Lonely Planet Kyoto

by Lonely Planet and Mason Florence

Book Overview

A comprehensive guide to Japan's cultural capital, this guide includes special sections on Japanese cuisine, Kyoto's temples, shrines and teahouses. Also included are transportation details, including... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0864425643
• ISBN13: 9780864425645
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Helpful for planning a trip

I bought this book because I am planning my first trip to Japan in March - the internet is useful for uncovering the thousands of different things that are to be seen/done/eaten, but the guide book offers that all-important "second level" of advice (social etiquette and a non-commercially-biased opinion of what the best sights are) PLUS a bunch of maps that I think will come in very useful. There also is a wealth information in the book that most of the websites I visited didn't 'readily' offer, such as the fact that cash is King and don't expect to pay for everything with a credit card. After reading, I have altered my sightseeing plans slightly to include a guided tour with the author, Chris Rowthorn, both in Kyoto and Tokyo... if he wrote the book, his tours must be good! We'll see when we get there. I would say the book was very helpful for my planning process, especially as I have never been to Japan, but I would also recommend using the internet (www.japan-guide.com was invaluable) to choose city specific tourist attractions (lots of pictures online!), then read the guide book to bring your travel itinerary back to reality. After Japan-guide.com I wanted to see everything in Kyoto in the 5 days I had available, but the book (primarily the author's recommendations) allowed me to plan a reasonable itinerary that included most of the "must do" attractions.

Reasonably priced and practical

As the title indicated, this book is reasonably priced and practical. It does a very good job in introducing the history of Kyoto and the local custom. This is not only useful for traveling but also for gaining a better understanding of an interesting and graceful culture. The book also covers widely all of the points of interest, which includes a good selection of hotels and restaurants. One weakness of the book is the organization. The book separates places of interest and maps into two different section and this makes it difficult to cross reference. You have to make your own plans in connecting all the interesting places into one walk. It would be better if the book can organize a few walking tours that allow us to visit all the highlights.

This is the one !

This book has so many information about Kyoto.Especially accommodation sect is wonderful. My friend stayed at the Tour Club and he could enjoy his stay in Kyoto very much (Tour Club is recommended by this book as by far the best guesthouse.)Also information and comment about sites are useful.

Kyoto at its Best

Lonely Planet: Kyoto is one of the best investments you can make before your trip to Japan. Like all of the other Lonely Planet books, it is well-organized and interesting to read, with plenty of practical information (where to stay and what to see) plus a thorough section on language, history, and culture. Kyoto, Japan's imperial capital, has over 3,000 shrines and temples--it's essential to have a guidebook that explains, in detail, the form and function of the major ones and offers suggestions for seeing the smaller ones. I found the "Things to See and Do" sections especially helpful... in addition to the religious centers, Lonely Planet helped me find my way to Lake Biwa (Japan's largest lake) and to museums, shops, restaurants, and even a baseball game. If you are not planning a specific itinerary, it's easy to "flip and point" in order to find something that looks good on a given day. I was in Kyoto for a year and was not able to see half of the things that Lonely Planet covered, but for those that I did see, it really enhanced my experience. Lonely Planet is a good all-around book that won't let you down. It considers all budgets and offers suggestions for even the poorest student. If you aren't a native speaker of Japanese, it may help to have a copy of Lonely Planet's Japanese Phrasebook, just in case the guide doesn't go into enough detail.