Best guide book for Kyoto?
 

Can anyone tell me which guide book would be the best for Kyoto. I intend to spend about a week there, and go on 1 or 2 day-trips.

We quite like the Frommers series. Even after living 11 years in Japan it still has good information for us. The Fodors series are also OK. There are so many guidebooks though, and their styles and what they focus on tends to be so different - a book that one person likes might not be liked by someone else. Maybe take a trip to a big bookstore or travel bookstore and browse through some.

"Gateway to Japan" by June Kinoshita and Nicholas Palevsky has no rival.

But if you are seriously into temple architecture, the classic text is
"Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide," by Gouverneur Mosher,

As always, my vote (for any area of Japan) goes to Gateway to Japan. It's like having a whole shelf full of books on all aspects of Japan with you.

I like Clancey's "Exploring Kyoto: On Foot in the Ancient Capitol"

No pictures. Serious and good text on every site and area of the city. HIstorical text is incredible in this book. See the many reviews on amazon.com as they really describe both the pros and cons of this book. No one book on Kyoto does it all, but this one is the one I use as I am walking around the city viewing sites, exploring areas, etc. A big strength of the book is the sections on outlying areas, like Ohara, Kibune and Kurmam, areas south of the city that are filled w/sake warehouses and sites most people don't know exist because other guides do not talk about them and little info is available online about them unless you already know about them and search by specific names.

I like DK's Japan book for the pictures and in depth descriptions but I only take Clancy's book (and several maps) when I am going around the city. It is small and lightweight also.

That should be Kurama.

Diane Durston's <i><b>Seven Paths to the Heart of the City</b></i> is not only my favorite Kyoto guide, but one of my very favorite travel books, period.

The book describes in detail, including wonderful photos and maps, seven walking excursions in Kyoto and its environs. This isn't a guide in the traditional sense of listing information about hotels and restaurants and how to use the subway. But it serves as required both before Kyoto and as a wonderful reminder years later of where you've been.

In addition to some of those mentioned above, I used Kyoto, A Cultural Guide by John and Phyllis Martin on my recent trip. This book goes into a lot of detail about the various sites which came in handy as most places have little or no English signage. Plus I must say that I removed/tore the Kyoto section out of Gateway to Japan as the book was too large and heavy to carry with me....

You might also want to check the Japan National Tourist Board (JNTO) website for information. I printed out the &quot;Kyoto Walks&quot; pages, and found them incredibly valuable as we wandered around. They had better maps than the big guidebooks for walking tours of different areas around the city.