Visit Nijo Palace - built by one of the Shoguns (Tokugawa Ieyasu) in 1601. It is worth visiting to see the gardens primarily. The tour of the interior rooms was very crowded and not particularly informative.

A short walk to the East, you will come to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. This was where the emperors lived before the Meiji restoration (1868 - when the Imperial family regained power from the Shoguns) and their move to Tokyo. You must pre-book a tour here!

Visit the nearby Soba restaurant (Honke Owariya) for a delicious noodle lunch to see photos of imperial history.

Walk the streets of Gion at night and you might spot some Geishas rushing around.