Not to miss

Kurama Onsen

One of the few onsen within easy reach of Kyoto, Kurama Onsen is a great place to relax after a hike. The outdoor bath has fine views of Kurama-yama (costs extra). You can use an indoor bath as well (again, costs extra), but even with a sauna and locker thrown in, it's difficult to imagine why you would opt for indoors.

For both baths, buy a ticket from the machine outside the door of the main building (instructions are in Japanese and English). To get to Kurama Onsen, walk straight out of Kurama station and continue up the main street, passing the entrance to Kurama-dera on your left. The onsen is about 10 minutes' walk on the right. There's also a free shuttle bus between the station and the onsen, which meets incoming trains.

Nishi Hongan-Ji

This temple makes for a nice change from the incessant crowds of Higashi Hongan-ji. As with its counterpart, Nishi Hongan-ji is an easy walk from the station and it's free. The interior of the main hall here is both gaudy and sublime.

Nishi Hongan-ji was originally built in 1272 in the Higashiyama Mountains by the priestess Kakushin, daughter of Shinran, who was founder of the Buddhist Jōdo Shin-shū school.

The temple complex was relocated to its present site in 1591, on land provided by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (16th-century shōgun). By then, the Jōdo Shin-shū had accumulated immense power and the temple became its headquarters. Tokugawa Ieyasu sought to weaken the power of Jōdo Shin-shū by encouraging a breakaway faction to found Higashi Hongan-ji in 1602. The original Hongan-ji then became known as Nishi Hongan-ji. It is now the headquarters of the Hongan-ji branch of Jōdo Shin-shū, which has over 10,000 temples and 12 million followers worldwide.

The temple contains five buildings, featuring some of the finest examples of the architectural and artistic achievements of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600). Unfortunately, the Goe-dō hall is presently being restored and will be under wraps until 2010. The Daisho-in hall has sumptuous paintings, carvings and metal ornamentation. A small garden and Japan's oldest nō (stylised dance-drama) stages are connected to the Daisho-in hall. The dazzling Chinese-style Kara-mon gate displays intricate ornamental carvings and metalwork. The gate has been dubbed Higurashi-mon (Sunset Gate) by those who purport that its beauty can distract one from noticing the setting sun. Both Daisho-in and Kara-mon were transported here from Fushimi-jō castle in the south of the city.

The Goe-dō dates from 1636 and contains a seated statue of Shinran. The Hondō, last reconstructed in 1760, houses a priceless collection of painted sliding screens with images of the phoenix and peacock.

Kyoto Station

The Kyoto Station building is a striking steel-and-glass structure - a kind of futuristic cathedral for the transport age. Unveiled in September 1997, the building met with some decidedly mixed reviews. Some critics assail the building as not keeping with the traditional architecture of Kyoto; others love its wide-open spaces and dramatic lines.

Whatever the case, you're sure to be impressed by the tremendous space that arches above you as you enter the main concourse. Moreover, you'll probably enjoy a brief exploration of the many levels of the station, all the way up to the 15th-floor observation level. And be sure to take the escalator from the 7th floor on the east side of the building up to the 11th-floor glass corridor that runs high above the main concourse - not a good spot for those with a fear of heights!

In the station building, you'll find several food courts, the Isetan Department Store, the Kyoto Prefectural International Center, the Kyoto Tourist Information Center, the Kyoto Tourism Federation and an outdoor performance space.