Kyoto: Must-Do for Your First Trip

How to Get to Kyoto & Getting Around the City

Getting to Kyoto from Tokyo

The fastest and most convenient way to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto is by Shinkansen (bullet train). The route runs along the same Tokaido line as Osaka, so if you’re visiting both cities it’s easy to combine them in one itinerary.

Buy train tickets here or here

Getting Around Kyoto

The best way to get around Kyoto is by bus and subway. The city has an excellent bus network that reaches almost every tourist spot. For frequent trips it’s worth picking up a day bus pass — available at tourist information centres and Kyoto Station.

Places to Visit in Kyoto

1. Sannenzaka & Yasaka Pagoda

Sannenzaka (三年坂) is one of Kyoto’s oldest and most picturesque streets, paved with stone and lined with traditional wooden buildings. Here you’ll find tea shops, souvenir stalls, and workshops selling ceramics and textiles. The street leads directly to Yasaka Pagoda — the five-storey pagoda of Hōkan-ji Temple, a true symbol of the Gion district and one of Kyoto’s most iconic structures.

2. Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Kiyomizu-dera is one of Japan’s most famous temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main hall is built on a wooden stage jutting out over the mountainside at a height of about 13 metres — entirely without a single nail. From the stage you get a breathtaking view over Kyoto, especially dramatic in spring during cherry blossom season and in autumn in November.

Official Kiyomizu-dera website.

3. Daigo-ji Temple & Sanbō-in Garden

Daigo-ji is a large Buddhist temple complex on the eastern outskirts of Kyoto, also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its five-storey pagoda is the oldest surviving structure in Kyoto, built in 951. Be sure to also visit Sanbō-in Garden — one of the most beautiful gardens in the traditional Japanese style, laid out in 1598 on the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi for a hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) celebration.

Official Daigo-ji Temple website.

4. Pontocho

Pontocho is a narrow alley about 500 metres long running between the Kamo and Takase rivers. It is packed with traditional restaurants, tea houses, and bars where in the evenings you can spot real maiko (geisha apprentices). The alley has barely changed over the past few centuries and is one of the most authentic corners of Kyoto.

5. Gion. Tatsumi Bridge. Shirakawa

Gion is Kyoto’s famous geisha district, where narrow stone-paved streets are lit by the soft glow of lanterns. Stop at Tatsumi Bridge — a small bridge over the Shirakawa canal, where cherry trees and willows make the atmosphere of old Kyoto especially palpable. Shirakawa — the river itself and the embankment along it — is one of the most romantic spots in the city, especially in spring.

6. Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺), or the Golden Pavilion, is arguably Japan’s most recognisable structure. The top two floors of the building are completely covered in gold leaf, and their reflection in the Kyōko pond in front creates what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful views in the country.

Official Kinkaku-ji website.

7. Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha is a shrine that begins at the foot of Mount Inari and winds upward through thousands of bright-orange torii gates. The full trail to the summit takes about 2–3 hours, but even the first 30–40 minutes give you complete immersion: the torii stand closely one after another, forming living tunnels. Along the way you’ll find small shrines, stone kitsune foxes, and little tea houses.

Vermillion Cafe near Fushimi Inari on the map.

8. Zenkyo-an Temple

Zenkyo-an is a small Zen temple in the Gion district, a sub-temple of the famous Kenninji. The principal deity here is Marishiten (摩利支天), goddess of victory and protection, said to ride a chariot pulled by seven wild boars. That is why stone boars (猪, inoshishi) are placed throughout the grounds — sacred animals and messengers of the goddess. Instead of the usual lion-dog guardians at the gate, Zenkyo-an has boar guardians — a rarity in Japan.

Official Zenkyo-an website.

9. Kimono Experience

Dressing in a kimono in Kyoto is not just a tourist attraction — it’s a genuine immersion in Japanese culture. The city has dozens of rental studios where staff will dress you in traditional Japanese clothing, style your hair, and send you out to explore the city. It’s especially atmospheric to stroll in kimono through the streets of Sannenzaka, Gion, or along Shirakawa.

Hairmake & Kimono Rental First Kiyomizu Shop — the studio I used.

10. Day Trip to Arashiyama

Arashiyama is a district on the western edge of Kyoto with a bamboo grove, a monkey park, and ancient temples set amid forest. A great option for a full day away from the city centre.

Full guide to Arashiyama — bamboo grove, monkeys and temples.

11. Day Trip to Nara Park

From Kyoto it is very easy to make a day trip to Nara — Japan’s ancient capital where sacred deer roam freely through the streets. Nara Park, the giant Buddha statue at Tōdai-ji, and quiet temples surrounded by forest — all just 40–50 minutes from Kyoto.

Full guide to Nara — route, temples and tips.

Cafes & Restaurants

• Sakura Cafe Hanon (Japanese pancakes) – fluffy soufflé pancakes that melt in your mouth — a must-try in Kyoto.

  Pancake café on the map

• Black Cat Coffee – a cosy coffee shop with excellent coffee — perfect before a morning walk.

  Coffee shop on the map

• Ramen – rich broth and fresh noodles — one of the best ramen spots in Kyoto.

  Ramen on the map

• Fish waffles with custard cream – traditional taiyaki (fish-shaped waffles) with a delicate cream filling — a popular street snack.

  Taiyaki on the map

• Söt Coffee Kyoto Shichijo (Coffee) – a café with signature brewing methods and careful attention to the bean.

  Specialty coffee on the map

• Gion ramen Rinrin (Ramen) – another excellent ramen spot well worth trying.

  Ramen on the map

• Gion Comeyasu Coffee (Coffee) – another café with a pleasant atmosphere and quality coffee.

  Coffee shop on the map