Kyoto, 29 Walks in Japan's Ancient Capital

Most comprehensive book for walking around historical/religious/cultural sites in Kyoto. This book actually represents something like 58-60 walking tours, rather than 29 as stated in its title, if you are 60+ years old. Great organization by geographic area, nice maps tracing each walk, a wealth of information. An absolute MUST-HAVE if you are in love with Kyoto, as I am. The only recommendation I could make to the author for improving hsi book: provide a ranking (however subjective) of the various sites, e.g. with 3-stars (3 = absolute must-see; 2 = recommended; 3 = if you have extra time/stamina), so that the traveler pressed for time can better prioritize his/her walking tours. Neventheless, warmly RECOMMENDED, as no other book contains such wealth of information, plus theose extremely useful walking tour maps (akin to those found in Michelin guides). I just returned from a 3-week stay in Japan, with Kyoto as home base, and this book was even more useful (actually indispensible) now than it was 7 years ago, when I went to a week-long conference in Kyoto.

If you plant visit Kyoto on your own this is a great guide. It features walks that take you to beautiful areas off the tourist trail. You can pick and choose which sites to visit. It allows you to see what you want and to go at your own pace. I highly recommend this guide.

gave this book as a graduation present for someone going to Japan. They loved it and provided them with great references on where to visit and planning their trip. Highly recommend!

I just came back from Japan and used this book extensively during 6 days in Kyoto. The historical background included in the suggested walks is superb and enriched my trip. The directions are practical and excellent, even though the book was published several years ago, because Kyoto doesn't change much, thank heavens. I used the book in conjunction with Google Maps, though, because it made things even easier to have micro-directions. I don't speak Japanese. The book is excellent even for field trips like Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, and the imperial garden at Katsura. Trust me, it is worth the slightly heavy weight. I feel like a relative authority on Kyoto's history after becoming intimate with this book, and I look forward to using it again someday. This was my third trip to Kyoto, but the first one that delved beneath the surface. It was great to have suggestions for logical destinations all in one geographic area. Kudos to the authors.

We used this in Kyoto in April of 2023. I loved how the walks were organized by area. This was so helpful. I looked at lists of "things to see" in Kyoto but didn't know how to organize and group the sites together. I loved being able to look up a certain site and then plan a day around it. My only critique is that some of the information was a bit out of date. For example, we went to the Fushimi Inari CASTLE (separate from the shrine with 1000 grates). The directions on how to get there were great. However, we were literally the only people there. The castle is closed. To be honest, it was kind of fun to see an abandoned castle and it was a really pretty place, but we weren't expecting it to be abandoned. The was really the only issue. In spite of that, I would still recommend this book because the main information and guidance is still correct and it was great at helping us organize the trip.

This book reads like a history book. It's heavy. I left it behind in Japan.

We bought this guide prior to going to Kyoto. It provided really good information to make your trip more effective.

This is an extensive and comprehensive walking guide to Kyoto. I spent 3 days in Kyoto and my only regret is that I didn't have time to complete more of the guided walks. If you enjoy meandering and exploring a new city while simultaneously learning cultural and historical tidbits, I highly recommend this book.