Hey there. The autumn leaves are now passing their peak in Kyoto so don't expect to see that. You know I went to Arashiyama the other day (first time in a while) and my advice is to get the bus straight to Otagi Nembutsuji (the bus going to Kiyotaki). It was my first time bothering to go up there and I'd now call it unmissable for a day in Arashiyama - especially if you like photography. From the entrance if you look to your right you'll see a tunnel, which is considered among the most haunted spots in Kyoto. From there you can take a very scenic walk back to central Arashiyama to see the other sights (following the path to the left of the temple entrance).

I also went back to Kinkakuji and Ryoanji for the first time in ages (I think that was after I first responded to you). It was a reminder that the Golden Pavilion itself is a big disappointment - less for the small temple and garden itself than for the ridiculous amount of tourists pushing in to you. Ryoanji was nicer than I remembered, though there are other nice, quieter temples with stone gardens.

I havent gone up to Kiyomizudera since the renovations began. I took a look at some recent pictures and it is still nice and probably worth a visit, but the scaffolding definitely takes a bit away from it.