Arashiyama - Kyoto

Before I continue on with my snowy holiday in Japan posts, I have one post left from our trip to Koya-san and Kyoto this past November. Our last full day in Kyoto we ventured out to Arashiyama. Can you believe that i've been to Kyoto at least 5 times before and never been to Arashiyama!? How stupid I was to miss this area every time! Arashiyama is gorgeous and a prime spot for viewing the autumn leaves.

As soon as we stepped off the tram I was in love. The station was adorable and we walked straight onto a street full of cute shops and restaurants. We stopped for a croquette from a street stall, then continued on towards the bridge. Arashiyama was CROWDED, and it wasn't even a national holiday or a weekend when we were there. It was crowded for a reason though. The autumn leaves covering the mountain backdrop were stunning and the area is just so cute.

We only spent a half day here because we were tired from non-stop sightseeing for the previous 4 days, and we wandered off track and ended up kind of in the middle of nowhere and hungry with a small child, so ended up heading back into the city around lunch time. Still though, we had a lovely time. We walked by the river, through the park and came across the bamboo grove. 

If you ever find yourself in Kyoto, I definitely recommend taking a day out in Arashiyama. It's not far from the city centre and everything is just so pretty! Also, I wish I had known about it before (it's obvious I didn't do much planning for this, isn't it?), but there's a lovely train ride in Arashiyama, that you can read about on my friend Ashley's blog.