- Kyoto has no airport; arrive by bullet train from Tokyo or the Haruka express from Kansai
- Stay near Kyoto Station for transport or Downtown and Gion for atmosphere
- Visit the big sights at opening time or late in the day
- Spend at least three nights, plus a day trip to Nara
- Airports
- Osaka Kansai (KIX), Osaka Itami (ITM)
- Best time to go
- Late March-May and October-November
- Type
- City
Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years and escaped the bombing of the Second World War, so it still holds an extraordinary concentration of temples, shrines, gardens and wooden townhouses. Seventeen of its sites are listed together by UNESCO. It is also very popular, and the famous spots can be crowded, but a little timing goes a long way. For the bigger picture, see our Japan guide.
Where to stay
- Kyoto Station area – modern hotels, easy airport and bullet-train links and the main bus terminal. Practical rather than pretty.
- Downtown (Kawaramachi and Karasuma) – the best all-rounder, with Nishiki Market, restaurants and two rail lines.
- Gion and Higashiyama – the traditional heart of the city, with lantern-lit lanes, teahouses and temples on your doorstep. Pricier, and busy by day.
- Arashiyama – leafy and peaceful in the evenings, with riverside ryokan, but far from the other sights.
A night in a ryokan, a traditional inn with tatami rooms and a multi-course kaiseki dinner, is worth the splurge. Kyoto charges a nightly accommodation tax that rose in 2026 and scales with the room rate, usually added to your bill.
Things to do
- Fushimi Inari Shrine – thousands of vermilion torii gates winding up a wooded mountain. Free and open all day and night.
- Kiyomizu-dera – a hillside temple with a huge wooden terrace and city views, reached through the old lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka.
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) – a gold-leaf pavilion reflected in its pond.
- Arashiyama – the bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji temple's garden and monkeys on the hill. Arrive by 8am.
- Gion – walk Hanamikoji and Shirakawa in the early evening. Some private lanes are now closed to tourists, and photographing geiko and maiko without permission is not allowed.
- Nishiki Market – a covered food street for pickles, skewers and matcha sweets.
- Nara day trip – the giant Buddha of Todai-ji and the deer park are under an hour away by train.
Getting there and around
From Tokyo, the Nozomi bullet train takes about two hours fifteen minutes. If you have flown into Osaka Kansai (KIX), the JR Haruka limited express reaches Kyoto Station in about 75-80 minutes. Many UK travellers fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka to avoid backtracking.
City buses reach most temples but get very crowded; the subway, the JR and Keihan lines and a lot of walking are often quicker. Hiring a bicycle works well on the flat central grid. A Suica or ICOCA card covers buses, trains and subways. Forward big suitcases rather than taking them on buses.
When to go
Spring cherry blossom (late March to early April) and autumn leaves (mid-November to early December) are spectacular but very busy, so book hotels months ahead. May and October are pleasant and slightly calmer. Summer is hot and humid, and the Gion Matsuri festival fills July. Winter is cold but quiet, and the temples look wonderful under the occasional dusting of snow.
Top attractions in Kyoto
Kyoto on the map
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Kyoto?
Three full days covers the main sights at a reasonable pace. A fourth allows a day trip to Nara or a slower day in Arashiyama.
How do you avoid the crowds in Kyoto?
Visit headline sights at opening time or late in the afternoon, stay overnight rather than day-tripping from Osaka, and explore lesser-known temples in the north and east of the city.
Is Kyoto worth it if I only have a week in Japan?
Yes. Split the week between Tokyo and Kyoto, with four nights in one and three in the other, for a good contrast of modern and traditional Japan.
Written by
Anna Beach, family & practical travel editor
Anna knows which beach has shade at 3pm and which car hire excess is a rip-off. She covers sun, islands, family trips and practical travel tips.
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