Ryōan-ji

Fifteen rocks set in small groups on patches of moss, in a rectangle of raked pebbles: Japan's most famous rock garden only works if you can sit on the veranda and look at it quietly. That is far easier early in the morning, when the crowds are usually smaller than later in the day. Doors open at 8:00 from March to November, an hour before Kinkaku-ji, so come here first and give the garden time while it is calm. The two temples are a short bus ride or a 20-minute walk apart, close enough to pair in one morning.