Traveling by Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto!
I started my day by waking up at 4 a.m. to take the famous Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Welcome onboard – Japan’s iconic high-speed train, operating at the maximum speed of 320 km/h! Tokyo train station looks more like a cosmic platform. I pre-booked a ticket to visit Tenryu-ji (the most important temple in Kyoto) & Bamboo Grove (one of Kyoto’s top sights – a place featuring thousands of tall bamboo plants) from the 14th century. I’m in a rush to catch my train, holding my ticket tight, asking every officer about the way to the platform. Everything feels so punctual in Japan!
The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto needs only 2.15 hours to conquer 550 kilometres. However, the ticket costs around € 250 (return). The landscape behind the window is magic; if you are lucky with the weather, you’ll be able to admire the beauty of Mount Fuji. It looks amazing! Only after getting off the train, I notice how many tourists are travelling to Kyoto. I am literally walking with the crowd, taking small steps toward the exit. The air is so clear that it almost seems crystal.
The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto is a great journey with epic landscapes on the other side of the window. The train is extremely clean and quiet.
The first temple in Kyoto looks wonderful, but the queue in front of the entrance is terrible, so I’m skipping. I’m taking a bamboo path to get to the bamboo grave.
Getting from Kyoto to Nara Park.
Almost everyone traveling to Kyoto wants to get to Nara Park. A train from Kyoto to Nara only takes 45 minutes. Getting off the train station in Nara, there is a tourist information on your left side. Getting a map is extremely useful to navigate all the spots and temples you wish to visit. I’m walking up the hill to enter the park and meet the famous friendly Sika Deer. It’s possible to buy some dedicated crackers to feed them. Deers in Nara are walking freely, without fear of people or traffic. You can interact with them and some would even follow you to the shop.
The most significant temples in Nara are: Kasuga, Wakamiya, Kafuku, Todaiji. And the top attraction is the red temple Wakamiya. To get there, you need to climb the hill, taking a beautiful path along the tombs. The path is mystic, you hear only two things – silence and birds.
Nara Park is quite huge ands walking the whole distance you may feel tired. There is a bus from Nara Park to the train station. It’s very easy to find the bus stop, as there’s only one main road leading to the train station.
