Heian Shrine, Kyoto

One of the newer shrines in Kyoto. It's nice and large with very spacious grounds. Because of that it's not as overcrowded as many other places. Behind the shrine there's a beautiful large garden with ponds. However, the entrance fee to the gardens is 600 ¥ while the entrance to the shrine is free. But I highly recommend visiting the gardens too.

Beautiful shrine with a large, peaceful garden to walk around in in all seasons. You can also enjoy some simple snacks in the souvenir shop located next to the shrine.

A symbol of Kyoto. While the shrine itself makes up only a small proportion of the area, it is still very big. However, the expansive open areas can still get very crowded on special occasions. Watch out for signs where you cannot take photographs.

Beautiful garden inside this shrine. Not to miss especially during spring and early summer. In April, in this garden one can find the late blooming cherry blossom, kanzan sakura. If you miss the someo yoshino, then the kanzan sakura really worths the visit. In June the irises are beautiful. Look around the ponds.

Pretty good. tier 2 attraction in Kyoto but that's only because Kyoto is packed with top attractions. The garden is nice though there are prettier gardens that can be enjoyed for free (Nijo if I recall correctly?) Oh, the matcha ice cream opposite is pretty weak. Skip that