We’ve been in Kyoto for three days now, and the only thing that springs to mind in front of everything else is: we’re not here long enough. There’s so much to do here that you really need to spend at least a week here, especially if you’re going around the temples in a less than expedited fashion.

Even the train station is so large it needs at least half a day to explore properly, and is actually a great jumping off point for the subway line and JR train routes to outlying sites of interest (especially as you can pick up bento boxes or sandwiches from the many shops on the way to the ticket gate).

There’s plenty of shops, restaurants and bars in the city centre that cater for all tastes (including the obligatory Starbucks and McDonald’s); and you can even visit the Gion district if you’re curious about geisha’s (but don’t expect to get a look in unless you’re a rich Asian businessman).

The real reason why people come here though is for the many, many Shinto and Buddhist sites. From small local shrines to sprawling temple complexes, fine sculpted Japanese gardens and parks it will take you a week just to scratch the surface.

There’s only one snag though, and I’m afraid it’s the same everywhere we’ve been so far - there are far too many people around. It seems as though the Japanese like their world heritage sites just as much as (if not more than) foreign tourists, and by 2pm most places are completely packed with visitors. Schoolchildren seem to be out in force as well; almost every place we’ve been to so far has been teeming with youngsters out for day trips.

If you’re looking for the peace and tranquility most people logically associate with these ancient religious sites, then go after they close. All the tourist tack is shut, so you won’t be able to get an ice-cream or buy useless rubbish from souvenir shops, but at least you’ll have some peace and quiet to walk around in. And as they are usually well lit, they take on an atmosphere of whimsy which only adds to the experience…