Philosopher's Path & Northern Higashiyama — Silver Pavilion, a Canal Walk & Zen Temples

The northernmost starting point. Despite the name "Silver Pavilion," it was never actually coated in silver — its charm lies in restrained Zen beauty: the white sand cone known as the "Sea of Silver Sand," a moss garden, and a hillside path that opens onto a view across all of Kyoto's rooftops.

The lifeline of this district — a roughly 2-kilometre stone walkway following a small canal, named after the philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who liked to walk it each morning while he thought. Hundreds of cherry trees line both sides; it's at its loveliest in cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf season, but the other seasons are every bit as shaded and peaceful.

A grand Zen temple at the southern end of the canal. The highlights are the enormous wooden Sanmon gate (built in 1628 by the Tokugawa family — you can climb it for a view over the city) and the Meiji-era Suirokaku brick aqueduct, which carried water from Lake Biwa — a photo spot that looks nothing like Japan.

Kyoto locals have long said "for momiji (autumn leaves), it has to be Eikan-do" — this is one of the city's premier autumn-leaf temples, with thousands of maples around a pond and a hilltop pagoda. At peak it lights up in the evening (light-up), so stunning you'll queue to get in. It's just a few minutes' walk from Nanzen-ji.

Built in 1895 to mark 1,100 years since Kyoto became the capital, its bright orange-and-green halls are a scaled-down replica of the ancient Heian Palace. The highlight is the giant orange torii gate, roughly 24 metres tall — one of the tallest in Japan — and the Japanese garden behind, beautiful in every season.

Two extra stops that round out the route — Honen-in, tucked away behind the early stretch of the canal, with a thatched gateway and two cones of raked sand so quiet you'll barely see another tourist · the Okazaki district near Heian Shrine, home to the municipal art museum, galleries, and Kyoto's zoo — a relaxed way to finish the day.