Things to Do in Kyoto This Winter

Winter is a magical time to visit Kyoto, when snow dusts the palaces and temples and tea and sake warm body and soul. Whether your interests run to high culture, Japanese cuisine, or flower arranging, here are a few ways to enjoy Kyoto this winter.

• Take a full- or half-day tour of Kyoto’s highlights and see such sights as the Golden Temple, Kiyomizu-dera, and Nijo-jo at their picturesque best.
• Enjoy a warming cup of Japanese tea prepared the traditional way, in a tea ceremony with a tea master.
• Stay warm and dry inside when you go back to school— samurai school, that is.
• Learn how to make delicious Japanese cuisine during a cooking class, many of which include a market or neighborhood tour.
• Stay warm in winter the way Japanese people do—with heated sake—during a sake-tasting experience.
• Immerse yourself in Japanese culture and get your heart pumping with a taiko-drumming lesson.
• Gain first-hand experience of the alluring geisha with a multicourse dinner with a maiko, or apprentice geisha.
• Try your hand at chopstick making, watercolor painting, or flower arranging at a Japanese arts and craft workshop.