Slow travel in Kyoto: a self-care Sunday for solo female travellers

Given that Kyoto is one of the most blogged about destinations, I wouldn’t even dare to give you another one of those ‘things to do in Kyoto’ type of articles. And since my blog focuses on slow and solo female travel anyway, I thought what better way to share my Kyoto experiences with you, then recommending doing a solo day trip. You see, a lot of people are intimidated by the thought of solo travelling, but even if you travel with friends or family, you can always do a solo day or half-day to test the waters, without going too far out of your comfort zone. On this occasion I was actually travelling to Japan with family, but after about a week, I felt like spending a day alone, and it was such a wholesome and relaxing day. So, I had a look around to see what could be a good thing to do on a self-care Sunday solo day trip in Kyoto. Spoiler alert, Kyoto may be one of the most perfect places to do something like this, lots of activities that you can choose from centred around wellness and self-development, and it is a very solo, female travel friendly location also.

But before we begin, download your free Travel Wellness Routine Builder — the same mindful toolkit I use to stay centred and connected while exploring new places. It’s filled with grounding rituals, gentle self-care practices, and simple routines for more ease on the road.

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So, as I’m sharing my day trip, may this be your sign to do something similar, and also not to take travelling too seriously. I think there is something I like to call the ‘travel pressure’, by which I mean feeling like you have to do and see everything in a certain place. Just to be clear, you don’t. If you want to sit with a cup of coffee the whole day and watch people pass by, instead of walking your legs off to see another cathedral or museum, then that’s the way to travel for you. There is no right or wrong. For example, some people may think that the way I spent my self-care day in Kyoto is silly because there is so much to do and see. But to them I just say, everyone does travelling differently. I do mine in a ‘slow and going with the flow most of the times’ way. This is how I ended up doing this self-care Sunday type of day in Kyoto and to be it was such a valuable way to spend my time. So, with no further chit-chat let me share my tips for slow travel day in Kyoto, Japan. 

I started my morning with gentle movement, a little stroll around the Kawaramachi Sanjo area, window shopping and browsing in some local shops. 

Then I headed to this very cute cafe with a view to a small, Japanese garden in the middle, called Master-piece Kyoto. I was searching for the prettiest cafes in Kyoto, and when this caffe came up I just knew this is where I wanted to relax on my slow-travel day. I had some breakfast and a nice matcha latte here, followed by some writing for this very blog. Just sitting in this caffe, enjoying the garden view, made me feel so grateful for the life and opportunities I have, it was the perfect spot for some self-reflection, right in the middle of my trip to Japan. 

After breakfast, I headed to a Japanese tea ceremony. I wanted to do one experience while in Kyoto, and I went with a tea ceremony because what says slow travel better, than enjoying tea. The ceremony was very insightful, and made me think about how rushed we do everything back home. While  I will stick to drinking my matcha with milk (they serve it with water in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies), slowing down a bit can be something I focus on when I return home.  

Attending a tea-ceremony was a perfect way to do slow travel

I got to make my own tea

Sitting down for an hour made want to explore the area a bit more. I was intentional with the location of the tea ceremony I picked, it was a very short walk away from one of the prettiest places in the area. So, my afternoon movement included walking around and admiring the autumnal colours of the Japanese garden that surrounds the Kinkaku-ji Zen temple. Even though it was busy, it still felt magical. 

Kyoto is autumn is magical

It was time for an afternoon snack, so I headed to another cool spot I found after a quick Google search:  Komugito. This little, kind of hidden gem is a cozy spot for a coffee or some food. I tried the apple and ginger soda and the sweet potato tart, which is kind of like a local dessert. It was delicious, wasn’t similar to anything I tried before, but it definitely settled my sweet tooth. This coffee shop has such good energy and atmosphere, I would definitely recommend taking a good book, ordering a nice drink or bite to eat and just relaxing.  It feels like home away from home, and sometimes that is all you need when you are exploring the other side of the globe. Perfect spot for a self-care Sunday afternoon too! 

Trying something new: sweet potato tart

And last, but not least: I did something that I know some people wouldn’t think of doing when on holiday, given it’s more like a maintenance activity, but I went to get my nails done! I actually like to do things like this on holiday because it makes me feel more like I am part of the everyday life wherever I am, rather than just being a tourist. I went with Sakura Nails and the ladies there were really lovely! I am not a massive make-up person, but I like to keep my nails nice and tidy, and I actually hadn’t had much time to get them done before, so it was about time. I was listening to a nice podcast while at the salon, and this felt like the perfect little addition to my already wholesome self-care Sunday. 

Of course, on the way home I had to pick up a face mask, because there is no self-care Sunday without trying a new face mask. Given how jet lagged my eyes looked the whole time, this felt like a necessary step that completed my solo self-care Sunday in Kyoto. 

I think the photos kind of speak for themselves when I tell you how much beauty and zen surrounded me that day. Kyoto is the perfect place for some slow travel, self-care days and I am glad I did a day solo while travelling with family. As I always say, if this day trip inspired you, cherry pick what resonated and feel encouraged to do something similar yourself, even if you’re not travelling anywhere currently. You can always do a self-care type of day or half-day close to where you live. It’s about the intention, not the location.