We are nearing the end of our Japan excursion, which meant it was time to leave the beautiful town of Kyoto. I never knew what to expect in Kyoto, but it sure exceeded any expectations. I could explore this town every day and still not see everything that it has to offer. It’s a definite must-do if you find yourself in Japan!

We started our day by heading to the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden which is near the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Since spring is just starting here in Japan, the garden wasn’t too exciting, but it sure was calm and quiet, with the occasional passersby. We decided to save our time and head over to the Nijo-Jo Castle, a former imperial villa. It was built in the 1600s and is now a World Heritage Site. It was nice to see that some of the site is undergoing renovations to help preserve more of the history – this place was immaculate.

After we walked around for a good hour, we opted to spend the rest of our afternoon in Kyoto at the Nishiki Market. Here, locals and tourists commingle, buying everything from tea cups to squid-on-a-stick. Our mission here was to eat enough food to satisfy a “lunch” equivalent. My husband got shrimp skewers, squid heads, and sushi. I opted for Kobe beef-on-stick and a smoothie (finally). We found a Vegan burger joint for lunch (I’m not Vegan; my husband is) before heading back to the hotel to grab our luggage for our trek back to Tokyo via bullet train.

At Kyoto Station, we hopped into line to buy our tickets for the evening trip. This time, we used the automated machines instead of buying them at the window. We finally got our tickets in English so we knew where we were actually heading – which made the transit WAY smoother than on the first part of the trip.

After what seemed like a short trek from Kyoto Station (2hr), we piled into Tokyo Station amongst the sea of people who were milling about everywhere. We eventually made our way out of the jungle of Tokyo Station, carrying our luggage up too many stairs only to arrive at the most luxurious Uber ride with our driver in a three-piece suit and white gloves again. I’ll tell you what – Uber in the USA needs to take notes from Uber in Japan! It is so drastic and so much better here in Japan for Uber. The cars are spotless clean, drivers who help with luggage, and cars that don’t smell like a recent joint. If you’ve been in an Uber ride in the States, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Our final hotel for this trip lands us with a gorgeous harbor view of Tokyo Bay. I couldn’t ask for a better view! Today, we did it all – from the quiet serene nature views to the vibrant city night life. Life is what you make it – so enjoy the journey wherever it takes you!