Kyoto is the old capital of Japan. Perhaps that’s the reason for the charm it exudes. I would any day prefer Kyoto to the modern and bustling Tokyo. Not that Kyoto is any less crowded!

Jump to:

Getting to Kyoto

Shinkansen(bullet trains) is the best way to get to Kyoto from Tokyo. Most go to Osaka and stop at Kyoto. The rail pass covers Shinkansen. If you are a resident or don’t have a rail pass, you can find discounted Shinkansen tickets at JR Tokai tours called Puratto Kodama. The disadvantage to this type of ticket is that it’s not on the original Shinkansen but on Tokaido Shinkansen which is slightly slower but still super fast. You also need to book a few days in advance. There could also be sold out on the dates you want to go/return during high tourist season which is from Hanami to end of summer.

The next best alternative is a highway bus that takes 7 to 9 hours including overnight buses. The buses stick to a time schedule, have toilets on board, comfortable seats including recliner in the overnight bus, gender specific seats and are a fourth of the price of the Shinkansen. The buses depart/arrive from the Shinjuku terminal in Tokyo and from near the train station in Kyoto.

Top sights and itinerary

Kyoto is huge and is well connected. There are different trains servicing the different parts. However there’s always a good element of walk from any station to the attraction. The trains are almost always crowded even during weekends due to the high volume of tourists. The below sights are in the order we did them on our trip to Kyoto from Tokyo. We started on the morning of Day 1 from Tokyo and returned early evening on Day 2, both by Shinkansen.

We arrived at Dormy Inn near Kyoto station too early to check-in and left our bags at the reception before we went back to Kyoto station to take a train to our first attraction.

Fushimi Inari shrine

One of the most popular attractions of Kyoto, the lined up orange Toriis (gates) are a photographers dream. However the crowds aren’t! The Torii trail starts behind the main temple and leads to Mount Inari. We did not go as far the mount but saw the different kinds of toriis, some with the names of their donors. The shrine is dedicated to the Shinto God of rice. Miniature Torii gates make for good souvenirs. We used JR Nara line to get to Inari station, which is right across from the temple.

Kiyomizudera

This temple is famous for views of its stage and pagoda, waterfalls and colourful trees especially during the spring and fall.

Located in the very popular Higashiyama district this part of Kyoto is even more crowded. It’s a 20 minute walk from the Kiyomizu-Gojo station on the Keihan line. The walk is mostly uphill. The kids were bribed with a softy ice cream each for the uphill walk.

There are a lot of steps in this temple that has various levels. It starts with a walk up to see the bell tower followed by more steps up the hill for the protruding stage and the famed view over the pagoda and the city of Kyoto. As we make our way down there are three fountains fed by a waterfall. It is considered good luck to drink from one of the fountains each one signifying luck with success, fortune and love. It is considered greedy to drink from all three!

Sanenzaka

This lane with its steps on the either ends and the small lane that leads to the Hokan-ji temple and Yasaka Pagoda are the most photographed sights in Kyoto. Needless to say it is one of the most crowded places in Tokyo! However it is one of the most beautiful streets to wander. The wooden buildings, traditional Japanese shops and cafes have been serving tourists and pilgrims alike for centuries. Special effort has been taken to retain the old world charm of this district.

We walked down the Sanenzaka from the Kiyomizudera temple and continued to Yasaka shrine and boarded the train from Gion-Shijo. There was an Indian restaurant just across from the Yasaka shrine that we had our dinner in before boarding the train to return to our hotel. The staff had moved our bags to our room which I thought was a nice gesture.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

This is located in the western outskirts of Tokyo. This was our first stop on Day 2 after a nice breakfast. We took the JR Sagano line to Saga-Arashiyama. It was quite a bit of walk from the station to the bamboo forest. There are a lot of bamboos everywhere in Japan but nothing was as impressive as this. They stretched all the way up to the sky! The walk between the trees was spectacular. Due to the cloudy weather and the towering bamboo it was pretty dark in the forest.

The walk through the bamboo grove led us through the beautifully manicured Arashiyama Park and onto the Katsura River. There were pleasure boats available for taking a trip down the river. We decided against it as we had a lot to cover. The landscape would have been brilliant in the autumn.

On our way back to the train station we made a stop at Zarame Cotton candy store and got ourselves some gourmet cotton candy on a bamboo stick.

Kinkakuji

This is a zen temple whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf. Its position in the middle of a pond surrounded by beautiful landscape is picturesque. The path takes you around the golden temple and through its manicured gardens. Access to the temple was closed.

We used the JR Sagano line to get from Arashiyama to Emmachi station and then a bus to Kinkakuji.

Lunch was fried rice at a small cafe across the street from the entrance to Kinkakuji temple.

Nijo castle

Our last stop in Kyoto was the Nijo castle that is home to the former Shogun of Kyoto. It served as an imperial palace for a while before being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site and was open to the public. We took the bus from Kinkakuji to Emmachi station and then the train to Nijo station before walking over to the castle. Due to a late lunch and the time it took to get here we missed the last entry at 4pm and were able to view the castle only from the outside.

We then took walked back to the station and took the train back to Kyoto station where we picked up our suitcases and spent some time in the mall in the basement of Kyoto station before boarding our Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

Stay

We stayed at the Dormy Inn Premium Ekimae right across from Kyoto station (booked on booking.com). The rooms were small as was usual. Since our children were pretty young the four us were able to share a twin room. There was a gender separated Onsen in the 9th floor that only SC tried late in the evening when the rest of us were beaten. The room was well furnished and included bathrobe, slippers and a kettle. Our rate included breakfast.

Food

Vegetarian food was hard to come by. The easiest choice was Indian restaurants. Some other tourist friendly establishments were ready to make vegetarian food on request.

Getting around Kyoto

We purchased the 2 day travel pass that covered trains, subways and buses in Kyoto. It was good value for money and saved us time having to purchase individual tickets. Google maps are good for getting around with their information on public transport routes coming in very handy.