Experience Gion beyond the elegant tea salons, stylish eateries, centuries-old shops, and all the lively nightlife on its atmospheric streets. Steps away from Yasaka Shrine, rise early and enjoy the neighborhood as residents do. With a kitchenette in every room it’s easy to make Gion your home away from home for a while.

The Sanjo area is filled with Kyoto’s livelier charms-think retrofitted machiya townhouses offering places to shop, dine, drink, or relax over green-tea lattes and coffee. Stroll beneath the willow trees along the nearby Takase River canal for still more classic scenes dotted with temples and others history-laden spots.

Launch your explorations of timeless Kyoto from this quiet base near Toji, the oldest Buddhist temple in the city. Founded in 796, Toji dates back to the Heian era, when Kyoto was the newly named capital of Japan. Famous for its five-story pagoda, a soaring city landmark, this temple is filled with treasured paintings and statuary related to esoteric teachings.