Kyoto Imperial Castle Gardens – 京都御所
A few blocks from Nijo Castle sits the Imperial Palace. Stretching almost a kilometer, it offers a tranquil spot to get away from the streets of Kyoto. In order to get inside the palace, you’ll need to make a reservation, but anyone can walk into the gardens. We arrived just as the plum blossoms were in full bloom. These bloom just before the cherry blossoms, but to me were the more beautiful in their colors and diversity.
At this point we were soaked from walking around in the rain all morning. We headed back to our hotel to dry out and prepare to take the train down to Osaka for a lively evening.