Travel Guide to Kyoto, Japan

Region: Asia · Budget: Mid-range · Flight from UK: 12 hours + train · Best months: March to May, October to November

Kyoto was Japan's capital for over 1,000 years and survived World War II almost entirely undamaged — which means the city you walk through still has 1,600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, the imperial palace and entire wooden geisha districts almost as they were two centuries ago. From the UK you'll fly into Tokyo (14 hours), then a 2h15 bullet train to Kyoto. The city is geographically small but culturally dense — three full days hits the headlines, four lets you slow down with the lesser-known temples in the northern hills. The single biggest mistake first-timers make is trying to see ten temples a day; pick three or four and actually sit with them. Cycling is the local way to get around — flat city, dedicated lanes, hire shops everywhere. Cash is still useful for small temples and traditional restaurants. Tattoos are still banned in many traditional onsen — check before booking a spa day.

Budget breakdown (per day, GBP)

Stay £33–£61 · Food £14–£25 · Activities £8–£19 · Total £55–£105

Best time to visit

Late March–early April for cherry blossom (book 4–6 months ahead, expect double pricing) and mid-November for the spectacular autumn maples. May and October are the quietest sweet spots with mild weather. July–August are hot and humid (30–35°C). Avoid Golden Week (29 April–5 May) when domestic tourists fill every accommodation.

Weather overview

Four sharp seasons, similar to Tokyo but slightly cooler in summer (the city sits in a basin which traps heat — 35°C summer days are common) and slightly colder in winter. Rainy season is mid-June to mid-July. Pack light layers and an umbrella in shoulder seasons.

Suggested trip length

1 Week

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Kyoto, drop bags at your accommodation and take a slow orientation walk through the centre to get your bearings before the jet lag hits. Grab an early dinner near your hotel — somewhere you can walk back from in five minutes — and have an early night to reset your body clock. If you've still got energy in the evening: Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Day 2: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in the morning while you're fresh and the light is good for photos, followed by a long local lunch somewhere off the main tourist drag. Afternoon: explore a neighbourhood you haven't seen yet on foot, stopping for a coffee or a drink whenever you find a spot that looks right.
Day 3: Kinkaku-ji — book any tickets in advance online to skip the queues, which can easily eat 90 minutes in peak season. Afternoon: a slower café-and-shops loop in a different part of town, then dinner somewhere recommended by your accommodation hosts rather than a top-10 list.
Day 4: Tea ceremony. Use the second half of the day for any souvenirs or gifts to take home, and try a restaurant outside the main tourist strip — typically 30–40% cheaper for noticeably better food. End the day somewhere with a view, sunset is usually the best free attraction in any city.
Day 5: Day trip out of Kyoto — a coastal town, mountain village, vineyard region or nearby city is usually under an hour by train, bus or ferry and gives you a completely different angle on Japan. Pack light, leave early, and aim to be back for a relaxed dinner.
Day 6–7: Revisit your favourite spot from earlier in the week now that you know your way around, slow down with a long lunch, and pick up anything you missed on the first pass. Use the final morning for a quiet breakfast and a final wander before heading to the airport — leave at least 3 hours' buffer for international flights.

Things to do in Kyoto

Fushimi Inari shrine at dawn (6am) — walk through the 10,000 vermilion torii gates without crowds; takes 2 hours to do the full mountain loop.
Arashiyama bamboo grove — go early (before 8am) to actually hear the bamboo, then visit Tenryuji temple before the coach groups arrive.
Spend an unhurried morning at Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), then walk down to Ryoan-ji for the most famous Zen rock garden.
Stroll Higashiyama district — narrow stone-paved lanes leading up to Kiyomizu-dera; touristy but spectacular at golden hour.
Tea ceremony in a traditional machiya house (book through Camellia or En) — about £35 for a proper one-hour experience.
Walk Pontocho alley and Gion in the evening — slim wooden lantern-lit streets with traditional restaurants and (rarely) glimpses of geiko hurrying between appointments.
Spend a day in Northern Higashiyama — Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) and the Philosopher's Path — much quieter than the southern temples.
Day trip to Nara by train (45 minutes) — Todai-ji's giant bronze Buddha and the bowing deer of Nara Park.

Best areas to stay in Kyoto

Around Kyoto Station / Karasuma — easiest for arrivals, brilliant access to bullet trains, mid-range and upper hotels.
Gion / Higashiyama — atmospheric, traditional ryokan and machiya stays, walking distance to Pontocho and the Higashiyama temples.
Downtown (around Shijo / Kawaramachi) — restaurants, shopping, the food markets, central for buses to all temples.
Arashiyama — beautiful, riverside, but a 25-minute train back to the centre at night; ideal for a one-night ryokan splurge.
Avoid generic business hotels far from a subway — Kyoto's bus network is busy and the trains are limited.

Transport tips

From Kansai International Airport (KIX): the Haruka Express train to Kyoto Station takes 75 minutes for ¥3,640 (book online for ¥2,200 ICOCA-Haruka discount).
From Tokyo: Shinkansen Nozomi to Kyoto in 2h15. JR Pass holders need to take Hikari (~2h45) instead.
Get an ICOCA card on arrival — works on subway, JR, private rail and at convenience stores.
Bus is more useful than train for getting between temples (the Kyoto City Bus Day Pass is ¥700) — but rush-hour buses get packed.
Hire a bicycle for a day (¥1,000–1,500) — Kyoto is largely flat and bike-friendly, the locals' default.

Safety tips

Kyoto is extremely safe — petty crime is rare and tourists generally have no issues.
Photography of geiko (geishas) is now banned in private streets of Gion — fines apply, and the rule is widely enforced.
Many temples and traditional restaurants have a 'no shoes' rule — wear easy-on-off footwear.
Tattoos visible at onsen (hot springs) can get you turned away — check the venue's rules or use a tattoo cover-up.
Cash culture: many smaller temples, tea houses and traditional restaurants don't accept cards; carry ¥10,000 on you.

Visa & entry requirements (UK travellers)

Visa-free up to 90 days for UK passport holders.