Kyoto for first timers + Nara

Empty Japan - (Empty.Japan)
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Empty Japan
What you’ll do

This itinerary includes absolutely stunning and beautiful locations (including tips and tricks on how to experience them in the best way possible) that I think absolutely everyone has to see.

Perfect itinerary for those who plan to visit Kyoto for their first time or if you've been already but only for a short period of time and visited only the most famous spots such as such as Golden Temple, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera which by the way I did not include in this itinerary, because almost everyone knows about them.

And of course if you've been following my Instagram for long enough, you know that these itineraries include absolutely delicious restaurants and cafes where you can try out some of the best dishes of local cuisine.

Travel time (from Kyoto Station):

Day 1 - 40 min (subway + bus) or 30 min by car

Day 2 - 30 min (train) or 30 min by car

Day 3 - 35 min (train) or 35 min by car

Day 4 - 40 min (train) or 50 min by car

  • All of the locations are accessible by public transport.

  • Mentioned travel time is approximate and may vary depending on your departure time and traffic conditions.

  • If you plan to spend less than 4 days in Kyoto, choose those day trips that you are interested in the most.

  • These day trips are not interconnected and may be experienced in any order

1

About this day trip (Higashiyama)
About this day trip (Higashiyama)
About this day trip
Kategorie
Besichtigung

6 m (0 mi)

2

How to get there (Higashiyama)
How to get there (Higashiyama)
How to get there
Kategorie
öffentlicher Verkehr
Est. Price
$
Transporttyp
other

5 m (0 mi)

3

Higashiyama Jisho-ji / Silver Temple
Higashiyama Jisho-ji / Silver Temple
Iconic Temple
Kategorie
Kultur
Est. Price
500 ¥

10 m (0 mi)

4

Hi kaki hi Matsubaya
Hi kaki hi Matsubaya
Ultra delicious creampuffs
Kategorie
Cafe
Est. Price
400 ¥

65 m (0 mi)

5

Miyoneshi Fumiya
Miyoneshi Fumiya
Top Handmade Onigiri restaurant
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
500 ¥

534 m (0,3 mi)

2 Min.

6

Hōnen-in Temple
Hōnen-in Temple
Peaceful and quiet Temple
Kategorie
Besichtigung

539 m (0,3 mi)

2 Min.

7

Philosopher's Path
Philosopher's Path
Beautiful iconic Alley of Kyoto
Kategorie
Besichtigung

1,3 km (0,8 mi)

4 Min.

8

Ōtoyo Shrine
Ōtoyo Shrine
The cutest Shrine in Kyoto
Kategorie
Kultur

846 m (0,5 mi)

4 Min.

9

BREIZH Café Crêperie Kyoto
BREIZH Café Crêperie Kyoto
French-style crepes in Kyoto
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
1.500 ¥

598 m (0,4 mi)

2 Min.

10

Eikan-dō (Zenrin-ji) Temple
Eikan-dō (Zenrin-ji) Temple
Impressive Buddhist Temple
Kategorie
Kultur
Est. Price
600 ¥

496 m (0,3 mi)

2 Min.

11

大力邸 / Tairikitei
大力邸 / Tairikitei
Traditional Dining retreat (Wagyu)
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
2.000 ¥

127 m (0,1 mi)

12

Nanzen-ji Sanmon Gate
Nanzen-ji Sanmon Gate
Majestic Sanmon Gate
Kategorie
Besichtigung
Est. Price
500 ¥

379 m (0,2 mi)

1 Min.

13

Nanzen-ji Hatto
Nanzen-ji Hatto
Grand Hall
Kategorie
Besichtigung
14

Nanzen-ji Temple
Nanzen-ji Temple
Must-visit Temple with Matcha experience
Kategorie
Kultur
Est. Price
600 ¥
15

Suirokaku
Suirokaku
Unusual sight in Kyoto
Kategorie
Besichtigung

1,4 km (0,9 mi)

6 Min.

16

Nanzen-ji Tenju-an
Nanzen-ji Tenju-an
Garden Masterpiece
Kategorie
Besichtigung
Est. Price
500 ¥

200 m (0,1 mi)

2 Min.

17

Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee
Delicious coffee
Kategorie
Cafe
Est. Price
600 ¥

236 m (0,1 mi)

1 Min.

18

Keage Incline
Keage Incline
Beautiful Sakura spot
Kategorie
Besichtigung

2,5 km (1,5 mi)

9 Min.

19

Notes for the evening in Kyoto
Notes for the evening in Kyoto
Kyoto evening
Kategorie
Besichtigung
20

Pontocho
Pontocho
Lively Japanese dining district
Kategorie
Besichtigung
21

Kamogawa riverside
Kamogawa riverside
Beautiful riverside walk
Kategorie
Besichtigung

1,5 km (0,9 mi)

6 Min.

22

Yasaka-jinja Shrine
Yasaka-jinja Shrine
Spiritual Kyoto Gem
Kategorie
Kultur

1,1 km (0,7 mi)

5 Min.

Next one is the list of my favorite restaurants (that could I could not fit in the main route), so that you could have a wider choice of foodies.

23

Dieser ist optional

Gion Sushi Tadayasu
Gion Sushi Tadayasu
Favorite Sushi restaurant
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
20.000 ¥
MoriMori Sushi Shijo Kawaramachi Branch
MoriMori Sushi Shijo Kawaramachi Branch
Kaiten Sushi restaurant
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
$$
Restauranttyp
Sushi
Din Tai Fung Takashimaya Kyoto Restaurant
Din Tai Fung Takashimaya Kyoto Restaurant
Famous Taiwanese dumplings
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
2.500 ¥
Ichibakoji
Ichibakoji
Delicious Yakiniku restaurant
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
5.000 ¥
Gion Karoku
Gion Karoku
Top Yakiniku restaurant in Kyoto
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
13.000 ¥
The SODOH
The SODOH
Top fusion restaurant in Kyoto
Kategorie
Restaurant
Est. Price
6.000 ¥

1,5 km (1 mi)

8 Min.

For this day trip, I recommend staying in one of the hotels in Kyoto where I personally enjoyed my stay the most. These hotels are listed as the next locations on this itinerary (three of them are listed here). If, for any reason, you are unable to book any of these three hotels, you can find my other hotel recommendations (which are equally great) on my map or under the "things to do" list by selecting the option to show only hotels. All of my recommended hotels cater to a wide variety of preferences for every type of traveler, including different budget ranges, modern or traditional options, and more. They are especially perfect, considering their location right in the heart of Kyoto and their convenience for one-day trips (due to their 5-minute walking distance to either Subway or JR stations).

24

Dieser ist optional

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji
Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji
Modern hotel in the heart of Kyoto
Kategorie
Hotel

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