It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to travel!
Actually, I’m not sure if it’s the most wonderful, but I am having winter dreams about this one…Kyoto. I’ve saved up all my yearly stress for this holiday vacation and now it’s Crystal-time!
The history.
The architecture.
The food.
I can’t wait to walk aimlessly around for seven days, landing in coffee shops and stationery stores (oh, the money I will spend). I will take loads of pictures of all the touristy things and then try to snap every Christmas in Kyoto-y thing I can find. If I see a geisha posing near a Christmas tree I may pass out.
To organize my thoughts and enthusiasm, I’ve made my ideas list below.
Any suggestions?
Things you loved in Kyoto that are worth it, things that are tourist traps? Please let me know!
Une Peach 
We finally made it out to Kyoto this year and absolutely LOVED it. Can’t wait to go back. If you have time, head out to the town of Nara and hang out with the free-roaming deer and visit Todaiji Temple (they have free English language tours which are well worth it). And Kinkakuji is touristy but so amazingly gorgeous. And not sure if you’re a big meat eater, but Kobe is close, and well, Kobe Beef. Enjoy and happy holidays! 🙂
Thank you, Shelley! Nara would be amazing… I will see about how I could fit it in. I basically want several days of just wandering around with no real aim. And yeah, you are right about Kinkakuji being touristy, I’ve read up on it but if I can prepare my mind for it, I should be alright :). I’m so excited to go!
Oh, also, where is your high flying family off to for Christmas?? 🙂 🙂
Nara is just a bus or train ride from Kyoto, and I think we squeezed it in before we took our flight back to Seoul. It was kinda on the way back to Osaka airport.
We are sticking around Seoul for the holidays, with some of Agri’s family flying in from Italy (though I sure wish I was heading somewhere tropical)… 🙂