No trip to Japan is complete without taking the bullet train over to Kyoto! While there is a bit of city in Kyoto, it will be nothing like the bright lights you’ll find in Tokyo and even Osaka (blog post coming soon!) some people say it’s the true Japan!
Getting to Kyoto
I already mentioned these tips in my Tokyo blog post, but here they are again for those who may be reading this for the first time! The cost of the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Kyoto was US$140 each way making the round trip ticket US$280 each! You do have the option to take the bus but that takes much longer (about 8-9 hours), where the bullet train is just over 2 hours each way.
You can purchase a ticket at the station at the JR kiosk with cash (the kiosk doesn’t take credit cards) or wait in line for an agent if you want to pay by card. Beware, the lines at the JR office can be long and the agents at the desk do not speak much English, very strange when so many tourist use the JR line. There are trains leaving every 15-20 minutes from Tokyo to Kyoto, most having just 3 stops or less so no need to rush to the station. You do not need to buy a ticket for a reserved seat, we bought non-reserved and were able to sit together, just arrive at the platform early to stand in line to claim your spot. Buy a JR pass if you are planning to visit more than one city in Japan, it will be worth it! Read more about the JR pass in my Tokyo blog post.
Getting around Kyoto
Similar to Tokyo, taxis were expensive but convenient, local trains and buses were cheaper but took longer and were confusing. Unlike Tokyo Uber wasn’t available either. Pack your patience and walking shoes!
Your taxi driver will also most likely not speak English and even when you show him the location on Google maps, most are confused on where you’d like to go. Note, the taxi doors open and close on their own, do not try to open or close the door yourself, just leave them alone.
Weather in Kyoto
If you are visiting during the spring time, Kyoto will be cold! It was significantly colder than Tokyo, particularly in the early mornings and night time. As always, things will heat up by mid-day so be sure to wear layers.
Where to stay in Kyoto
When looking for an area to stay in Kyoto many people recommended Ginza. I honestly couldn’t really find much there within our price range so I decided to stay in the heart of the city about 10 minutes away, just across the bridge. Our stay at Unizo Inn was comfortable, economical and just a few minutes’ walk from every major train station. Unizo Inn was next to all major department stores, had a convenience store next door, restaurant downstairs, and currency exchange (opens at 11am) on the same block. You really can’t be more centrally located than this! My only issue was that the front desk agents didn’t speak much English which meant asking questions was just not an option.
Where to eat in Kyoto
Sorry I don’t have many recommendations here but I really struggled to find good food in Kyoto, there were days I didn’t eat more than 1 meal! The only thing I enjoyed was the Shinshindo Sanjo Kawaramachi French bakery down the street which I didn’t discover until my last day there. Go here for a good breakfast and be prepared to wait. You can also get a few pastries to go which were just delicious, checkout my Instagram stories to see more.
If you can, try to get into Ippudo, for some amazing Ramen, but beware, the line is usually down the street making the wait at least an hour!
You can also checkout the Nishiki Market for street food and try a few bites. There’s also plenty of shopping here where you can pick up a Kimono or souvenirs. This is also right next to the Unizo Inn!
If you’re looking to eat economically (under ¥500) checkout a local convenient store, there are plenty of them in the city and one right next door to Unizo Inn. You’ll find great eats for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We ate here one night after waiting too long to decide on dinner, most places in the city stop serving around 9pm! For a food tour alongside a local checkout Eat With or Airbnb Experiences.
Things to Do in Kyoto
Fuji Inari Shrine
One of the most iconic places to visit in Japan is the Fuji Inari Shrine, located about an hour away from Kyoto by train this shrine is free to enter and open 24 hours. We left the hotel just before 7am to beat the crowds, like any major attraction in Japan this place gets packed quickly! Use Google Maps to find the best route there, once you get off the train, turn left and follow the pathway straight up the hill.
The walk will take you about 10 minutes to get to the entrance of the shrine. Don’t forget your comfortable shoes for this trek, if you want to go all the way to the top it will be about 12,000 steps!
Do not bring strollers and do not attempt to walk all the way up to the top unless you are physically fit, the hike is just under an hour each way.
It may seem a bit crowded at the entrance with everyone rushing to get a shot but wait to take your photos, the higher you climb up the stairs the less people you’ll find. Checkout my Instagram stories for more!
On your way down stop at one of the many food vendors, they start opening around 9am and serve everything from meat buns to ice cream.
Take a walk through Gion
Most people visit Gion to try to spot a Geisha coming out of one of the many tea houses. We did visit at night and spotted one, it was a bit strange to see all the tourist lurking with their cameras like paparazzi just to catch a shot of the Geisha but I’m glad we were lucky enough to spot one! My favorite part of Gion was strolling alongside the Shirakawa River, it was truly beautiful during Cherry blossom season and a must do when visiting. The night we went it was really cold and windy so we didn’t stay long but there’s plenty of restaurants within the area where you can sit waterside. Be sure to make reservations well in advance, things fill up very quickly.
Toji Temple
During Cherry Blossom season many temples are open at night, Toji Temple is one of them that I would highly recommend visiting after the sun goes down.
The blossoms are lit up beautifully along with the temple that just glows in the middle. We visited just before closing at 8:30pm to beat the crowds, entrance was ¥300.
Visit Arashiyama
Getting to Arashiyama is very easy once you take the Randen Historic Train from Shijo-Omiya Station. Use Google maps to find the best route to the Shijo-Omiya Station, you will also love the views from this over ground train going through villages.
The nice thing about visiting this town is that you can spend a whole day walking (or renting a bike) through temples, eating and enjoying the beautiful scenery. There’s so much to do here I recommend you plan out your day in advance, you can easily get lost trying to find shrines and run out of time. Here’s a few things we did to help guide you.
Bamboo Forest
The main reason most people come to this city is for the Bamboo Forest! Once you get off the train make a right turn and continue walking up the road, you will see a few signs to direct you and after about 10 minutes the entrance will be on your left side.
Before coming here I really thought this was a large forest but really it’s just a short lane lined with tall Bamboo. I’m not trying to say it wasn’t spectacular, because it was pretty fascinating but the whole place wasn’t as large as I expected. If you’re looking to take the iconic shot in the groves come early, I’m talking around 7am or earlier. Even then you might be met with someone who has propped up their tripod and will be unwilling to move. Fights between people for that perfect Instagram shot are all too common these days! The grove is also free to enter and open 24 hours.
When you get to the end of the bamboo forest you’ll notice a beautiful garden towards the left, take some time to walk through and enjoy the scenery, there are also a few hiking paths that you can go exploring.
Visit temples in the area
There are so many temples to visit in Arashiyama, some very hard to find! Most of them don’t open until 9am so if you go to the Bamboo Forest early you will have to wait.
Tenriyuji Temple and the Sogenchi gardens cost ¥500, you can pay an additional ¥300 to enter the buildings. We only went through the gardens since the buildings were still closed. There is also a Michelin star restaurant called Shigetsu within the grounds if you want to stop for lunch, note Michelin star restaurants are typically very pricy!
One of my favorite temples in Arashiyama was the lesser known Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji hosting 1200 Buddha statues. The temple opens at 8am and cost ¥300 to enter, fortunately there were no crowds when we arrived around 11am, this place is still a hidden gem!
Getting here is easy via taxi, we caught one from the train station and it took 10 minutes for ¥ 1010. You can also take the local bus (94) which stops at all the main sites for a flat rate of ¥230.
Checkout the waterfront
One of my favorite parts of Arashiyama was the beautiful waterfront next to the bridge, with the mountain backdrop, it was magnificent! Just walk towards the left from the train station and you will run into it.
While you’re there stop at % Arabica coffee for a lovely cup of coffee and sit outside to enjoy the view. Beware of a line outside (like everywhere else that’s good in Japan), this place gets very busy!
Coast down the river
Hozugawa River was originally used to transport logs that were used to build many of Kyoto and Osaka’s famous temples and castles. We didn’t have time to do this since the tour takes about 2 hours. If you’re looking to sit back, relax and just cruise down the beautiful Hozugawa River certainly add this to your list! Note, this tour doesn’t start in Arashiyama, you will need to catch it in Kameoka, use Google Maps to navigate yourself here.
Take a Rickshaw ride
When I first saw the Rickshaws zooming by I was completely stunned! I couldn’t believe these guys were physically pulling people around the city. We didn’t have a chance to take one but you can hire a Rickshaw for just a few hours and they will take you to all the hot spots in the city, customize a tour for you and be your personal photographer for the day!
Things I missed
There’s just so much to do in Kyoto, even though we spent four days there it was really hard to do everything on my list. Most mornings we were heading out early to beat the crowds and by the afternoon were taking a nap to recoup from it all. A few places we just couldn’t make it include the Golden temple (Kinkaku-Ji), Silver Temple next door. Go early or in the late evening to beat the crowds, these places are known to get very busy.
The Hōkanji Temple in the Higashiyama District is probably another very popular place to visit, you’ve probably seen this place featured in many Instagram shots! The Sannen-Zaka is a street on a hill lined with souvenir stalls & traditional Japanese architecture, another busy but great place to visit.
Kyoto was the place we spent the most amount of time, and for good reason, there’s so much to do! Try to plan out your days as much as possible, bring your walking shoes and get ready to see what this place has to offer. See more of my trip on my Instagram stories!
