Japan City Guides: Kyoto Travel Guide

Kyoto Guide 京都

Kyoto Attractions | Kyoto Areas | Getting Around Kyoto

Kyoto population: 1.4 million.
having once been Japan's ancient capital makes Kyoto a must-see and a great base for exploring Nara, Osaka & Kobe.
historical and cultural wellspring with thousands of serene temples, gardens and shrines. 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
traditional elegance and picturesque setting with the city nestled in forested hills.
home to the Japanese imperial family from 794 (the Heian period) to 1868.
spared bombing during WW II, 1000s of wooden buildings.
great food and shopping - plus geisha, castles and palaces.
The Kyoto Protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change signed here in 1997

Looking for a Kyoto travel guide?

Being the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto is a paradise full of marvellous remnants of its former glory. Ancient temples, exquisite gardens and shrines are just a few of the many attractions that the city has to offer. What you will find in our Kyoto travel guide would be of immense value to the traveller who seeks to have a memorable time in fascinating Kyoto. Our Kyoto guide will offer you upto date and useful information on all that is relevant in the city of Kyoto.

Your Kyoto guide for the day

Searching for the best restaurants in Kyoto? How about a guided tour with an actual Kyoto guide? Or maybe you are just looking for the best hotels and other accommodation options in the city. All this information is accessible in our Kyoto travel guide that is fully stocked with all the important information that will come in handy for your trip to this historic city. From comprehensive maps and Japanese phrase books all the way to money information as well as public transportation schedules we are fully equipped to make sure that you have a fabulous time in the great city of Kyoto.

Things to see and do in Kyoto

Kyoto Travel Guide: Kyoto Tower at night. Gion, Nijo castle, Heian shrine, Kiyomizudera, Ginkakuji & Kinkakuji temples, Nanzenji, Katsura and Shugakkuin palaces, Arashiyama the list goes on.

For a full list of Kyoto temples, shrines, palaces and city sites click here.

Kyoto hotel ryokan and budget accommodation guide

For shopping don't miss Toji and Kitano Tenmangu antiques markets. Also of interest is the Nishijin Textile Center.

For a select guide to What's on in Kyoto & Tokyo.

For a night you will always remember, Yoiyama Festival is magic.

The impressive Miho Museum designed by I.M. Pei is within an hour's travel of Kyoto in nearby Shiga prefecture.

An easy day-trip from Kyoto is Omi Hachiman, which is also in Shiga prefecture. It is a lovely canal town that can be reached in an hour.

The Lake Biwa Aqueduct Museum is a fascinating look at Kyoto's more recent historical heritage.

Kyoto hotel ryokan and budget accommodation guide click here

Tourist information centres: Kyoto City Tourist Information Office, 2F Kyoto Station Bldg. 8.30am-7pm daily; (Tel: 075 343 6655); Kyoto Prefecture Tourist Office, 9F Kyoto Station Bldg. 9.30am-6pm daily; (Tel: 075 371 2226).

Visit a Japanese family - Kyoto Home Visit Program

International credit card ATMs in Kyoto

-Kyoto Tower Building (basement), opposite Kyoto Station Central Exit.
-All Card Plaza: 50 metres north of Shijo Street on Teramachi Street. [Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa, Plus System, AmEx and Cirrus] 9am-8pm (closed Jan 1st 3rd).
-Takashimaya Department Store 7th floor card corner'.

Orientation in Kyoto

Kyoto is the one major Japanese city laid out on a grid. This makes for easy navigating, even though street signs are often only in Japanese--or non-existent. Kyotoites describe the downtown area of the city as being a "go-ban" (a go board, "go" being the highly popular game that uses a square board). The city borrowed its design from the ancient Chinese capital, Xian. The ward names reflect this orientation, too: Sakyo-ku means "Left Capital, and is in the east; Ukyo-ku means "Right Capital," and is in the west of the city.

Kyoto Travel Guide: Enkoji Temple and Garden.

Enkoji Temple & Garden, Kyoto, John Lander

Kyoto Travel Guide: Kinkakuji Temple and Lake Garden.

Kinkakuji Temple & Lake Garden, Kyoto, John Lander

Kyoto Areas

City Centre (Shijo-Kawaramachi) and Gion lies 2km north of Kyoto Station.

Higashiyama - the area to the east of the city center contains the majority of Kyoto's main tourist sites. The #5 bus or Raku bus are convenient for many of them but are invariably crowded.

North Western Kyoto including Arashiyama can be reached by bus and train from Kyoto station.

Northern Kyotois best served by the north-south Karasuma Line subway.

North Kyoto includes the pretty villages of Kibune and Kurama best reached by Eiden train from Demachiyanagi Station.

Okazaki district has many of Kyoto's museums, Heian Shrine and Kyoto's zoo.

South Kyoto is not really on the tourist trail but does include Toji Temple a short walk from Kyoto Station.

Moss Garden, Kyoto

Kyoto Moss Garden Guillaume Marcotte

Rickshaw, Kyoto.

Traditional Kyoto bridge and rickshaw Guillaume Marcotte

Kyoto Access

Air

Domestic flights to Osaka's Itami airport and international connections from Kansai International Airport (KIX). For Itami there are regular limousine bus services from the south (Hachijoguchi) side of Kyoto station. To Kansai International Airport the Haruka airport express train takes 75 minutes or JR shinkaisoku to Osaka and then kanku kaisoku to the airport. (Travel time is around 90 minutes). There are also limousine bus services to Kansai International Airport from the south (Hachijoguchi) side of Kyoto station.

Rail

access to Osaka and Kobe from Kyoto Station (JR-West Shinkansen bullet train) and from Shijo-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Line).
access to Osaka from Shijo-Kawabata (Keihan Line).
access to Nara from Kyoto Station (Kintetsu Line) and (JR Line).
access to Tokyo, Nagoya and Shizuoka from Kyoto Station (JR-East Shinkansen bullet train).
access to Hiroshima and Fukuoka from Kyoto Station (JR-West Shinkansen bullet train).
access to Amanohashidate, Obama and Maibara on the Japan Sea coast (for ferries to Hokkaido) from Kyoto Station (JR Obama Line).
click here for a map of Kyoto's main train stations.

Buses in Kyoto

There are overnight long-distance buses to Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki and day buses to Nagoya and Kanazawa. Highway buses leave from Kyoto Station.
City buses radiate from Kyoto station around the city. The flat fare is presently 220 yen. One Day Bus Cards are available on the bus or the bus information center at Kyoto station and can be used for a single day on Kyoto City Buses. Insert your card in the machine as you get off. There are also One Day (1200 yen) or Two Day Passes (2000 yen) for all Kyoto buses and subways. These passes are valid on Kyoto City Buses (green), Kyoto buses (white and red), the Karasuma (North-South) Subway Line and the Tozai (East-West) Subway Line.
* The white and red Kyoto buses serve outlying areas of Kyoto outside the main city limits.