The old capital — a thousand years of temples, tea houses, and geiko districts folded into a city small enough to cross by bicycle. Dense with seasonal ritual: cherry blossoms in April, maples in November.
Wild Japanese macaques on top of a hill in Arashiyama. 500 yen entry. You climb up for 20–30 minutes, reach the open summit, and a troop of macaques is casually hanging around. You can feed them by hand from inside a protected structure. Panoramic view of Kyoto from the top is a bonus.
The Kyoto branch of Japan's largest secondhand anime/manga/collectibles chain. Cheaper finds than the Tokyo flagships because there's less tourist traffic — retro cards, figures, Dragon Ball and One Piece stock, all well-preserved.
A 25-minute ride on a restored open-sided vintage train that threads the Hozu River canyon between Arashiyama and Kameoka. Autumn is peak, with the maples reaching over the tracks. Don't take the train both ways — the 2-hour Hozu river cruise back is the better return.