A geisha turns heads in Kyoto's historic centre

A bustling city of 1.5 million people, Kyoto is also the cultural heart of Japan.

The city's historic centre with its quaint bridges, exclusive craft shops, Buddhist temples and extravagant gardens give awestruck visitors the impression that not much has changed since it was Japan's imperial capital.

In the Gion district, perfectly-poised geisha entertain wealthy men in 17th century teahouses. At sunset, visitors can spot camera-shy maiko (apprentice geisha) tottering down narrow alleyways lined with hanging lanterns and traditional wooden buildings. Geisha tours are popular with travellers and many Japanese and Western women pay no small fee to have a costume studio transform them into a geisha for an afternoon.

Kyoto has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, hundreds of Shinto shrines and almost 2,000 Buddhist temples. Kiyomizu-dera is the most visited temple complex and its grounds boast superb forested walking trails and waterfalls.

Further afield, the Kinkaku-ji or Golden Temple is one of Japan's most photographed sites, while the tranquil Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine complex has a hiking path that winds 4km up the mountain through rows of bright red torii gates.