Prince Hotel BlogsThough everyone wants to keep active, even on their holidays, when you are forced to choose between the treadmill and exploring the bustling city of Kyoto, it doesn’t take a psychic to guess what most people will choose. Though a number of hotels in Kyoto Japan have gym facilities within them, here are some activities that are more of a fun hybrid between tourism and exercise.
STUDIO BiNDU’s yoga sessions are a welcoming escape from any stress or commotion in your life – a place where you can become one with your body and mind, exercise your muscles that often go ignored, and expel the stresses of everyday life that are weighing you down. It doubles up as a work out and as a sort of spa-treatment, given how relaxed you are by the end of it. The studios are clean and bright, and all competence levels are welcomed and helped and challenged accordingly. Importantly for tourists, the yogi’s on site are able to switch between English and Japanese fluently to suit the audience preference, making it a soulful hub of connectivity and community.
Address: 76-11 Okazaki Tennocho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8335
Website: https://studiobindu.com/welcome
Kyoto has a number of wonderful bike routes which are equal parts physical exertion and spectacular site-seeing opportunities. In spite of what the songs may tell you about the number of bicycles in Beijing, Kyoto is often voted in public opinion polls as the best city in Asia to go cycling. What makes it particularly pleasant as a holiday activity (over cold-hard exercise) is the fact that by and large, the city is quite flat, meaning you will never find yourself stuck on a monumental uphill after taking a wrong turn.
The Kyoto Cycling Tour Project makes it easy to explore the city and provide all the equipment you will need – because even the most eager athletes probably haven’t brought their crash-helmet along in their carry-on! They are particularly useful because if you feel like you can make it around by yourself, you can simply rent a bike, but if you will end up lost in traffic if left to your own devices, rather than cruising past Kyoto Tower or breezing along the Kamo River, then you can get involved in a guided tour. These tours are private, meaning you can have a guide for just you and your travel companion without needing to be part of a tourism herd.
Address: 〒600-8235 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Higashiaburanokojicho, 552-13
Website: https://www.kctp.net/new/en/index.html
Top tip: A number of Kyoto’s hotels have their own bike-hiring facilities, including Kyoto’s Grand Prince Hotel. So, pick a route and get pedaling!
Everybody knows it is a cardinal sin to skip leg day, but you may well be tempted to do so when your options are exploring the lively city of Kyoto or getting some squats in. Well, this is nothing that a hardy pedal-boat can’t help you remedy – there really is never a situation where your only option is to spend your trip to Kyoto hobbled up in a gym (no matter how slick). It should set you back around ¥1000 to hire a boat for half an hour, which you can then peddle up and down Lake Biwa, the beautiful lake at the end of the Kamo River. Be sure to shop around a bit and see which rental looks best suited to you, as there are a number of places you can choose from.
On three of its sides, Kyoto is surrounded by absolutely beautiful mountains, meaning that a hike should definitely be on the cards if you are looking for a way to see the city’s natural beauty as well as burn some of the yakitori you devoured at dinner the night before. There are a few great options to choose from: Mt. Daimonji-yama Climb is good if you are trying to keep things short and city-focused, as it is an hour’s round trip and is essentially a trail from Ginkaku-ji Temple in Northern Higashiyama to a viewpoint from which you can see the whole of Kyoto spread before you like a postcard. The Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Pilgrimage Circuit will set you back around three hours in total, but is well-worth it if temple visits are on your Japanese Adventure agenda. You will see the Shinto Shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha in all its glory – and only those active enough to hike to it get the pleasure! Another fantastic option is Arashiyama, which is criminally easy given what absolutely beautiful sites you will see, which include: Monkey Park Iwatayama, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple.
If you are less into finding alternative ways of exercising and more about just fitting a healthy jog into your daily schedule, but are resistant to running on the spot, facing a wall on a treadmill, then get yourself to Tenryu-ji Temple for the kind of park run so beautiful that you forget the burn in your glutes. This zen temple and its surrounds makes for a truly picturesque run, where you can absorb Kyoto’s natural beauty at its most pristine. Fair warning where it is due: if you are running during cherry blossom season, you will probably just keep running and running so you get to see more of their beauty. We will not be held responsible for any of the aching muscles which this continuous running may cause (though a massage always hits the spot and is a perfect reward for being good and exercising whilst on a trip…!)
Address: 68 Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Website: http://www.tenryuji.com/en/
So, next time you want to keep to your workout schedule while on holiday, ditch the dumbbells and head for the lakes, parks and yoga studios instead. Not only is it just as good for you – if not better because you are getting some fresh air while you are at it – but it is also a lovely, refreshing way to see the city.
Japan is seldom uttered in the same sentence as “cheap”, the country embodying everything from futurism to ancient history. The capital city of Tokyo can be very expensive to enjoy a vacation in if you don’t know how to budget. On the other hand though, returning guests of the Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu will probably know […]