing in the morning on your way to one of these studio tours, and spending the bulk of your time at the studios instead.

hollywood-california-bricker-007

Another thing you should do if you’re in this neck of the woods is visit the Griffith Observatory. On your way in, you can see the neighborhood of Los Feliz Hills, plus Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood on the way out. These are all lovely areas featuring stunning architecture and ritzy estates. You can read all about the observatory in our Griffith Observatory Review & Tips post. Suffice to say, it’s one of my absolute favorite things to do in Southern California–and it’s free! As an added bonus, you can hike to the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park.

Overall, this post is basically beseeching people not to visit Hollywood, followed by “tips” that include just as many things not to do as things to do. If you love Hollywood and totally disagree with my slams on it, I’m sorry. Not everything is everyone’s cup of tea, and Hollywood most definitely is not mine. Some people will probably like it. If it sounds like an interesting place to you despite all I’ve written, don’t substitute my preferences for yours. Trust your own judgment–maybe you’ll love it! Conversely, if you’re already on the fence about Hollywood, please heed my warnings, and stay far away.

Your Thoughts…

Have you been to the real Hollywood? What do you think of it? Do you have any recommendations for things to do in and around Hollywood that are less touristy, but will still give visitors a slice of the film and television industries? Are you still interested in visiting despite this? Share your thoughts on this or anything else, or questions you have in the comments!

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Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park is one of my favorite spots in California. This is the location famous for its mysteriously moving rocks, and in this post, I’ll share photos I’ve taken at Racetrack Playa from the couple of times I’ve camped out there, plus info and tips on reaching this difficult-to-access location.

For starters, Racetrack Playa is a dry lakebed that’s far “off the beaten path” in Death Valley National Park. It’s about 3 miles long and 2 miles wide, and in the scorching heat that makes for a brutal hike as you search for the “best” rocks. Racetrack Playa is also extremely flat, and features playa surrounded by mountains on three sides.

Before the mystery of the moving rocks was solved (it’s an interesting story worth reading), there was a ton of speculation as to why the rocks moved. Previously, I’ve offered my own theory of ancient aliens, and science be damned, I’m sticking to that. Kidding aside, it’s actually quite fascinating, and while it’s a breakthrough that we now know the why of the moving rocks, a part of me enjoyed the mystery.

Aside from the mystique of the moving rocks, Racetrack Playa is just a beautiful and tranquil place. You’re out on the playa–often without anyone else around for miles–surrounded by mountains in all directions. If ever I decide to go “off the grid” so the man can’t track me, I’ll go here. (The man, if you’re reading this, I’m just kidding. I’ll actually be in Arkansas. Look for me there.)

Normally, when a location or phenomenon gains as much attention as Racetrack Playa has, it becomes overwhelmed with people. In the social media age, Yosemite National Park has become crippled by crowds during its annual “Firefall.” During recent Super Blooms, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has seen an influx of people from Los Angeles posing for glamour shots. Fortunately, Racetrack Playa has not suffered the same fate…

This is likely in large part due to the barrier to entry. Death Valley National Park is itself fairly remote and desolate, located in the middle of nowhere relative to other popular National Parks. On top of that, Racetrack Playa is even more remote than the rest of Death Valley. The road to access Racetrack Playa is of the unpaved washboard variety, requiring a 4×4 high-clearance vehicle, as well as a lot of time and patience.

Very few visitors of the already few visitors to Death Valley National Park will have the time and appropriate vehicle to make it to Racetrack Playa. Hence it being one of the rare well-known, hyped-up-places that also remains unpopular in terms of visitation.

While (I guess?) it’d be nice if more people could experience Racetrack Playa, such obstacles are undoubtedly essential to the location’s unspoiled existence. Racetrack Playa has had its share of (presumably) unintentional damage as people have walked on the playa when the ground has been damp. It has also suffered vandalism, as people have ridden bikes or driven (yes, with actual cars) onto the playa, and moved rocks from their tracks.

The National Park Service warns that damage to the playa can take years to disappear, and I’ve seen some of this damage in person. A greater number of visitors also means a greater number of self-absorbed idiots who would leave behind traces of their visit for years to come. In this regard, it’s for the best that some days the number of visitors to Racetrack Playa numbers in the dozens, rather than the hundreds or thousands. (Both times I’ve camped at Racetrack Playa, I’ve seen fewer than 5 other people.)

In terms of info and tips, Racetrack Playa is in a remote area of Death Valley. From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, the drive to reach Racetrack Playa is over 83 miles. That may not seem long, especially on straight-away roads that you can do at a decent speed. This is all on Google Maps, so I’m not going to rehash directions here.

However, nearly 30 miles of that are on unpaved, washboard roads. The last stretch of the drive is interminably long and excruciating, but maintaining a slow speed is absolutely necessary if you don’t want a flat tire. Consequently, it takes about 3.5 hours to access Racetrack Playa from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

The turn off for Racetrack Valley Road is near the parking lot for Ubehebe Crater. From here, it’s 27 miles to the Racetrack Playa. For the entire stretch of this unpaved gravel road, you’re going to want to keep your speed under 15 miles per hour. Plus, as noted, you’ll need a 4×4 high clearance vehicle.

About 20 miles in, you’ll reach Teakettle Junction (above), which is like an oasis in the dessert. Get out, stretch your legs, thank your lucky stars you don’t have a flat tire (yet), and do whatever else you need to mentally prepare for the final ~7 miles.

There are two parking areas for Racetrack Playa at Death Valley National Park. The first parking area is for the Grandstand. The Grandstand itself is a large rock formation jutting out of the middle of the playa. It’s cool if you’re into that sort of thing, but we’re guessing that you drove all this way for moving rocks.

The Grandstand is not so good for those. Instead, you’ll want to continue driving until you come to the next parking area. This doesn’t have a name (to my knowledge), but it’s pretty easy to spot. Park here, walk straight out about a half-mile, and you’ll start seeing the moving rocks.

In terms of other tips, bring plenty of water and food, a spare tire, and fix-a-flat supplies. The best course of action is to plan as if you’re going to get stuck out at Racetrack Playa…as there’s a decent chance of exactly that happening. You may also not see anyone else out there when you visit, so don’t count on someone else–or cell service–to rescue you.

When I’ve gone out to Racetrack Playa, it’s been part of camping trips at Death Valley National Parks. I’ve always gone out mid-afternoon and stayed overnight at the Racetrack. I know others recommend going first thing in the morning, which is solid advice if you’re not going to camp. I’d avoid the middle of the day. There’s no shade to offer any reprieve from the sun and heat–it’s like the surface of a stove out there.

Racetrack Playa Photography Tips

Late afternoon is one of my favorite times at Racetrack Playa. Even though the heat is brutal, I love the long shadows of the rocks. It makes them look larger than life (and also easier to find!), and also enhances the contours of the playa.

You have to get close to the rock to emphasize it, but you can’t get too close, or you have to focus stack. You don’t want to get too low, or you lose the trail of the rock, which is important to the “story” of the photo. Get too high, and the scene is not as engaging. I’m not even kidding. You’d think taking a picture of a rock would be as simple as showing up and pressing the shutter, but it’s not.

Choosing the best rocks is also a challenge. I’d say 95% of the rocks on Racetrack Playa are duds. Their trail is poorly defined, the playa around them is damaged, there are two rocks inexplicably next to one another, etc. etc.

I’m not wild about the ‘bubbled up’ playa above, as I think it looks like a road block to that rock (maybe I overthink this stuff?), but I really liked the shadow of that rock under the full moon, and thought its positioning was otherwise solid.

My three favorite rocks once again, this time with the Milky Way overhead.

I wish I would’ve spent more time on this, as I think I could’ve done something here to make the rocks more visible. Perhaps some light painting or something.

I love this shot because of a small detail you might not even notice: the cloud of dust kicked up just under the sunburst. These photos might look peaceful and serene, but that cloud of dust is a “nice” reminder that one of these afternoons there was a brutal dust-storm that was so intense it was tough to use a tripod during!

If I were braver, I’d head out to Racetrack Playa during the summer Milky Way season, but I fear getting a flat tire on the road out there, not having cell service to dial for help…and dying of heat exhaustion and/or dehydration.

My three favorites, along with a bunch of other rocks. Another thing that is deceiving about these photos is the prevalence of the rocks.

Before stumbling onto this rock-dense area, we had to walk about a mile and were growing concerned by the total lack of rocks on the playa.

Another shot of the full moon rising over the horizon. This is a (roughly) two-minute exposure, but if you were to glance at it quickly, you might mistake it for a poorly-exposed daytime shot.

The way the full moon illuminated Racetrack Playa on this particular night was surreal. It went from dusk to (briefly) pitch black to dusk again as the moon started to rise, to being so bright I didn’t even need a flashlight.

That’s it for this post. Hopefully you enjoyed this set of rock photos, along with tips for Racetrack Playa at Death Valley National Park. If you’re thinking of visiting Racetrack Playa, I’d encourage you to go, but definitely do the proper planning and pack more supplies than necessary. It’s a bit daunting and requires you to work for the shots, but I think the end result–both in terms of memories and photos–can be well worth it.

If you’re planning a California road trip or vacation, check out my California category of posts for other things to see and do. To get some more Death National Park photo ideas, check out my Death Valley National Park Photo Gallery, which includes additional shots I have taken on my visits there. For photo licensing inquires, please contact me.

Your Thoughts…

Have you been to Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park? If so, what did you think of experience? Any additional tips to add that we didn’t cover? Would you do it again, or do you think it was a ‘one and done’? Was it worth your time and effort? Is visiting Racetrack Playa something you’d like to do someday? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park: Photos & Tips appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

I love road trips, and my favorite in the entire United States is the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Southern and Northern California. This guide will help you plan the perfect ocean-side vacation along PCH, with a multi-day itinerary, tips for where to stay, what to do, dining, and more!

Formally known as California State Route 1, this is California’s major north–south state highway that hugs 659 miles of the state’s Pacific coastline. In various places, California State Route 1 (SR 1) is designated as Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, Coast Highway, or California Highway 1.

While all of these names can be used interchangeably, most people know it as simply PCH or Highway 1. Pacific Coast Highway starts in Southern California at I-5 near Dana Point in Orange County and terminates in Northern California at U.S. Route 101 in Mendocino County.

I’ve done stretches of this dozens of times, including one-way trips from Los Angeles to San Francisco, before flying back to Orange County. Other times, we’ve driven sections of Pacific Coast Highway north, and then looped in to Central California for the return trip south. From a sightseeing perspective, I would not necessarily recommend this (long sections of the drive are quite dull), but it’s a good meandering option if you want to hit several National Parks in (meandering) succession.

Since posting a trip report about my family’s experience doing this a few years ago, I’ve received questions about the ‘great American road trip’ driving Pacific Coast Highway. My goal was to cover entirety of PCH and create an ‘Ultimate Guide to Pacific Coast Highway’ that offers a 7-day itinerary from San Diego to Redwood National Park. However, our plans to visit Redwood National Park has been dashed a couple of times, so I’m going to start with this, and build out the itinerary later.

My first recommendation would be to allot at least 3 days to the road trip portion of the trip, picking a town or two to slow down and spend another night. You’ll notice our itinerary below is 4 days, but you’ll also see that it jumps from Los Angeles to Malibu. (Not exactly a colossal leap, but still.)

We are partial to Laguna Beach as a quiet beachside town for decompressing, and Los Angeles is our favorite city in the United States. In Big Sur, you’ll likewise find a number of beautiful areas that are stunning and secluded, including camp grounds. Just a short drive north of there, the affluent Monterey Peninsula offers a wealth of options for all budgets.

Santa Cruz isn’t high on our list of places to visit, but it likewise has some draws. In the Bay Area, San Francisco is another obvious choice for a world-class destination with no shortage of things to do. You could easily draw this trip out to 2 weeks, but we think around 7 days is ideal, with more (overnight) time spent in the aforementioned places.

My second recommendation would be to do this Pacific Coast Highway road trip pretty much any time that isn’t between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is California’s peak tourist and vacation season, and many of these beach cities are especially popular during the summer.

Add to this the fact that segments of California Highway 1 alternate between being a two-lane road and an urban freeway, and there’s the potential for slow-moving traffic. In fact, if you consult Google Maps, it will frequently advise you to avoid Pacific Coast Highway and instead use US 101 or I-5.

We lived about 5 minutes from Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach for a few years, and this fact was borne out with regularity. This is arguably one of the worst stretches of PCH for summer traffic. Not only is it a two-lane road, but it’s one dotted with pedestrian crossings, and is a popular segment for leisurely drives.

However, there is a noticeable drop-off in traffic after Labor Day, which makes for a markedly better experience. Also noteworthy is that hotel rates are considerably cheaper in the shoulder and off-season, which is basically September through May, save for the weeks around major holidays and spring break.

You’re probably not going to swim in the Pacific Ocean anyway, so our strong recommendation would be to do this California Highway 1 road trip in the off-season when the weather is cooler and traffic is lighter. It’s an infinitely more pleasant experience. With that said, on to the itinerary…

Day 1: Dana Point/Laguna Beach to Los Angeles

Our recommendation would be to start with an overnight in Laguna Beach, which is the next city north of Dana Point, where Pacific Coast Highway begins. We’re biased to Laguna, but think it’s truly one of the most beautiful and pleasant places in Southern California. See our Laguna Beach, California Vacation Planning Guide for everything (probably more) that you’d ever want to know about Laguna.

The following day, either get up early to beat the rush hour commute heading north on Pacific Coast Highway through Newport and Huntington Beach, or have a leisurely breakfast (there’s no shortage of oceanside options) and get started after the traffic subsides. We’d recommend the former approach, as there’s a lot to see in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

While much of it’s outside the scope of a Pacific Coast Highway road trip, we’d highly recommend following the second day of our 2-Day Los Angeles Itinerary. Essential (and easier) diversions from Highway 1 are the Getty Villa and Getty Museum, both of which we highly recommend.

If time allows, cherry-pick a few stops from our 1-Day ‘Best Of’ Los Angeles Itinerary to see more of the City of Angels’ highlights. For those who are ambitious and willing to drive a bit more inland, Griffith Observatory is our top recommendation for Los Angeles things to do.

End the day by heading to Malibu for sunset. For the most photogenic beach, we strongly recommend El Matador Beach, which is “Malibu’s Megastar.”

If you have time before sunset, do dinner at Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market. Hotel options in Malibu are limited, so you’ll either want to continue north to the Oxnard area or inland to Calabasas.

Day 2: Malibu to Morro Bay

This day could arguably be broken up into two days if you want to take a slower pace–or if you want to visit the Channel Islands. The first stretch would be Malibu to Santa Barbara, with Santa Barbara to Morro Bay (or Monterey) the following day.

Regardless, you’ll want to spend a good amount of time exploring Santa Barbara. The city bills itself as the American Riviera, which is a sufficient and apt way of describing Santa Barbara’s historic architecture, Mediterranean climate, mountain-meets-ocean setting, and overall vibe.

While you won’t find many must-do points of interest in Santa Barbara, it’s a wonderful city to explore. We enjoy wandering the Presidio, waterfront, and downtown without any real agenda. If you’re looking for something specific, a great option for continuing your ‘explorations’ is Old Mission Santa Barbara.

For lunch, you can’t beat Lilly’s Taqueria. This spot serves authentic Mexican soft tacos with some interesting menu items, including beef tongue, lip, cheek, and eye–all of which are delicious. Follow that with dessert at McConnell’s, which is my absolute favorite ice cream.

If you decide to stay overnight in Santa Barbara, consider making the short drive inland to Solvang, California. This Danish village is a tad touristy and kitschy, but it’s also charming and lovely. La Purisima Mission State Historic Park is another nearby stop that’s worthwhile.

Once you get north of Santa Barbara, you’re in for a long scenic drive devoid of major cities or even beach towns. We typically do this in a straight-shot, without stopping for sightseeing.

Day 3: Morro Bay to Big Sur

The stretch of California’s Central Coast around San Luis Obispo is its own thing, with a slower-paced way of life and less development than its neighbors to the north or south. There’s some natural beauty along this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, but most of the towns are charitably described as “sleepy.”

We’d recommend stopping in either Pismo Beach or Morro Bay. In both, you can find a range of hotel options, including chic boutique offerings and very basic motels that are perfectly safe. Both are nice options, but we prefer Morro Bay; in particular, somewhere within walking distance of the embarcadero. (See our Tips for Visiting Morro Bay State Park for hotel and dining recommendations.)

The main purpose of stopping in this area is being near Hearst Castle, which is the iconic and must-do stop in the Central California Coast region. We absolutely love Hearst Castle and highly recommend it. If the evening or twilight tours are offered when you visit, do one of those on your arrival night. Otherwise, try for the very first Grand Rooms tour the following morning.

Driving north on Highway 1, Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon is another worthwhile stop. In fact, this entire area is known for seals, sea lions, and otters, so don’t be surprised if you see other aquatic life while stopping in Pismo Beach, Cambria, or San Simeon.

Following that, it’s on to Big Sur. In terms of the drive, this is the highlight of our Pacific Coast Highway road trip. My favorite stop in Big Sur is Pfeiffer Beach, which we love year-round for its purple sand, but especially during the annual Keyhole Arch “Light Show.”

Much of Big Sur is protected as Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parks, making for a sparsely-populated drive that is beyond stunning. Bordered on the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains, this stretch has winding turns, seaside cliffs, and stunning views of the Pacific coast.

Iconic must-see landmarks include Bixby Creek Bridge, a feat of engineering that rises 270 feet above the canyon floor. McWay Falls offers equally impressive natural beauty, as this 80 foot waterfall cascades down granite cliffs into a tucked-away ocean cove.

Some of California’s best camping is in Big Sur’s state parks, and that’s where we’d recommend staying during this stretch of the trip. Even if you aren’t up for tent (or car!) camping, most of these also offer rustic cabins (or, in some cases, chic) that are a great change of pace option. Failing that, there are plenty of hotels north on Highway 1 in Monterey.

Day 4: Big Sur to San Francisco

This day will start by going through Carmel-by-the-Sea, after which Highway 1 cuts inland to bypass the Monterey Peninsula. Instead of following PCH, we’d recommend continuing along the iconic (and paid) 17-Mile Drive, which is famous for its views, and offers popular stops at Pescadero Point, the Lone Cypress, Crocker Grove, Bird Rock, Fanshell Beach, and Del Monte Forest before arriving at the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Even though you presumably just spent most of the previous day in Big Sur, we’d recommend lingering in this area. Spend a couple of hours doing 17-Mile Drive, and spend a few more at Monterey Bay Aquarium followed by a stroll around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row. This area is really nice, especially as compared to the stretch following it.

Once you leave Monterey and head towards Santa Cruz, it’s not nearly as nice. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of Santa Cruz, though. With that said, I really like Natural Bridges State Beach, which features an iconic sea arch natural bridge and is also famed for monarch butterfly migrations (we’ve never seen that). For something more secluded, I also absolutely love Shark Fin Cove (or Shark Tooth Beach), which is named for its massive rock formation resembling a shark fin.

The next worthwhile stop on the Pacific Coast Highway road trip is Pigeon Point Lighthouse. After that, it’s on to either (or both) Martins Beach and Half Moon Bay. The former is a stunning beach that’s infamous for the lawsuit brought by surfers to ensure public access. The latter is another affluent beach town, which features a Ritz Carlton perched atop stunning bluffs.

If you’re a high roller, staying at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay is a great option. If not, continue north on Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. As with Los Angeles, we’d recommend spending more time here (it’s also outside the scope of our Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide, but we have some San Francisco posts here). This is where our journey ends!

If you’re planning a trip, check out our California category of posts. If you enjoyed this post, help spread the word by sharing it via social media. Thanks for reading!

Your Thoughts

Have you done a California Highway 1 road trip? If so, what did you think of experience? Any additional tips or places to stop you’d add that we didn’t cover? Would you do it again, revisiting favorites along the way, or do you think a PCH road trip is a ‘one and done’? Was it worth your time, patience in traffic, and money? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Pacific Coast Highway Guide: California Road Trip Tips appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Kurama-dera (鞍馬寺) is a mountain temple in Northern Kyoto that is one of the most beautiful places in Japan. In this post, I’ll share photos I took at Mount Kurama, info & tips for visiting Kurama-dera, and thoughts on my experience of hiking from the village of Kurama up the mountain and over to Kibune. (Last updated May 19, 2019.)

Visiting Mount Kurama and its surrounding village is usually considered a day trip from Kyoto, since the commute to and from the town requires a time investment of a little over an hour. Even though Kurama is technically within the city, this is about the same amount of time it takes to travel to Osaka or Nara, both of which are significantly larger and more recognizable cities.

The upshot to this is that Kurama draws significantly fewer people, and can be something of an escape from the crowds of Kyoto. Moreover, you can visit several other superlative spots when heading up to Kurama. We cover this in our 1-Day Northern Kyoto Itinerary, which makes for one of our favorite days in the city.

May 19, 2019 Update: When we returned to Kuramadera Temple last fall, it was in rough shape due to Typhoon Jebi, which caused extensive damage in Northern Kyoto, and the cancellation of the annual Kurama Fire Festival. Several of the temple’s paths were closed and buildings were badly damaged.

The good news is that everything is pretty much back to normal at Kurama-dera. All of the main paths have reopened, including the hiking trail to Kibune. A lot of trees have been cleared away, and you’ll notice some of this while visiting. Some buildings are also still damaged, with the refurbishments in progress. With that said, Kurama-dera is once again looking great, and if you’ve never visited, you might not even notice the damage. We still highly recommend visiting.

Now let’s take a look at the history of Kurama-dera, info and tips to improve your visit to this mountain temple, and anecdotes from my hike up Mount Kurama…

History

Kurama-dera was founded in the 8th century AD. According to (historically disputed) legend reflected in the records of the Anbagai-ji Engi, the Chinese monk Ganchō, disciple of Jianzhen, had a dream in 770 to head north from Tōshōdai-ji in Nara where he resided to Mount Kurama as it held spiritual power.

En route, Gantei became lost until he had another dream, which brought him a white horse. He followed that horse until he arrived on the mountain that would then be called Kurama Yama, or Horsesaddle Mountain. He set up camp and began to establish the temple, but first had to ward off demons intending to eat him.

In 796, a noble who had been associated with construction of the Tōji temple in Kyoto, had a vision of the Thousand Arms Kannon that caused him to sponsor the construction of a proper temple complex on Mount Kurama. This led to numerous temples and pagoda being built, many of which constitute present day Kuramadera Temple.

Over the years, many of the buildings at Kuramadera Temple have been destroyed by fire, and have been subsequently rebuilt. On each occasion, the treasures (some of which are National Treasures of Japan) and Buddhist statuary were rescued from the fire and relocated to the new buildings.

Kuramadera Temple is shrouded in legend and folklore, some of which has likely clouded its history. While I cannot vouch for its veracity, the most comprehensive account of Kurama’s history can be found here.

Info & Tips

Kurama-dera Temple’s entrance is a 5-minute walk from Kurama Station down the village’s only road. This station is accessible from central Kyoto via the Eizan Kurama Line from Demachi-Yanagi Station; it’s a pleasant and scenic 30-minute ride. Eizan Railway is famous for its Maple Tunnel featuring fresh green leaves in the summer and beautiful fall colors in the autumn.

We accessed Demachi-Yanagi Station via the Keihan Main Line from Fushimi Inari Station. The entire commute took almost exactly an hour for us, but expect it to take longer if you’re coming from elsewhere in Kyoto. As with all points of interest in Kyoto, you should consult Google Maps for the most efficient train route based upon your location and departure time, as there are almost always 2-3 ways to access any temple in Kyoto.

Admission to Kurama-dera Temple costs 300 yen. The temple is open year-round from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but the Treasure House is closed Mondays and from December 12 through February 1 (reopening seems to be ‘weather permitting’).

Kurama is a popular spot in November and early December for its fall colors, and is stunning under a fresh blanket of snow in the winter months. Other events are held throughout the year, most notably the Spring Full Moon Festival, Summer Bamboo Cutting Ritual, and Fall Fire Festival.

It takes approximately 30-45 minutes to climb from the main entrance to Kurama-dera’s main buildings. Above is the map I was provided at the entrance to Kurama-dera Temple, which is a fairly accurate scale. (Click to view it larger.)

While this is always a maintained path, it can be moderately steep at times. There is a cable car that bypasses some of the path, but it does not take you all the way to the top. I recommend walking the entire way, if only because the cable car is not really saving you much time or energy.

Be sure to keep your ticket after paying at the main entrance, as you will need it to re-enter the temple if you hike down to Kibune; there is another ticket booth at the end of the mountain trail, and re-entry requires your ticket unless you wish to pay a second time.

The hike to Kibune is highly recommended. This trail is mostly downhill and should take around 30 minutes from the main hall, is through a beautiful forest, and features a couple of beautiful temple buildings along the way. Moreover, Kibune is an absolutely lovely little town.

You do not need to hike back to Kurama once in Kibune, but it is the most straightforward return option. The downside is that the return hike is quite steep at times. I’d rate it as moderate; it’ll take around 15 minutes more than the hike down to Kibune took you.

This entire experience is a great option if you need a respite from the crowds in Kyoto. During my visit, I encountered only a handful of other visitors during the entire time I was there. While that in part could be because it was snowing when I arrived, the remote location suggests that Kurama-dera sees fewer people in a year than Kyoto’s popular spots see in a day.

If you depart Kyoto by 9 a.m., you should have sufficient time to hike to the top of Mount Kurama, down to Kibune where you can experience Kifune Shrine (among other small shrines), hike back to Kurama, and recover from the hike by purchasing a day-pass to Kurama Onsen. Expect all of that to take around 5 hours or so. For just Mount Kurama, you should budget 2 to 3 hours.

If you are really ambitious, you can then leave and head to Fushimi Inari and experience that at night. This is a lot of hiking in a single day, but it’s easily accomplishable given the operating hours of each location. If you have limited time in Kyoto, an aggressive is probably the only way you’ll be able to justify the diversion to Kurama.

Our Experience & Review

Originally, we had wanted to visit Kurama during the heart of fall colors season, when Eizan Railway has nighttime illuminations of the Maple Tunnel. We ran out of time during for this, and decided to delay our visit to Kurama until much later in December when the likelihood of snow would be higher.

We ultimately headed to Kurama a day after snow was in the forecast for Kyoto (it was a near-miss). We had no clue whether it had snowed in Kurama, but decided to make the trek, anyway. We had read very little about this little village, but between the temple and the onsen, we figured it’d be worth checking out. Plus, we had done every major temple in Kyoto (and most minor ones), so it wasn’t like we’d be missing out on anything else.

Despite the fall colors being long gone by this point, the journey on Eizan Railway was incredibly pleasant. We had planned on working during this train ride, both were both so captivated by what was out the windows that we never did.

Upon arrival, we saw it: fresh snow! It was at this point we determined that we should go our separate ways. We had been walking around 25,000 steps per day everyday for the last several weeks, and the idea of hiking through snow didn’t appeal to Sarah. Conversely, regardless of the temple’s quality, it appealed very much to me.

So, Sarah headed to the Kurama Onsen, with the plan that we’d meet in the lobby there in four hours (or potentially sooner if our text messaging worked). I entered Kurama-dera and began ascending Mount Kurama.

I have to admit that I got goosebumps as I began climbing the first set of stairs, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t just because I was freezing. Seeing snow-covered roofs and lanterns mark the way was a special experience. (What can I say…I have a soft spot for light fixtures?) I absolutely love photographing the snow, and I didn’t think I was going to get that chance on this trip.

My happiness was probably a bit disproportionate to the scene, but I was in a state of pure bliss. I went crazy taking photos, but unfortunately, there wasn’t quite enough snow for something truly photogenic. (The photos in this post don’t do justice to the beautiful landscape, either.)

As I started hiking, I quickly realized Kurama-dera Temple is a special place. Now, you might discount that opinion since not one paragraph I got a bit emotional about snow, but on my return hike most of this snow had melted, and I still felt the same way.

My ascent through the snow, passing both natural and manmade beauty, up Mount Kurama was one of the most memorable and joyous experiences I’ve had in Japan. The snow no doubt played a big role in that, but it was just as exciting to make a new discovery of something mesmerizing around just about every turn of the hike.

It felt like a slow reveal, as if Kurama-dera was dispensing with little nuggets of beauty to encourage visitors to venture farther up Mount Kurama. The entire time, I was rapt. (This is a big part of why I’d discourage using the cable car–you bypass a lot of the best parts of this walk if you take the cable car.)

None of these temple buildings would have been nearly as captivating were it not for the natural beauty of the mountain, its forest, and the pleasant soundtrack of streams and small waterfalls along the way. Along the hike, there are several towering Japanese cedar trees, some of which rival California’s sequoias in beauty.

In fact, the entire experience reminded me a lot of hiking through Sequoia National Park. There’s something about giant trees that is simultaneously humbling and serene, and these odiferous trees have an enchanting aroma that just defies words. I don’t know. Maybe I was just getting high off of mountain and tree air.

The Honden (Main Hall), Shinden, and other buildings comprising the main area of Kurama-dera Temple were lovely, and a fitting climax to the hike up. This area abounded with details, and was the only area of the temple grounds where I saw another person on the way up.

While I’m partly inclined to say the experience at Kurama-dera is more about the journey than the destination, I don’t think that’s entirely fair. The journey up and down Mount Kurama, along with many stops, was the unequivocal highlight for me. However, the main buildings were stunning and I don’t want to sell them short.

Continuing on, I took the hiking trail to the neighboring village of Kibune. It had stopped snowing and the sun was out by this point and that, coupled with a light bit of wind, resulted in what was essentially a heavy rain of run-off melting from the trees above. Due to this and my lack of a GORE-TEX layer, I ran most of the way down. The entire hike took me about 15 minutes.

I’ll cover Kibune in a separate post, but suffice to say, it also did not disappoint. I view visiting both Kurama and Kibune a package deal, and would not even consider revisiting one without returning to the other. I now want to return in the summer when over-the-water dining is offered in Kibune, in the fall for the foliage, and in the heart of winter for a thick blanket of snow over everything. After a couple of hours exploring Kibune, I returned to the hiking trail that led back to Mount Kurama.

It was not “raining” at this point, so I took it slower (not to mention the fact that I probably would’ve had a heart attack running up the trail). This recounting of my experience is already pretty cheesy, so I’ll go ahead and call this forest downright enchanting. Laugh if you will, but I found this to be a really wonderful place. All of the superlatives I can muster still wouldn’t be enough.

Our phones did work and Sarah was not yet ready to leave Kurama Onsen (I guess public bathing is her thing!), so I took my time exploring Kurama-dera more on the way down. The snow was almost entirely gone by this point and everything was just wet, but it was still a great experience.

Overall, I love Kurama-dera Temple. If you read the recap of my experience above, that should come as no surprise. It’s one of the highlights of Kyoto, and I’d rank it near the top of my list of favorite things to do not just in Kyoto, but in all of Japan. While it’s more convenient to reach from central Kyoto than you might expect given the remote location, I still have some reservations about emphatically recommending it.

The “problem” with Kurama-dera for those who have only a few days in Kyoto is not the commute time to get there–it’s the amount of time required to experience the temple. By the time all is said and done, this is close to a full-day trip, and that’s a day that could have been spent seeing multiple Kyoto top spots in Arashiyama or Higashiyama. I think my suggested itinerary resolves some of these problems, but it’s still tough to recommend Kurama-dera to anyone with less than 5 days in Kyoto.

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Kurama-dera Temple? What did you think of the experience? Would you recommend this as a day-trip from central Kyoto to a first-timer visiting Japan? Any other thoughts about my experience at Kurama-dera Temple? Does visiting this temple interest you? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post Kurama-dera Temple Info, Tips & Review appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Our Cannes, France itinerary offers a step-by-step 1-day touring plan for seeing the highlights of this chic city in the French Riviera. We cover its cultural and sightseeing draws, with a great walking tour that includes the must-see attractions in Cannes, including a castle, museum, the old city, beach, and plenty of window-shopping.

Cannes is arguably the most well-known place in Côte d’Azur. The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most well-known annual events in cinema, drawing some of Hollywood’s elite to the French Riviera. Speaking of which, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is the convention center where the Cannes Film Festival is held, and you can take guided tours and see movies there.

Palais des Festivals is also a working convention center year-round, so doing there’s a good chance this won’t be possible during your visit–which is why it’s not included in our itinerary below. Plus, there are better things to do in the beautiful French Riviera than walk around a modern convention center…

We’ll cover exactly that in this one day Cannes itinerary. While this was far from our favorite place in the Côte d’Azur, we had a great visit to Cannes, and highly recommend anyone visiting the French Riviera allocate a full-day to seeing the best of the city.

One thing to note if you have more time in the French Riviera (or a second day in Cannes): the Lérins Islands of Saint-Honorat Island and Sainte-Marguerite Island are across the Bay of Cannes and accessible via an inexpensive ferry. Saint-Honorat Island is home a number of monuments, and Notre Dame Monastery of Lérins Abbey, which is inhabited by monks.

The island of Sainte-Marguerite is home to an old-growth forest with eucalyptus and pine, and is the second-most visited forest in France. Here you’ll also find Fort Sainte-Marguerite, which is now known for the Sea Museum, with collections of underwater archaeology, and the cell of the Iron Mask.

Now let’s take a tour of Cannes, France…

Château de la Napoule (optional) – Including this beautiful and unique French castle in your Cannes itinerary is a challenge. Located near the city’s airport, you either need to take a long bus ride from the Gare de Cannes or time your train schedule with a journey that’ll take you directly to the Mandelieu-la-Napoule station.

Either way, Château de la Napoule is worth the effort. The castle itself was constructed in the 14th century by the Countess of Villeneuve. It has an imposing waterfront presence, but as far as French castles go, it’s not particularly noteworthy. What makes Château de la Napoule a worthwhile draw is the art and sculptures incorporated into its renovation by American artists Henry Clews Jr. and Marie Clews, who restored and moved into the castle. There’s some truly weird stuff to see!

Villa Rothschild & Gardens (optional) – Not to be confused with the Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa in Villefranche, which is an absolutely must-visit. By contrast, this is a historic mansion on the outskirts of downtown Cannes. It was built in 1881 for Betty Rothschild, James Mayer de Rothschild’s widow.

The exterior of the building is stunning and the free gardens are a nice place to enjoy a picnic. However, this is pretty far from a must-do, and only recommended for those looking to walk. If you want to save some steps, get off at a bus stop closer to Le Suquet.

Le Suquet – One of the oldest neighborhoods in Cannes, which the original site of the town and a Roman-occupied camp for some five centuries. Today, it’s a time capsule of old Cannes, featuring winding cobblestone lanes, narrow stairways climbing ever-higher, and commanding views of the coast. In fact, at the very top you’ll find the Église Notre-Dame-d’Espérance gothic church, and a 360-degree panorama of the Bay of Cannes.

The path to get to the top is steep and filled with many steps. It can make for an exhausting experience if you treat it like a race. Instead, go slowly, stopping to appreciate the detail of the many restaurants, shops, and buildings in the old quarter. It’s the most idyllic and well-preserved area of Cannes, and you won’t even notice the tiring climb if your mind is preoccupied with all of this beauty.

This is the first non optional stop of the day in Cannes, and is a must-do for everyone. If the intensity of the hike up has you concerned, there are guided tours that will take you up there. We have no experience with any of these, but the Petit Train des Cannes (which departs from near the convention center) is the most cost-effective option.

Musée de la Castre (optional) – Once you’re at the summit of the hill in Le Suquet, you’ll find this medieval fortress housing an art collection donated by Baron Lycklama. The exterior of the castle museum is stunning; arguably a more significant work of art than anything on display inside.

To be honest, Musée de la Castre is unimpressive. It contains a random assortment of art and artifacts, but even compared to other museums in the French Riviera (which itself isn’t particularly strong on museums), it’s lacking. However, Cannes is lacking in alternatives, so it makes the itinerary as an optional stop. We’d recommend sticking to the exterior.

Rue Meynadier – As you descend the winding streets down Le Suquet, you’ll have a number of options for entering the main downtown district of Cannes. We’d suggest Rue Meynadier, which is a back street lined with charming 18th-century townhomes that have been repurposed as boutiques. These sell everything from trendy fashion to trendy baked goods–but usually of a more affordable nature than their designer counterparts a few blocks away.

Between Le Suquet and here, you’ll find a high concentration of Michelin Bib Gourmand and starred restaurants that are more approachable and affordable. Most are open only for dinner, but you’ll find some lunch options, including some serving Provençal cuisine.

Cannes Marche Forville – A must-see diversion from Rue Meynadier is the Forville Market just one block over, which is one of the highlights of Cannes. Marche Forville is a pedestrian market that has everything: fresh fish, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and local (prepared) specialties that make for a perfect picnic in the nearby park.

The Marche Forville is open daily from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m., and does get busy (we prefer the Marché aux Fleurs in Nice, but both are good). On Mondays, the food market is replaced by an antiques market in the same location. Another potential diversion directly across from Marche Forville on the opposite side of Rue Meynadier is Cannes Town Hall. It’s a lovely building and worth a quick stop.

Rue d’Antibes – Continue down Rue Meynadier until it intersects with Rue du Maréchal Joffre, at which point you’ll take that down to Rue d’Antibes. The coast is only a stone’s throw away at this point, and you’ll probably have the strong temptation to just head down to Promenade de la Croisette. That’s one option, but we’d recommend resisting.

Instead, walk the inland high-end shopping promenade of Rue d’Antibes, where you can window shop (or real shop) at a variety of stores selling designer clothing, perfume, jewelry, and pastries. Speaking of that last one, there are two bakeries we recommend in this area: the high end Ladurée Cannes and Boulangerie Pâtisserie Belliard. The latter is more of a locals’ spot, and the portions are huge and decadent. (Skip Bridget Bakery, unless you want something you could get in the US.)

Sunset Stroll Along La Croisette – Once you’ve had your fill of bakeries and window shopping, head towards the coast. The idea here is that you’ll be pretty far down–perhaps in line with the iconic (InterContinental) Carlton Hotel.

We’d recommend continuing this same direction, along the even higher-end shopping along Boulevard de la Croisette. Once you’re all the way down to Cap de la Croisette, turn around and do the famed Promenade de la Croissette stroll.

Promenade de la Croisette is one of the best walks in the entire French Riviera, and right up there with le Suquet as two best things to do in Cannes. From the cape, you’ll have a 3 km walk to the Palais des Festivales. Between the golden hour light illuminating the Riviera and the smorgasbord of pedestrians (locals and tourists alike), you’ll have the perfect conditions for strolling along this perfect promenade.

At the end, you’ll arrive at Le Vieux Port, which is adjacent to the convention center. This the perfect spot to enjoy dusk in Cannes (see the top photo in this post), as the super yachts start to come alive for evening festivities and the hill of Le Suquet towers above. It’s a great spot for getting off your feet and savoring some of Cannes’ terrific atmosphere. After this, have dinner at one of the city’s many nice restaurants, and then head to Gare de Cannes to return back to your home base in the French Riviera!

If you’re planning, we recommend starting by consulting our Ultimate French Riviera Vacation Guide to prepare for all aspects of your trip. You should also check out our other posts about France for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Cannes, France? If so, what did you do? What do you think of the recommendations in this itinerary? Anything else you’d suggest in terms of walks, things to do, or places to see? Restaurants you thought offered a great view, good drinks, or exceptional cuisine? Any additional tips to add that we didn’t cover? Any questions about planning a visit to the Côte d’Azur? Hearing from readers is half the fun, so please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

The post 1-Day Cannes, France Itinerary appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Kōmyō-in is a sub-temple of Tofuku-ji located near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. It’s a hidden gem best known for its traditional Chinese dry landscape garden. In this post, we’ll share further thoughts, tips, photos, and anecdotes from Komyoin Temple.

While Komyoin ranks as #30 on our list of the Top 100 Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan, that’s our attempt at objectivity and represents a “conservative” number. At the same time, Komyoin Temple makes our 1-Day Brickers’ Perfect Kyoto, Japan Itinerary of things we’d do with only a single day in the city. It’s so far under-the-radar that you’re unlikely to see anyone else here when you visit, and it’s such a hidden gem that you might literally have difficulty finding it, as the temple blends in with other structures from the street.

To give some context, Komyoin Temple currently has 62 reviews on TripAdvisor with a 4.5 rating and 132 reviews on Google with a 4.6 rating. Both of those scores are very good, even by temple standards, but that’s not the point. The low number of reviews is the key here. Compare those with Kiyomizudera, which has 14,000 Google reviews, or nearby Fushimi Inari, which has 20,000. Pretty stark contrast!

Our first visit to Komyoin Temple solidified its position as one of Kyoto’s truly magical experiences. We started with an early morning at Fushimi Inari Shrine, setting out for our favorite spot in Kyoto right around sunrise. That visit entailed heading up the Senbon Torii path like normal, until arriving at the Yotsusuji Crossroads, which is the popular viewpoint before the Summit Loop Trail.

We then found the trailhead for the Higashiyama Course of Kyoto Isshu Circuit Trail, which leads down to Tofukuji. We took that path down through a series of interesting sub-shrines, including separate ones featuring horses, mossy foxes, and serpentines.

This dumped us out right near Komyoin, where our “adventure” continued. If you’re interested in this hike, our Hiking Kyoto Trail: Fushimi Inari Shrine to Tofukuji Temple post covers everything you need to know, and the steps for taking this easy route. It’s a great experience that we highly recommend.

Komyoin Temple was practically right in front of us at this point, but it did take us a couple of passes by to “discover” it. For what it’s worth, the Google Maps location is accurate, and Komyoin Temple does more closely resemble a traditional Japanese machiya townhouse than it does a temple.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the temple, we encountered no one. Literally. Apparently, Komyoin Temple is so unpopular (I really hate using that term, as the review consensus is that those who visit love it) that they can’t justify the cost of staffing it.

Instead, the entry fee is paid into a bamboo slot via the honor system. Only in Japan.

Inside, there are a series of interconnected rooms, each of which offers a different perspective into the karesansui, or dry landscape garden for which Komyoin Temple is known.

These rooms are all simple and straightforward, and exist to highlight the garden. There’s also a teahouse known as Ragetsu (or “Mossy Moon”) that overlooks the garden.

Komyoin Temple’s dry landscape garden is named Hashin-no-Niwa and consists of rocks, water, moss, pruned trees, shrubs, plus white sand and moss to achieve its design. Hashin-no-Niwa features 3 sets of rocks arranged in circles, and the arrangement of the stones makes them appear to radiate light.

There are satsuki and azaleas that bloom in early summer along with bellflowers, which is said to give Komyoin Temple a kaleidoscope of color. (We’ve yet to see this.) As a result, Hashin-no-Niwa is sometimes informally referred to as the Niji no Kokedera (or “Rainbow Moss Temple”).

The autumn foliage that forms the backdrop of Komyoin Temple is also said to be famous. This would seem to check out. On the interior walls, Komyoin Temple proudly displays some of the ad campaigns featuring the garden, and almost all of them showcase the fall colors.

One is even a nationwide Japan Rail poster, which makes me question how is Komyoin still under the radar?!

Whatever the explanation, we’re glad that tourists don’t flock to Komyoin. For one, the small space couldn’t handle colossal crowds. We love sitting inside, soaking up the serenity and being alone with the mesmerizing Hashin-no-Niwa garden.

You don’t need much time to see everything here (10 minutes would probably do), but we love sitting here. We could do just that (and have) for an hour.

If you don’t access Komyoin Temple via the aforementioned hike, the easiest way to find it is from Tofukuji Station along the JR Keihan Line; it’s a 10 minute walk from there. Other nearby train, subway, and bus routes are also available–just consult Google Maps.

Admission to Komyoin Temple is 300 yen and it’s open from 8 a.m. until sunset.

Ultimately, a big thing that makes Komyoin Temple so special is that it’s usually deserted. The garden itself is stunning, but it wouldn’t be as impactful if it were crammed with people. Accordingly, it’s pretty much a requirement that word doesn’t spread too far and wide about Komyoin.

The upside is that this article is unlikely to ruin anything. There are already a surprising number of blog posts elsewhere about this hidden gem, and those haven’t had an impact. Even many of you who do read this advice imploring you to visit Komyoin Temple are likely to ignore it (no offense taken), as it’s on exactly 0 Kyoto top 10 lists and few other resources recommend it. That’s good news for the few of you who do heed our recommendation…and for us as we make return visits to our newest “must-see” temple in Kyoto.

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Komyoin Temple? What did you think of the experience? Would you recommend it to a first-timer visiting Japan? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Komyoin Temple Tips: Kyoto, Japan Info appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Despite having 2,000 temples & shrines, most tourists to Kyoto, Japan visit the same dozen or so big name points of interest and high-profile UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In theory, this leaves about 1,980 hidden gems you can visit to avoid the crowds.

However, as we discuss in our Top 100 Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan, not all of those are worth a tourist’s time. To the contrary, we identify 52 that are very good or better. While it’s a far cry from 2,000 options, that’s still a lot of temples and shrines in one city. The idea is giving you options for calling an audible on weekends, holidays, or peak tourist season when things are just too busy and congested at Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kiyomizudera, Golden Pavilion, and so on.

In this post, we narrow our top 100 list even further, sharing with you the creme de la creme of that ‘top 52’ that seldom draw crowds and are relatively easy to access from Kyoto’s major tourist areas. Their overall ranking on that top 100 list included in parentheticals and you can click on each temple or shrine’s name to read and see more photos in our full post about it.

Going forward, finding these bastions of serenity–the essence of the Kyoto experience–will be more important than ever. Japan tourism numbers continues to spike and that trend is only going to continue with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics primed to drive even more visitors.

Unfortunately, on a short trip to Kyoto, there is no way to successfully avoid crowds at every major temple. There simply aren’t enough mornings and late afternoons before and after the tour buses and hordes of visitors arrive. You’ll either have to deal with crowds midday, or zig when others zag, visiting some of the great hidden gem temples & shrines on this list…

Yoshida Shrine (#32) – We’ll start with one of three locations clustered together a stone’s throw from the main tourist area of Higashiyama. Yoshida Shrine is part shrine and part public park. I’m not too proud to admit that I’ve gotten lost in here, and Google Maps seems to be little help in navigating the meandering paths.

The good news is that my favorite spot here is the huge torii gate at the entrance and the line of torii gates visible from the landing at the top of the stairs. So, you shouldn’t get lost photographing those. If you’re willing to venture further, Saijosho-Daigengu is one of the sub-shrines here, and it features striking architecture unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere in Japan. (Unfortunately, it’s only open on the first of every month and holidays.)

Komyo-in Temple (#30) – A small sub-temple of Tofukuji that’s so small and hidden you might not even notice it from the street. Komyoin Temple consists of a series of interconnected rooms, each of which offers a different perspective into the karesansui, or dry landscape garden, for which Komyoin Temple is known.

Despite its ranking, Komyoin Temple is a Kyoto highlight for us, and represents one of the most serene and truly magical experiences you can have in Kyoto. It’s such an under the radar gem it’s left unattended, and you’re unlikely to encounter anyone else here outside of fall colors season.

Shinnyodo Temple (#28) – This under-the-radar and free temple makes for a quick but satisfying stop while walking between Yoshida Shrine and Kurodani Temple. It also makes our Top 10 Fall Color Spots and 10 Best Hidden Gem Photography Spots lists for Kyoto, which should speak to its impact.

Shinnyodo Temple is stunning during both fall colors and cherry blossom seasons, and it’s also a great place to decompress and enjoy the serenity of the temple buildings and nature. It’s small, but there’s plenty of beautiful details beyond that striking pagoda that beacons visitors.

Kurodani Temple (#23) – Another free temple situated in the Yoshida Hill area, that’s just far enough removed from the touristy side of Kyoto that it draws very few visitors. The fact that Kurodani Temple is a peaceful hidden gem is something of a surprise. It’s large and sprawling, visible from a distance, and features some eye-catching architecture.

Nevertheless, we’ve seen only a few other tourists total in our several visits here. Most of the people at Kurodani Temple are literally passing through–using the temple as a shortcut coming from work or school. Its scattering of other visitors seem to be neighborhood residents treating Kurodani as a functioning temple, which gives it a sense of authenticity you won’t find at many other big temples in Kyoto.

Enkoji Temple (#20) – An out of the way temple that’s actually pretty easy to access via the Eizan Kurama Line on your way to or from Kuramadera (see our 1-Day Northern Kyoto Itinerary for more on this), Enkoji Temple is great for its diversity and details.

Some of these features include a mini bamboo grove, great scenic vista, stunning buildings, a cool dry landscape garden, and a wealth of small touches. Enkoji becomes more popular during fall (it’s one of Kyoto’s most accessible mountain temples, making it a great spot for great autumn foliage), but it’s well worth visiting any time of year.

Honenin Temple (#22) – Entirely free, easy to access from the (also free) Philosopher’s Path, and a calm diversion from the crowds, Honenin Temple is highly recommended. Even though it’s not a huge or high-profile temple, Honenin packs a powerful punch.

Jojakko-ji Temple (#19) – The chameleon-like beauty of Jojakkoji Temple is truly a sight to behold. It temple looks totally different under the winter whites of snow, floral pinks of spring blooms, lush green of summer moss, or fall’s fiery reds. It’s most famous for its autumn foliage, and that’s the one time of year you’ll encounter crowds at Jojakkoji Temple.

The temple buildings here are situated on a looping path along the slope of the Arashiyama mountains. In terms of architecture, there’s a lot of interest, including the iconic thatched roof Deva Gate and a pagoda with a unique look. There’s really a lot to see, and the view of Kyoto as you venture into higher elevations is worth the effort.

Hojo Garden at Tofukuji Temple (#18) –Kyoto has many famous gardens, and at Tofukuji Temle, you get 4 for the price of 1 with entrance to Hojo Garden! While Tofukuji Temple is a popular stop for other reasons (including its free outer area and popular fall colors viewing along Tsutenkyo Bridge), its Hojo Garden that is the big, peaceful draw for us.

The designer of these gardens, Shigemori Mirei, called them ‘concept gardens containing abstract expression’ with each evoking a different scene. Even before you read about their meaning, the Hojo Garden’s designs are visually-arresting and thought provoking. It’s a satisfying experience to sit before each of these, and peel back the layers, noticing the minutiae of their brilliant designs. Much like so many Kyoto gardens, these are ostensibly simple and cleanly designed, but there’s much more than meets the eye.

Eikando Temple (#17) – Conveniently situated between the southern end of the Path of Philosophers and just north of Nanzenji, which means Eikando Temple is almost certainly a spot you’ll walk past during your time in Kyoto. It’s yet another temple laid out in the foothills of the Higashiyama mountains, with a ton of interesting features to see.

With that said, Eikando is anything but a hidden gem in November through mid-December. During the heart of fall colors season, it’s one of the biggest draws in Kyoto. Domestic Japanese tourists show up here in large numbers, and Eikando even does special evening openings (that are also packed) to accommodate demand.

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple (#16) – This temple in Arashiyama has a collection of 1,200 Rakan Buddhist statues that were carved by amateurs, with the result being a surplus of quirky statues each with their own personality. You’ll end up spending a lot of time looking and taking photos of them, making for a satisfying visit to this relatively compact temple.

Our 1-Day Western Kyoto Itinerary covers the walk to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, and I’d recommend going by foot over taking the bus. The residential area is lovely and contains some nice architecture. Plus, there are a few other under-the-radar temples along the way.

Daitokuji Temple (#13) – This sprawling temple complex is highlighted by the Chokushimon Gate from Kyoto’s Imperial Palace, the Karamon (Chinese Gate), and Sammon Main Gate in its free grounds. There are also several halls that can be viewed, but not entered.

The highlight of Daitokuji Temple is its 24 sub-temples, some of which are open to the general public and some of which are privately owned. Zuihoin Temple is my top recommendation among these; it’s one of my favorite rock gardens in Kyoto. One I do not recommend is Daisenin Temple, which has suffocating rules and staff to enforce an unnecessary no-photography rule.

Daikakuji Temple (#8) – This temple offers a large free area outside of its main grounds that include a pagoda, other buildings, and a huge pond. There are many trees around the pond that make Daikakuji a popular sakura and foliage location in Kyoto.

Inside the temple, you’ll find a series of buildings connected by elevated wooden walkways and covered corridors. Entrance to the inner area of Daikakuji Temple requires paying the admission fee. If you make the trek out to Daikakuji Temple, you should absolutely pay the entrance fee–it’s well worth it.

Yoshiminedera Temple (#4) – This one requires some effort and planning, as getting here requires good timing and strategy (which we cover in our post about the temple). With that said, Yoshiminedera Temple is highly recommended. For your efforts, you’ll be rewarded with sprawling mountain temples that have a wealth of diverse and photogenic buildings, details, statues, and breathtaking views.

We’ve visited several times, each time spending nearly a half-day doing the huge mountain loop, taking our time to stop at each of the two-dozen locations on the map. On each of our visits, there were fewer than 10 other visitors (at leas that we could see), and the natural beauty was stunning. Oh, and one time we saw a (pissed off) wild macaque monkey banging around some bamboo.

Kuramadera Temple (#2) – Similar to Yoshimindera, except on the exact opposite side of Kyoto. We absolutely love Kuramadera Temple. It’s also another one that’ll take some effort, as visiting Mount Kurama and its surrounding village is usually considered a half-day trip from Kyoto. It’s worth it, especially if you visit other stops along the way, such as Enkoji Temple (above).

This Kyoto’s best and “truest” mountain temple and it takes approximately 45 minutes to climb from the main entrance to Kurama-dera’s main buildings. This is a maintained path, but can be moderately steep at times. There is also a cable car that bypasses some of the path. Walking is the way to go, as the scenery is beautiful and the way the temple’s features are incorporated into the mountainside is wonderful.

Fushimi Inari’s Secrets (#1) – The thing I love about Fushimi Inari is that it has so much range. I’ve visited dozens of times, and see new things with each visit. It also has great range in the crowds you’ll encounter. At one exact moment in time, there can be spot that are elbow-to-elbow with people, and areas where there’s absolutely no one.

Most of the latter locations are near the top of the mountain, where it’s even possible to snap quick photos of the torii tunnels without anyone in the frame. The Fushimi Inari “Secret” Bamboo Forest (which we cover how to find in this post) is one of the few uncrowded locations at the base of the mountain.

While these are some of my favorite lesser-known spots in Kyoto, this list really just scratches the surface. Even as Kyoto crowds swell, and visitors swarm to the beautiful city, the vast majority of temples and shrines are relative hidden gems. Visitors prefer the headliner points of interest, and while those temples certainly are popular for good reason, I’ve come to appreciate hidden gems more. They offer a contemplative atmosphere and calm you won’t find at the most popular spots, and that’s the true essence of Kyoto.

If you’re planning a trip to the Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend starting by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Kyoto, Japan? Do you have any less-popular temple and shrine recommendations? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post Hidden Gem Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Have one day to spend in Tokyo and want to see the ultra modern skyscrapers and shopping areas of Japan’s busy capital? This 1-day itinerary offers an efficient step-by-step touring plan for visiting Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Roppongi. Along the way, we’ll cover architecture, museums, parks, and even a couple of historic sites.

For most visitors to Japan, this is the familiar side of Tokyo. It’s what you’ve seen depicted in movies like Lost in Translation, and is definitely the more popular side of the city for tourists. It’s certain alive with activity, and simply wandering around soaking up the bright neon lights, standing under the towering buildings, and shopping at the array of stores–from luxury boutiques to approachable shops–is a great way to spend a day in Tokyo.

With that said, we do not recommend only a single day in Tokyo. If you can, add another day in the ‘old Tokyo’ districts of Asakusa and other eastern areas (see our 1-Day Eastern Tokyo, Japan Itinerary). To that end, our 2-Day Tokyo, Japan Highlights Itinerary is a good culmination of these two plans for seeing more of this incredible city…

While this is presented as a set itinerary with steps to follow, you can have a great day in Western Tokyo simply by getting off at Shibuya Station, slowly meandering north, discovering random spots, and stopping to do whatever strikes your fancy. You’ll eventually end up in Shinjuku, which is one of the more ‘colorful’ nightlife districts in Japan.

Basically, this whole post takes that loose plan and organizes it into something easier to digest, and with some specific recommendations for things to see, do, and eat as you meander your way from Shibuya to Shinjuku…

Shibuya – Even if you don’t like to shop at high-end retailers (I don’t), you should have a good time strolling the zelkova tree-lined boulevard of Omotesando, which is essentially Tokyo’s version of the Champs Élysées. Omotesando is clean, pretty, and dotted with eye-catching modern architecture (here’s a walking tour with more photos of the buildings–my favorite is Prada). Along the side-streets, you’ll find smaller upstart boutiques and excellent restaurants, so don’t be shy to stray from the path.

We recommend beginning your walking tour of Shibuya at Omotesando Station or Roppongi Station (for a longer walk). The latter gives you a chance to pass through the posh Roppongi Hills area and see more before continuing up Omotesando, through the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, and then arriving in Harajuku.

Harajuku – Harajuku has a reputation that precedes it, famous for its street wear, vivid outfits, and non-conformist culture. Or at least, it did. Harajuku’s scene is a shadow of its former self, but the good news is that you’ll still see the eclectic and elaborate outfits that define public perceptions of Harajuku.

Stroll up towards Takeshita Dori, which is considered the heart of Harajuku. Along the way, for a truly on-brand and bizarre Harajuku experience, make a stop at Kawaii Monster Cafe for desserts. For something quicker, Harajuku’s grab and go crepes are not to be missed. Our favorites include Angel’s Heart, Marion Crepes, or Santa Monica Crepes.

Urban Park & Shrine – After a few hours in the Tokyo’s most modern and chaotic areas, a walk through Yoyogi Park should be a welcome reprieve. The highlight of this massive green space is Meiji Jingu Shrine, and while temples and shrines are best saved for Kyoto, you’re already here so you might as well see it.

In addition to exploring Meiji Jingu Shrine, the area makes a good place to rest and reflect. Do some people watching (weekend weddings are common at the shrine), and get off your feet for a few minutes before moving on. Meiji Shrine is set in a lovely wooded setting that gives it a lot of appeal, plus it’s free. From this shrine, continue towards Yoyogi Park’s northern entrance. This will lead you towards Shinjuku Gyoen’s Sendagaya Gate.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – Tokyo’s most popular green space and garden, Shinjuku Gyoen is an excellent spot for cherry blossoms during spring sakura season or autumn foliage in fall. Any time of year, this dynamic space has impressive gardens inspired by different international horticultural styles, including French and English landscape gardens.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is also a great spot to grab some matcha and a snack, or just enjoy the scenery from the lawn. If you don’t want to buy food at one of Shinjuku Gyoen’s teahouses, we’d recommend stopping at Lawson or 7-11 before visiting, and having a makeshift picnic in the park.

Single-Subject Museums – We view Shinjuku as the heart of Tokyo, and there’s no shortage of things to do here. The options are fairly open-ended and diverse, with a variety of different stores, restaurants, and things to do. The bulk of our time is usually just wandering around, but we are also big fans of the many corporate or niche interest museums.

For the first-timer to Japan, we’d recommend choosing a couple of these museums. Around here, you can find pretty much any topic you can imagine: coffee, toy, paper, costumes, music sumo, beer, swords, transportation, cameras, and so on…museums. Our favorites within walking distance of Shinjuku are the Fire Museum and Samurai Museum. If you want to find the right museum for you, simply Google “Tokyo Museum + [insert your interest].”

Robot Restaurant – It’s true…all of it. If you’ve done any research about Tokyo, you’ve probably heard of Robot Restaurant. Even if you haven’t heard of it, you’ve no doubt seen it featured in montage commercials for TripAdvisor and travel segments about Tokyo. Its popularity has exploded in recent years, in large part because literally everything you’ve heard about this bizarre show is true.

Even if you go in expecting something totally crazy, Robot Restaurant will defy your expectations. We’ve visited countless times in the years since it opened (before its popularity exploded), and it has definitely gone more mainstream and touristy. Nonetheless, we love and highly recommend it–there’s a reason we keep going back! We have multiple posts about Robot Restaurant, including our original (and regularly-updated) Robot Restaurant Review, so we’re not going to rehash all of the praises we’ve sang for it here.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – When you’re done with Robot Restaurant, it might be time for either dinner (unfortunately, Robot Restaurant is not an actual restaurant) or you might still be able to catch sunset transition to dusk at the Tokyo Metro Government Building’s observation deck.

This observation area is free, rarely has much (if any) line, and the location in Shinjuku offers some really interesting views amidst Tokyo’s city-center. It’s a very different perspective than the Tokyo SkyTree, and arguably the superior experience for all of the aforementioned reasons. (We’d recommend doing both if you have the time, or just the Metro Gov’t Building if you’re choosing one.) After doing some ‘observing’, it’s time for dinner…

Dinner & Roppongi – Comprehensive dining recommendations are beyond the scope of this itinerary, but we do have a list of the Our Favorite Ramen Restaurants in Tokyo. On that list, you’ll find Fuunji Ramen, which is a stone’s throw from the Tokyo Metro Gov’t Building.

Following that, you can either succumb to your ramen coma and call it a night, or finish your ‘loop’ of western Tokyo by returning to Roppongi via the train. Roppongi has a vast selection of dining and shopping amidst some of the world’s largest malls, and some more intimate locales that make for good nightlife. It’s also Tokyo’s expat epicenter, so if you want some comforting American cuisine, you have a ton of options, including common chains and even stuff like Shake Shack!

Your Thoughts

Have you been to Tokyo? Did you visit Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, or Roppongi? If you also visited the eastern side of Tokyo, which did you prefer? What stops would make your itinerary of western Tokyo? Additional tips or thoughts from your visit to add? If you haven’t been to Tokyo, what interests you most about the city? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

The post 1-Day Western Tokyo, Japan Itinerary: Shinjuku, Harajuku & Shibuya appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

We love Tanuki, Japan’s magical scrotumonster. Or more accurately, scrotum-monster. If you’re unfamiliar with Tanuki, the Japanese raccoon dog, perhaps you thought these ubiquitous character statues are just a weird thing we are into. Although in fairness, if you are familiar with Tanuki, there’s an even greater chance you thought it was a weird thing we’re into.

For the uninitiated, Tanuki is a real animal–the aforementioned Japanese raccoon dog. More importantly, Tanuki is a key figure in Asian folklore and art. He’s a magical, shapeshifting creature that is mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise, and throughout history has transformed from evil to benevolent. In the words of Al Gore (probably), Tanuki is half raccoon, half dog, half fox.

Oh, and Tanuki has giant scrotum with special powers that signify the ability to stretch money and bring good fortune. That’s right, Tanuki has huge balls with their own magical powers. If you follow Sarah or me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the above critter in our stories, along with a slew of different odd hashtags expressing our affinity for Tanuki…

If you have not seen these, we post them pretty much daily when we’re in Japan. Here’s just a few of our Tanuki selfies from the last couple of years:

Now, I realize this is a family site that you all trust to educate and culture your children, but any conversation about Tanuki must encompass his scrotum, and that’s a tall order, because they’re so danged big.

If it assuages you, it should be noted that Tanuki’s mammoth scrotum is said to have nothing to do with his sexual prowess or proclivities.

Apparently, the Japanese term for ‘small ball of gold’ (kin no tama) is very close to a term for testicles (kintama), and there was confusion about this in creating in early representations of the character.

Japanese artists had so much fun depicting Tanuki’s testicles in various situations–including stretched out as a rescue parachute and lifeboat–that it just sort of stuck. (For further reading about Tanuki’s history, here’s a pretty comprehensive resource.)

I have no clue to what degree that origin story is accurate, but I love it.

I’ve always been a sucker for folklore, and there’s something especially delightful about the existence of legitimate works of art older than the United States depicting a raccoon dog using his scrotum to save lives.

It’s also quite amusing that no one in Japan, a sexually conservative country, bats an eye at the prevalence of Tanuki.

There are children’s songs about him (and his testicles), television commercials of Tanuki swinging his CGI balls, depictions of Tanuki making music by drumming on his large sack, ‘larger than life’ statues dotting almost every block in Kyoto, and a literal Tanuki Temple in Tokyo (the statue pictured below is from the temple).

Tanuki is so engrained in Japanese culture that he and his giant balls are just taken for granted. I can’t think of any analog in America.

I mean, it’s safe to make certain assumptions about Paul Bunyan, but that’s just something that we all tacitly understand, and no one talks about it.

Despite American media being among the most sexually suggestive in the world, the United States is still, at its core, fairly conservative about sexuality.

I doubt public depictions of Tanuki would ever be accepted in the U.S. due to his scrotum, and it wouldn’t even surprise me if some adults are taken aback by the photos and text in this post.

The beauty of Tanuki is that even though his features are very much overt, he’s innocent and pure. He symbolizes generosity, cheer, prosperity, and nothing even remotely sexual.

I’d hazard a guess this is part of why Tanuki is so popular–he’s a bringer of good fortune, but there’s also a certain understated stupidity to it all–he’s goofy, bizarre, and fun.

This is the basis for our enthusiasm of Tanuki. Although the tone here is tongue in cheek (how could it not be?), we find depictions of Tanuki, his folklore, and his prominence to be very interesting.

In ways, he seems at odds with Japanese culture, and in other ways, totally at home in it. I wouldn’t say we have reverence or respect for Tanuki; there’s an underlying sense of immaturity to our interest, but it’s also sincere. We find his place in Japanese traditions to be truly fascinating.

One day we were hiking in Ohara, a rural area in the mountains north of Kyoto. We passed by a small shop on the side of the trail selling Tanuki figures.

We always stop for this sort of thing, and were elated to find that a medium-sized Tanuki was only 2,000 yen. We had exactly 2,000 yen on us, which would’ve been perfect…had we not needed bus fare to get back to the city.

From that point on, we got serious about acquiring a Tanuki figure. It’s not that they were difficult to find–a number of shops in touristy areas of Kyoto carry them–it’s that we believed there must be a wholesale purveyor of Tanuki figures selling them for significantly cheaper prices than the stores in tourist districts.

My dream was to purchase a life-sized Tanuki figure. Since I have no clue how tall Tanuki is “in real life,” what I mean by that is one as tall as me. It’s totally impractical, I know, but I think it’d also be pretty awesome.

Logistically speaking, I’m not even sure how we would’ve gotten it home, but in the comical scenario I envision, Tanuki would’ve sat in an empty seat next to us on the return flight.

I knew we’d actually end up settling for a smaller one, but held out hope that somehow we’d find an gigantic one for an inexpensive price, and could have him shipped to us.

Suffice to say, we put a lot of effort and (too much) time into finding a Tanuki to adopt. I researched Japanese hardware, home improvement, and outdoor goods stores, and we visited several in Kyoto, all to no avail.

We also made a special trip to Kappabashi Street in Tokyo, where we did find a store specializing in Tanuki, but it was laughably overpriced.

Anyway, this story is entirely in past tense because we’ve completed our quest for Tanuki. One day while wandering in the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, we decided to stop at Kotouen, a ceramics store we had passed many times before (in fact, there are a handful of photos of its life-size Tanukis in past posts here).

Previously, we had stopped in Kotouen but the prices of the giant Tanuki figures gave us sticker shock. Out of options, we decided to do a more thorough search this time. It turns out that Kotouen is actually a fairly reasonably priced shop with beautiful goods. (It’s located between Jojakkoji and Nisonin Temples–you’ll walk right past it during our 1-Day Western Kyoto Itinerary.)

After a bit of browsing, we found a smaller Tanuki that was reasonably priced–at least compared to prices we had seen in Tokyo, or even Gion and Higashiyama.

The price coupled with “adopting” our Tanuki from a shop with which we were familiar made it a no-brainer. We had to do it.

And so we did. It was really exciting, and the shopkeepers went to great lengths to build a custom box for our Tanuki so he would fit in our carry-on suitcase. (On the flight home, almost everything else in Sarah’s suitcase was relegated to a checked duffle.)

It was a joyous occasion, and we took turns carrying Tanuki all around Kyoto that day.

Our Tanuki lives on a shelf that’s also fittingly home to books about Kyoto and Japan. He is regularly joined for kinship by his brother, Yossarian the Cat.

And now you know about Tanuki and our obsession with the magical little guy more than any normal person should!

Your Thoughts

Have you seen Tanuki figures in Japan? Wondered what they were, or why they’re so popular? What do you think of this heroic little guy? How many Tanukis do you own? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post A Tribute to Tanuki: Japan’s Magical Scrotumonster appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

Our 1-day Pasadena, California itinerary covers the most popular things to do in the City of Roses. It provides an efficient yet leisurely walking tour through Pasadena’s Old Town, past its most iconic homes and buildings. In so doing, we’ll take you to the highlights of Pasadena, including gardens, museums, and architecture, all in (under) a single day.

Visitors to California flock to Los Angeles, Disneyland, the beach cities, and even the nearby Hollywood studios in Burbank. However, Pasadena seems to get lost in the shuffle. This is unfortunate, as Pasadena is a charming community with a vibrant small town atmosphere, unique businesses, and distinct residential architecture.

We happen to love Pasadena. Like Laguna Beach or Palm Springs, it’s a nice and quiet alternative to busier, trendier spots in and around Los Angeles. It’s difficult to say Pasadena is “underrated” given that it’s well-known thanks to the Rose Bowl, but as a tourist destination, Pasadena is underrated. It’s also a surprisingly short drive from Downtown Los Angeles, making it an easy option of a day or half-day outside the city…

With this itinerary, you can explore Pasadena, strolling past its lovely residential architecture and stopping at its best points of interest, all in a relatively efficient manner! Let’s get started…

Parade of Homes – Our favorite way to spend a morning in Pasadena is taking a self-guided architecture. The city has several neighborhoods with a high concentration of landmark homes and buildings, most notably exemplars of the American Arts & Crafts Movement by Pasadena architects Charles and Henry Greene.

If you’re into residential architecture, we highly recommend using the Explore Pasadena Architecture brochure for a self-guided tour. Our favorite of these, by far, is #3. Not only does this cover a few blocks that include many Greene & Greene highlights, but it also passes Frank Lloyd Wright’s Millard House or “La Miniatura” (pictured above), and also offers some stunning views of the Rose Bowl.

Morning Gamble – Along the way, you’ll encounter the most famous home in Pasadena: the Gamble House, which was built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble (of Procter & Gamble fame) and also designed by Greene & Greene. Southern California has no shortage of homes to tour, with a variety of mid-century modern and case study homes dotting Los Angeles. Pasadena is renowned as being the pinnacle of the Arts and Crafts movement, and nowhere is the American Craftsman architecture better represented than in the iconic Gamble House.

The Gamble House offers a variety of different tours on different days, but its most common offerings are one-hour tours held from mid-morning until early-afternoon. We’d recommend booking the first tour of the day, which is usually at 10 a.m. The reason for this is that the sun is still low enough in the sky for natural light to shine through the house’s stained glass, which produces an ethereal, glowing beauty. Read our full Gamble House Tour Review for more photos & thoughts.

Simon Says – If you want to continue walking, you’re only about 10 minutes from the Norton Simon Museum, which is one of the top art museums in California. The museum is home to the private art collection of industrialist Norton Simon, who amassed thousands of pieces over the course of three decades.

Today, the Norton Simon Museum’s collection contains over 12,000 pieces, including European masterworks from the Renaissance to the 20th century, South and Southeast Asian art spanning 2,000 years, and a serene sculpture garden. The collection includes works by prominent artists such as Rembrandt, Fragonard, Goya, Degas, Vuillard, and Picasso. It’s all beautifully-presented in a stunning setting, both inside and out.

Old Pasadena – We like to continue this tour by foot heading towards Old Pasadena by walking down Colorado Blvd towards Pasadena Playhouse, and then heading back towards City Hall. After that, you’ll head up towards the Pasadena Library and down Walnut towards where you started the morning.

If you want to get a bit more aggressive with this and see more along the way, check out #6 on the “Explore Pasadena Architecture” walking tour maps we linked to above. Alternatively, you can drive this, with the key stops being the Pasadena Playhouse and City Hall.

Gardens Galore – You’ll find a lot of gardens in the Pasadena area. In fact, the whole city has a strong garden vibe (perhaps that’s why the Tournament of Roses is held in Pasadena?), and in addition to being the City of Roses is also known as the City of Trees.

Near Pasadena, you’ll find Arlington Gardens, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, and Descanso Gardens. We’d recommend choosing between the last two. The Huntington is a grand place–a cultural destination and stately estate.

Descanso Gardens is more laid back and chill, with some rugged natural beauty, internationally-renowned botanical collections, and stunning seasonal horticultural displays. Which you should choose is totally a matter of personal preference; after everything else you’ve done in Pasadena, Descanso Gardens might provide a nice contrast.

Evening in Griffith Park – Even if you take your time, you’ll probably finish up your day in and around Pasadena before sunset. Regardless of whether you finish at Descano Gardens or the Huntington, you’re under 20 minutes from the north side of Griffith Park.

There are a variety of things to do here, and you could truly spend a full day just in Griffith Park. Depending upon when you arrive, you could start at the (underrated) Los Angeles Zoo, or just head directly to the Observatory. Our go-to is the latter: Griffith Observatory, which is one of our favorite things to do in all of Southern California. It’s a great spot for watching the sunset, and evening fall over Los Angeles.

Your Thoughts

Have you spent a day in Pasadena? If so, what did you think of experience? Any additional tips or stops to add that we didn’t cover? Do you agree that Pasadena is underrated as a tourist destination, or do you think there’s not enough excitement here? Would you visit Pasadena again, or do you think it was a ‘one and done’? Was it worth your time and money? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post 1-Day Pasadena, California Itinerary appeared first on Travel Caffeine.