Originally Posted by
OliverB
Also, for the sake of learning from my mistake... are there any other significant sights in Kyoto that you would recommend I make an appointment to visit ASAP for fear of the same outcome?
There are a couple of other imperial villas worth seeing that also require reservations. But they are generally booked as quickly as Katsura unfortunately. Also Saihoji (or Kokedera), a temple very famous for its moss garden requires reservations. But they are usually available even with relatively short notice.