Day 8: Kyoto (B)

Today visit lesser known temples in Kyoto starting with the enchanting Daitoku-ji temple, a walled temple complex famed for historical associations and also the many beautiful Zen gardens it contains. Originally built in 1319, like many historical sites in Kyoto, it was repeatedly destroyed by war and fire before being rebuilt on a grander scale by Zen master Ikkyu Sojun in the late 15th century. Besides the gardens, this temple complex encompasses spectacular architecture, painting and calligraphy. Take in atmospheric Koto – in, one of the subtemples in the complex and arguably the most scenic – surrounded by maple trees. Then, visit Ryogen-in subtemple, constructed in 1502, which houses many rare objects such as a Japanese chess board allegedly played during the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 1600s and an Edo period scroll ‘Old trees and monkeys painted by the famous Japanese painter Hasegawa Tohaku. Lastly, visit the Kinkaku-ji Temple also widely known as the Golden Pavilion dates back to 1397, this temple is a three-storey building which incorporates three distinct styles of architecture specific to each floor.