Kyoto (Japan)
It was the capital of imperial Japan for more than a millennium, from 794 to 1868, and has long been regarded as the center of Japanese culture, religion and... gardening. This last item is not to be slighted; it is a craft that has been raised to a true art form in Japan and the esteemed and lovely Kyoto, home to close to 1.5 million people, is known in Japan as a “garden city." Another way to think of it is as the country's center of Zen, and with 2,000 temples and shrines, an air of tranquility pervades the place. Do visit the Arashiyama district just outside the urban center. Walk the ages-old Togetsukyo Bridge, and gaze upon Mount Arashi. Take a boat tour in the Hozu River through a wooded valley or a trip on the aptly named Sagano Romantic Train. Then repair to one of Kyoto's large or small hotels. For the well-heeled, perhaps this will be to the Tawaraya Ryokan. You don't feel, here, as though you're checking in—but visiting friends. Your room has futons and a soaking tub; some rooms open onto private gardens. It may just be the world's most peaceful hostelry.
Click here to read Away.com's Kyoto Travel Guide