From Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Listings are what the guides list, not a ranking, and places change, so check before you go. Photos: PekePON, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, Evanhoever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
DaylightSunset about 4:51 PM. Daylight is short, so plan the views for the early afternoon.
HappeningThe autumn leaves turn red and gold across the city, at their best in the middle of the month. Evening lights at many temples. Busy, so book ahead.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Kyoto rewards an early start, so keep tonight easy.Details
From the airport
Most visitors land at Kansai International Airport, about an hour and a quarter from Kyoto Station by express train. Trains from Tokyo and Osaka also arrive at Kyoto Station. Check ahead which line and which seats suit your bags.
Settling in
Check-in is usually in the afternoon. Kyoto works by bus, subway and train, and a rechargeable transit card covers most of them. Buses reach most temples, so ask your hotel which stop is nearest and how crowded the line runs. In mid November, book ahead.
First evening
Walk the lanes near your hotel and eat something small. Day 1 starts at Fushimi Inari, which is quiet at first light, so go to bed early.
Day 1. Southern Higashiyama and Fushimi and Tofuku-ji
5 stops · 3.8 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time, go early
Fushimi Inari Taisha
The shrine of thousands of bright red gates that climb the forested hill behind it. Go at first light, when the path is quiet and the light comes through the gates in stripes. You can turn back at any point, so walk as far as feels right.
Go whenFirst light, or the late afternoon, when the crowds thin and the lanterns start to glow. The lower gates are busy all day.
Local tip The full climb to the summit takes a couple of hours. Most people turn back at the first big viewpoint, and that is a fine plan. Wear shoes you can walk in.
A large Zen temple with a famous valley of maple trees crossed by a covered wooden bridge, one stop by train from Fushimi Inari. It is among the best places in the city for the autumn colors.
Go whenThe first hour in mid November, when the maples in the valley turn red and the bridge is quiet.
Local tip Autumn brings long queues for the covered bridge. Go early, walk the grounds beyond it, and take the train from Fushimi Inari, which is one short stop away.
A very long wooden hall holding one thousand and one standing figures of the goddess Kannon, in rows that seem to go on forever. Quiet, cool inside and easy to see in an hour, a good place to be out of the weather. Check ahead for visiting times.
Go whenLate morning, when the light falls along the hall and the rows of golden figures glow.
Local tip Walk the whole length slowly and look at the faces, one by one. Check ahead about photos inside, and for visiting times.
The city’s main museum of Japanese art, with screens, scrolls, ceramics, swords and Buddhist sculpture, in a fine old brick building near Sanjusangen-do. A calm place on a wet day.
Go whenA rainy midday, when you want a long, quiet hour among old art.
Local tip A fine museum of Japanese art, with screens, scrolls, swords and Buddhist sculpture. Choose one or two halls and sit down when you are tired. Check ahead for what is on.
The hillside temple with a great wooden stage that juts out over the trees, with the city spread out below. The walk up the old lanes of Higashiyama is half the pleasure. Check ahead for evening openings in spring and autumn.
Go whenLate afternoon, with the sun lower and the city turning gold below the stage.
Local tip Follow the main path through the whole grounds rather than just the stage, and walk down to the waterfall below it. Check ahead for evening openings.
If it rains. Sanjusangen-do and Kyoto National Museum are covered, so keep them. Move Fushimi Inari Taisha, Tofuku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. Gion and Pontocho and Around Kyoto Station
5 stops · 9.5 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Kiyomizu-deraAbout 12 min by car or transit3.7 km
Where Day 1 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Toji
An old Buddhist temple near Kyoto Station, with the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan, large wooden Buddha figures in its halls and a wide garden.
Go whenMorning, when the tall pagoda stands clear against the sky and the grounds are calm.
Local tip The five-storied pagoda is the tallest wooden one in Japan. Walk around its base, and go into the halls to see the large wooden Buddhas. Check ahead for visiting times.
A large indoor museum of Japanese trains, from old steam engines to the bullet train, with a roundhouse of locomotives. A good dry stop, and a hit with children.
Go whenA rainy midday, when you want a warm, dry break from the temples.
Local tip Old steam and electric trains of Japan, with a hall of steam locomotives. It is a good change of pace, and a hit with children. Check ahead for what is open.
A quiet garden temple halfway up the old lanes of Higashiyama, with a raked garden, a bamboo grove and a view across the hill. A gentler stop on the way to Kiyomizu-dera.
Go whenLate afternoon, with the gardens warm and the crowds from Kiyomizu-dera moving on.
Local tip It is a quiet garden temple halfway up the old lanes of Higashiyama. Check ahead for evening lights in spring and autumn.
The old teahouse district, where wooden fronts and paper lanterns line Hanamikoji Street. Geiko and maiko still live and work here. Walk the public streets, give them room, and never block their path for a photo.
Go whenEarly evening, when the lanterns come on and the streets are soft and quiet.
Local tip These streets are people’s homes and workplaces. Keep your voice low, do not follow or photograph geiko without asking, and stay out of the private lanes.
The shrine at the east end of Shijo Street, at the edge of Gion, glowing with lanterns after dark. Its grounds open straight onto the lanes and the park beside it.
Go whenEvening, when the lanterns are lit and the shrine glows at the end of Shijo Street.
Local tip The grounds are always open to walk through, and they join Gion to the park and the old lanes to the south. A good way to end the evening.
Obanzai is Kyoto’s everyday home cooking: small plates of simmered vegetables, tofu, pickles and fish, made with the season in mind. It is gentle, savory and shared.
Local tip Sit at the counter if you can, and order a few small plates to share. Book ahead for a table in the evening.
If it rains. Kyoto Railway Museum is covered, so keep it. Move Toji, Kodai-ji, Gion and Hanamikoji Street and Yasaka Shrine to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Central Kyoto and Gion and Pontocho
4 stops · 3.5 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
AfternoonWorth the time
Nanzen-ji
A great Zen temple at the foot of the hills, with a huge wooden gate, quiet halls and gardens, and a brick aqueduct that curves through the grounds. Take your time and sit in the hall gardens. Check ahead for closing time.
Go whenMid afternoon, when the big gate and the aqueduct sit in soft light and the halls are quiet.
Local tip Climb the great gate if it is open for a view across the hills, and walk under the brick aqueduct, a surprise in an old temple. Check ahead for closing time.
A narrow covered street about four blocks long, called the kitchen of Kyoto, lined with stalls of pickles, tofu, seafood, sweets and knives. Look, taste a little and move along. It is crowded at midday, so go early or late in the afternoon.
Go whenEarly afternoon, or just after it opens in the morning. It is busiest at midday.
Local tip It is a place for tasting, not a meal. Take small bites, eat them beside the stall rather than as you walk, and keep your bag close in the crowds.
The wide, low river that runs through the east of the city, with stone steps and paths where people sit with a drink and watch the water. In the early evening it is the calmest place in town. Walk upstream a little for the quiet.
Go whenEarly evening, before sunset (about 4:51 PM), when the light is low and the lanterns come on along the banks.
Local tip Pick up something to eat and sit on the stone steps with the locals. The walk upstream from the main bridges is quieter and good for a long stroll.
A very narrow lane beside the Kamo River, lined with small restaurants and teahouses behind old wooden fronts. A soft, lantern-lit evening walk.
Go whenEarly evening, when the lanterns come on and the narrow lane fills with the smell of grilling.
Local tip A thin lane running beside the river, lined with small restaurants and teahouses. Just walk it once, end to end, and look at the old wooden fronts.
If it rains. Nishiki Market is covered, so keep it. Move Nanzen-ji, Kamo River banks and Ponto-cho to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. Northern Higashiyama and Central Kyoto
4 stops · 6.7 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Nijo Castle
The shoguns’ Kyoto castle, built in the early 1600s, with painted sliding doors, golden screens and the “nightingale” floors that sing underfoot. The palace rooms are the heart of the visit, and the garden is lovely too. Go early.
Go whenThe first slot of the day, before the tour groups arrive.
Local tip Listen for the floors: they chirp like birds as you walk, made that way to warn of intruders. Check ahead about photos inside the palace, and for closing days.
The Silver Pavilion, a small, plain wooden temple with a garden of raked white sand and moss, at the top of the canal path. It never was silver, and the quiet beauty is the point. Go early, since the paths are narrow.
Go whenFirst thing in the morning, when the sand garden is empty and the moss is green.
Local tip The route is one way and takes about half an hour. Climb the short path to the hilltop viewpoint at the end for a look back over the temple and the city.
Yudofu is tofu simmered in a hot pot with a dipping sauce, a Kyoto speciality that comes from its temple cooking and good water. Warm and gentle, especially near Nanzen-ji.
Local tip Sit for the full set and take your time. It is a quiet, slow lunch in a tatami room.
A stone path along a narrow canal under cherry and maple trees, about two kilometers long, named for a philosopher who walked it to think. Stroll south from the Silver Pavilion with small shrines and cafes along the way.
Go whenLate morning, once the first rush has passed and the dappled light falls on the canal.
Local tip Do not rush the whole length. Stop at the small shrines and cafes, and cross a bridge or two to see the lanes beside the path.
A grand shrine of vermilion halls, a wide gravel courtyard and a huge red gate that is one of the sights of Kyoto. The garden behind it is calm. If the grounds have closed, the great gate and the canal beside it are still good to see at dusk.
Go whenLate afternoon, with the low light on the vermilion halls. Check ahead for closing time.
Local tip The huge red gate stands outside the grounds, on a wide avenue, and is best seen from a distance. The garden behind the shrine is quieter than the courtyard.
Kaiseki is Kyoto’s fine dining: a long series of small, careful dishes, each one built around the season. A special last evening, and a treat for the end of the trip.
Local tip Book well ahead, and tell the restaurant about any allergies when you reserve. Lunch is a gentler way to try it.
If it rains. Nijo Castle is covered, so keep it. Move Ginkaku-ji, Philosopher’s Path and Heian Shrine to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. Northwest Kyoto and Central Kyoto
4 stops · 15.3 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Heian ShrineAbout 16 min by car or transit6.1 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MiddayPick a quiet hour
Ryoan-ji
A Zen temple famous for its rock garden: fifteen stones in a sea of raked gravel, with nothing explained. Sit on the wooden porch and let your eyes settle. It rewards slowness, and a quiet hour.
Go whenEarly in the day or a weekday afternoon, when you can have a place on the porch to yourself.
Local tip There are fifteen stones, but it is said you can only see fourteen from any one seat. Sit, look, and let the garden do the rest. The grounds around the pond are lovely too.
The old home of Japan’s emperors, in a wide, shady park in the middle of the city. Check ahead how visits to the palace itself are arranged, as they may need an application. The park is a quiet place to walk and rest in any case.
Go whenLate morning, when the gravel paths in the park are quiet and the light is clear.
Local tip Check ahead how visits to the palace are arranged, as it may need an application. If it is not open to you, the park around it is free to walk and well worth the stroll.
The Golden Pavilion, a temple covered in gold leaf, standing over a still pond. Go in the last open hours, when the low sun sets the gold glowing. Check ahead for closing times, which change with the season.
Go whenThe last open hour or two of the day, when the low sun lights the gold and the pond is still.
Local tip It is a set route of about half an hour, and it gets crowded. Take your photo from the pond’s edge, then walk on to see the tea garden at the end of the path.
A big Zen complex in the north of the city made of many small temples, each with a quiet garden of its own, with raked stone, moss and old pines.
Go whenAfternoon, when the paths between the sub-temples are calm.
Local tip A big Zen complex of many small temples, each with its own garden. Do not try to see them all: choose one or two that are open, and check ahead.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 6. Arashiyama
2 stops · 7.7 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Daitoku-jiAbout 19 min by car or transit7.4 km
Where Day 5 ended.
1
MorningWorth a short stop
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
A short path through towering green bamboo that creaks and sways overhead. It is small, so go early, before the tour groups, and walk through slowly. Then go on to the garden next door.
Go whenThe first hour of the day. After mid-morning it fills up and the walk becomes a slow shuffle.
Local tip The path is short, so it is as much about the sound as the sight. Keep going past the grove to the quiet streets and the river beyond, where the crowds thin.
A Zen temple with a large pond garden, with the hills of Arashiyama as its backdrop. Sit on the veranda for a while, and leave by the back gate, which opens straight into the bamboo grove.
Go whenLate morning, when the pond garden is bright and the hills behind it are clear.
Local tip Sit on the veranda facing the pond for a few minutes before you walk the garden path. Check ahead if you want to see inside the main halls.
Kyoto’s temples have a long tradition of vegetarian cooking called shojin ryori: tofu, seasonal vegetables and sesame in small, beautiful dishes. A calm, light lunch after the garden.
Local tip Book ahead if you can, as places are few, and expect to sit for a while. Many shops near the temple serve a simpler tofu set.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Work back from your train or flight and keep the last morning slow.Details
Check-out
Many hotels will send your large bags ahead to the airport or your next stop if you ask the day before. Then you can walk the last streets with your hands free.
To the airport
Express trains run from Kyoto Station to Kansai International Airport, and the Shinkansen runs on to Tokyo and beyond. Check the timetable the night before, and leave extra time, since the station is big and busy.
If you have a few hours
Have a last bowl of noodles near the station, or walk to Toji, the old temple with the tall pagoda, close to Kyoto Station. Leave the bags at a station locker or with your hotel.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Kyoto?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April and October to November are the most comfortable months for walking around Kyoto. This plan is built for mid November, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 6 days in Kyoto, planned for mid November. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 0.3 to 9.1 kilometers between its stops, and 29.1 kilometers in all across 6 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of long meals and neon in OsakaAbout 50 km awayAn easy add-on
3 days in Hakone and Mount FujiAbout 300 km away
5 days in TokyoAbout 370 km away
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