Kyoto is certainly not as sizeable as other well-known Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka; however it still has plenty of interesting sights to see, and things to do. Located in the Yamashiro (or Kyoto) Basin, Kyoto is surrounded on three sides by mountains and leaves the city in somewhat of a bowl. This creates hot summers and cold winters and makes May through to October the best months to book your Kyoto apartment rental.

Kyoto certainly has a dramatic history as it was the imperial capital of Japan for over 1000 years and has suffered more than its fair share of conflict. However, the city was largely spared from the destruction of the Second World War and is still home to over 2000 religious shrines and temples. Wandering the streets around your Kyoto serviced apartment, you will not need to go far before stumbling across another Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple.

The most famous of the temples are the Kinkaku-ji Temple of the Golden Pavilion, the Ginkaku-ji Temple of the Silver Pavilion and Kiyomizu-dera - a magnificent wooden temple built on the slope of a mountain. These wonderful temples, along with two imperial palaces in the city, make Kyoto a wonderful destination for fans of traditional Japanese architecture. If you are staying in a Kyoto city centre (center) apartment, use the subway system to get around town and visit all of these sites.

Kyoto is also the home of a major industry in traditional Japanese crafts such as kimono weaving. There are many small Artisan shops to visit where you can view and purchase beautiful handmade Japanese textiles. Traditional Temari make wonderful souvenirs to take back home to your friends and family; these are thread-wrapped balls made to amuse children, but are also often given as tokens of good luck. They also quite small, and therefore will not fill up your Kyoto serviced accommodation!

Another somewhat unusual tourist destination in Kyoto is the Iwatayama Monkey Park (known locally as ‘Monkey Mountain’). This park is not too far from the city centre and tour operators can pick you up from your Kyoto short-stay apartment for a day trip. In the park, over 170 Japanese macaque monkeys roam freely and often come up to visitors and take food from their hands.

Kyoto is also well-known for holding traditional festivals every year, some of which have been regular events for over 1000 years. The most famous festivals are the Aoi Matsuri in May and Gion Matsuri in July. The latter is one of the three great festivals of Japan and if you are visiting during this period, be sure to book your Kyoto holiday rental in advance.

Serviced and self-catered apartments, flats, holiday lets and aparthotels can be up to 30% cheaper than most equivalent hotel rooms and are becoming increasingly popular due to the freedom they offer. Whether it’s a short stay apartment you are looking for or a long term apartment, our holiday apartments combine all the amenities and comforts of home.  With plenty of room why stay in a cramped hotel room when you can stay in spacious surroundings in and around Kyoto city centre.

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