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Ninomaru Garden, Nijō Castle

• Nijō Castle (二条城 nijō-jō), (Nearest bus stop: Nijojo-mae. Nearest subway station: Nijojo-mae). Open daily, 8.45am-5pm, with last admission at 4pm. Certainly one of the highlights of Kyoto, with fine gardens and splendid centuries-old structures. The series of ornately-decorated reception rooms within the Ninomaru Palace complex is particularly impressive, and known for its "nightingale floors" - wooden flooring which makes bird-like squeaking sounds when stepped on so as to give advance warning when someone was approaching. From the empty base of the donjon that once overlooked the innermost section of the fortress (known as the Honmaru), you can get good views over parts of the castle compound and the wider city beyond. Admission ¥600.

• Nijo Jinya, (Just south of Nijo Castle). This former (and still inhabited) samurai house offers a look into how people used to live. The guided tour focuses on the measures taken to avoid and deal with the risk of fire and attack, with several trap doors and escape routes, along with some innovative anti-conflagration architecture. However, it's not a cheap tour and no photos are allowed. Moreover, tours were suspended for two years from the end of 2009 Golden Week (May) while repairs are carried out. Tour ¥1,000.

• The Museum of Kyoto, (Located on Takakura-dori. Nearest bus stop: Shijo Karasuma. Nearest subway station: Karasuma Oike). Open daily 10am-8.30pm. This museum may be particularly worthwhile if you have a burning interest in ancient pottery, otherwise not really worth a visit. Admission ¥500.

• Kyoto International Manga Museum (京都国際マンガミュージア� Kyōto Kokusai Manga Myūjiamu), (1-minute walk north from the Karasuma Oike subway station), www.kyotomm.jp/international/english. Open 10 AM to 6 PM (last admission 5:30 PM); closed on Wednesdays - or the following Thursday if Wednesday is a national holiday - and during the New Year holidays (as well as during regular maintenance periods). Housed in an old elementary school building, the museum holds over 300,000 manga-related items ranging from rare Meiji-era publications to the works of contemporary artists. One of its main attractions is the so-called "Wall of Manga": a vast collection of some 50,000 volumes arranged on shelves running along the building's corridors. Much of the collection is in Japanese, but there is a sizeable selection of manga translated into various foreign languages (including English) on the ground floor. Visitors are welcome to pick out and read anything they choose from the "Wall of Manga" (although the books can't be checked out for offsite reading), which explains the large numbers of children and young adults that throng the museum - and the large Astroturf field just outside - during opening hours. The museum also hosts special temporary exhibitions and other manga-related events. Admission ¥500 adults, ¥300 high-school students, ¥100 elementary school students; special exhibits cost extra.

• Nishi Honganji, (Nishi Honganji, a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station), ☎ 075-371-5181, www.hongwanji.or.jp/english. Open from 6 AM to 5 PM. One of Kyoto's World Heritage Sites. The "hair rope" is perhaps the most interesting site in the temple, as it is just that; an extremely thick rope made completely from human hair. Entrance is free.

• Higashi Honganji, (From Kyoto Station, Higashi Honganji is a five-minute walk), ☎ 075-371-9210, www.tomo-net.or.jp. The majestic main hall of Higashi Honganji, said to be the largest wooden structure in the world, can accommodate up to 5,000 people and is the headquarter of the Shinju Sect of Buddhism. Entrance is free.

• Shosei-en Garden, (Two blocks east of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple), ☎ 075-371-9210, www.tomo-net.or.jp/guide/syoseien.html. Also known as Kikoku-tei, Shosei-en Garden was commissioned by Prince Minamoto no Toru. He created the Ingetsu Pond was designed to look like the Shiogama coast in Miyagi Prefecture. During the Tokugawa Period the garden was given to Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, restoring the old sections and adding on to the garden.

Cherry blossoms at Tō-ji Temple

• Tō-ji Temple, www.toji.or.jp. Open 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Although its famed for its pagoda, the tallest in Japan, the other structures within the complex are equally impressive with surprisingly colorful interiors and a variety of precious Buddhist sculptures on display. The rest of the temple grounds are made up of a relaxing garden, with many cherry blossoms in the spring. It is also famous for its flea markets, held on the 21st of every month. Entrance fee: ¥500 (special exhibitions have separate fees).

• Kyoto Tower, (Just north of Kyoto Station), www.kyoto-tower.co.jp. Open from 9 AM to 9 PM. A sightseeing tower that provides views of Kyoto's urban sprawl. Entrance fee: ¥700.

• Bukkoji Temple, Shinkai-cho Shimogyo-ku, ☎ 075-341-3321, www.bukkoji.or.jp/english/index.html. A temple of Shin Buddhism established by Shinran.

• Mibudera Temple, ☎ 075-841-3381, www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp/mibu. 8 AM to 5:30 PM. This temple is most famous for its Setsubun celebration, particularly for the Mibu Kyogen performances on February second and third. During normal times, the temple and the garden/mound are not particularly exciting. The treasures housed are interesting and cheap to see. It is free to walk around the temple grounds, but the garden and treasures each cost ¥100 to see.

• Shinsen-en Garden, 167 Monzen-cho, Nakagyo-ku, ☎ 075-821-1466, www.shinsenen.org. Open from 9 AM to 10 PM. Although cherry blossom-viewing and festivals can be seen all over Japan today, Shinsen-en Garden is where the very first organized cherry blossom viewing festival took place. Admission is free.