- 23 Things to Do in Kyoto – With Teens - 20 August 2026
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There’s a lot to do in Kyoto, but on the face of it, it can look very shrine-and-culture-heavy, which might not go down so well if you’re travelling with teenagers. So, here are 23 fun ideas to keep them happy as well – from cool photo shoots to spooky nighttime walks.
‘My teens are bored, what can I do with them?’ is a common question from mums in my Japan trip planning Facebook group after a few days in Kyoto – and so, I decided it was about time I answered that question.
And turns out there is a LOT to do with teenagers in the city.
Work your way through the list below, and they’ll be begging you to stay longer, not leave!
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
1. Enjoy the Art at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
Huge art installations that are perfect for social media selfies – what more does today’s teen want!
TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto is the newest and largest teamLab in Japan and the perfect place for teens to while away a few hours.
teamLab, Morphing Continuum, 2025, Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery * Reference Image
If they are old enough to be left to their own devices, the museum is located an 18-minute walk from the temple Tofuku-ji, or the amazing gold statues at Sanjusangendo, so you could go and wander around one of those if giant projected flowers aren’t your thing.
Book sessions in advance here.
2. Find the Cute Statues
Okay, it’s a temple, but it’s a fun one. Otagi Nebutsu-ji temple, high in the hills above Arashiyama, contains 1200 stone religious figures, but they are each carved with a different look.
And some of them are fun – set challenges to spot the one with the tennis racket (spoiler below) or the one with the teddy bear, or to photograph their favourite one, and you’ll keep kids amused for a while.
Or maybe that’s just me, who knows!
It costs 1000 yen to get in, and note that it is not open on Wednesday or Saturday. On other days, it’s open from 9 am to 4 pm.
You can easily combine this with taking pictures at the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, a 30-minute walk away, which is likely to be on any social media-savvy teen’s Instagram must-do list in Kyoto.
3. Play Games at the Nintendo Museum
It’s not going to be a spur-of-the-moment decision, as tickets must be booked in advance and they always sell out, but if you have game-loving teens, a visit to the Nintendo Museum could be a must – and it can easily be combined with a trip to Fushimi Inari Taisha or a day trip to Uji.
The top floor is full of old retro games to look at; the ground floor is full of games they can play.
Make sure your kids tap Toad’s head when you meet him in the lineup above. Video and sound on!!!!
See more about getting tickets in our guide to getting into the museum, or find out more about what’s inside in our full review.
4. Take the Nishiki Challenge
If you walk around Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, you’ll see a whole load of stalls selling small octopus on sticks – challenge your teens to try one!
I’ll let you decide if you want to tell them that there’s a boiled egg inside its head!
The market is open seven days a week, but note that many stalls will close on Wednesday.
Each stall works its own hours, so there’s no official opening or closing time for the market, but if you arrive between 11 am and 4 pm, most things will be open. This is also the busiest time of day, though, so just be aware that it does get crowded in there.
5. Try Taiko Drumming
Taiko is a traditional Japanese drum, and Taiko drumming refers to a type of drumming in which a group of them is played together. At this (English-speaking) workshop, by HidB, located near Yasaka Shrine, you can learn to do it as a family.
Image @HidB. Used with permission.
During your 60-minute lesson, you’ll learn about the history of taiko, then master using the bachi, the thick drumsticks used to beat the drum, practise your rhythm and progress to a final group performance.
No musical experience is necessary, but bookings are essential as they don’t take walk-ins. See more and secure your slot here.
6. Meet Ho-Oh at the Pokemon Centre
The Pokemon Cafes in Tokyo and Osaka grab a lot of travellers’ attention, but don’t snooze on a visit to the Pokemon Centre in downtown Kyoto. You’ll find statues of some favourite Pokemon alongside a heap of cool merchandise – including the highly coveted plush Pikachu in a kimono, if you’re lucky.
The store is located on the second floor of the Suina Moromachi shopping mall. The closest station is Karasuma. It’s open seven days a week from 10 am to 8 pm.
Wallets may get a workout here if you’re travelling with Pokemon-loving teens!
7. Dress Like a Samurai
At Shogun Studio Japan in Arashiyama, you can don armour created by costume workshop Marutake, suppliers to many films and television shows. It really does look like the actual suits I saw in the Tokyo Edo Museum.
In fact, if you know your Japanese history, you can even dress in suits based upon famous armour worn by Japanese samurai like Oda Nobunaga.
Girls and women in the group can wear armour, or the studio offers stunning hand-painted kimono for you to be pictured in.
Once you’re dressed, you can be photographed by the studio’s professional photographers.
Image: Shogun Studio Kyoto. Used with permission.
The Studio also has a second branch at Hotel Emion Kyoto where you can also take a tea ceremony in Samurai attire or try a Ninja Experience.
Prices depend on which armour you choose, but around 30,000 yen is a good ballpark to start your planning. They also have discount deals until the end of 2026.
Check their website for full details of what they offer.
8. See a Show at Gear Non-Verbal Theatre
When people in my Facebook group ask others what the best thing they did in Kyoto was, this comes up every single time.
As the name suggests, no words are used to convey what’s happening on stage – only hand gestures and facial expressions – so not understanding Japanese is not a prerequisite for enjoying the performance.
Image @Gear Non-Verbal Theatre. Used with permission.
The story – without any spoilers – is of a group of robots working in a factory after humans have been wiped out. One day the mysterious ‘Doll’ appears among them and the robots start to become more human – but then… well, you’ll have to wait and see.
Performances last 90 minutes and are performed up to two times a day in the theatre near Shinkyogoku Shopping Street.
If you are also travelling with smaller children as well as teens, note that kids under four can only enter the theatre on the special children’s performance days.
9. Take the Hozugawa River Ride
This is another attraction regularly voted ‘top for teens’ by my Facebook group.
Take the Sagano Romantic Train west of Arashiyama to the stop in Kameoka, and then jump on this fun boat ride back through beautiful scenery.
It travels 16 km along the Hozukyo Gorge, navigating over a few gentle rapids on the way.
The boat takes about two hours, and the whole round trip takes 3-4 hours, making it the perfect half-day excursion to slot between some more traditional Kyoto activities.
10. Step Back in Time at Uzumasa Kyoto Village
This is the new name for the revamped Toei Animation Park in Kyoto.
Located in a working movie set, the park is themed as a recreation of Kyoto in the Edo period and offers visitors the chance to dress up in various traditional outfits and do fun things like throw Ninja stars.
It seems as if the new incarnation of the park is aiming to be similar to Edo Wonderland in Nikko, where you get the chance to embrace the traditions and crafts of ancient Japan.
But alongside them, you’ll also find more modern attractions based around some famous Toei franchises like Evangelion.
I went before the makeover to see the yokai parade that happens there from mid-September, and while the weather was terrible the day we visited, we still had a fun afternoon out. They have added some attractions since I visited.
The park is open between 10 am and 9 pm. You can choose basic entry tickets that let you into the park, allowing you to pay separately for any attractions you want to take part in, or book passes that contain attractions as well.
I just bought the entry ticket and enjoyed wandering around the replica buildings in the park – we paid extra for the Ninja Star throwing… I would not have lasted long as a Ninja!
11. Make Some Sushi
If you have teens who love to eat sushi, they can try making it in this small group class in Southern Higashiyama near Kiyomizu-dera.
Image: @atelier SUSHI. Used with permission.
The company, atelier SUSHI, uses locally sold fish, locally made plateware and rice grown by founder Kana’s father to create and serve the different types of sushi you make in the class – and yes, of course you get to eat it at the end!
The sessions last 90 minutes, and there are three daily.
See more and make reservations here.
12. See a Sumo Show
There isn’t an arena that shows actual Sumo matches in Kyoto, but you can book in for a Sumo Show to get a taste of what one would be like.
The shows combine a fun explanation of Sumo with the chance to watch some bouts by retired wrestlers – and, with some shows, the chance to possibly wrestle one yourself.
They are created to be more entertaining than serious sport, but they also show you how powerful these guys really are – and how demanding the bouts are, even though they might only last a few minutes.
There are a few different ones in town. Have a look at this one to get you started. It’s similar to the one I did in Tokyo, which I did enjoy.
13. Make Your Own Souvenir
If your teens like being creative, there are a whole load of classes they can choose from in Kyoto. How about…
Making your own Ninja Star – an actual metal one (check rules for importing those back home, BTW)
Trying Kintsugi – the art of making broken things beautiful again
Make your own chopsticks – so easy even I now own a pair!
Create a ring from a coin – fun and pretty.
14. Launch a Side Quest
If you’re visiting the shrines and temples around the Higashiyama area, there’s a way to keep teenagers and other kids interested – send them on a side quest to find the lucky statues.
There are eight of them in all, and they offer luck in everything from love to living a longer life.
See more about which statue does what, and exactly where to find them in our Kyoto statue hunting guide.
15. Spend the Night on a Ghost Tour
During the day, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is full of selfie-seeking tourists – at night, it’s a place of silence and spookiness, and there’s a ghost tour that helps you explore it.
On this walk, you’ll scare yourself senseless hearing tales of ghosts and yokai (Japanese monsters), visiting a cursed temple, and hopefully not spotting anything that goes bump in the night.
With its thin, twisty-turny path and closed-in walls of trees, the forest is the perfect place for telling scary stories. This tour is on my must-do list for my next trip to Kyoto.
Beat me to it! See more and make a booking here.
16. Visit a Beauty Shrine
There are over 2,000 shrines and temples in Kyoto, but as you saw above with Otagi Nenbutsuji, some can be really fun to explore, and Kawai Shrine in the Shimogamo Shrine complex is another great one to visit with teens.
The enshrined deity here is Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto, the mother of Emperor Jimmu, a woman said to be as beautiful as a jewel – for that reason, people come here to ask for blessings in the looks department
At the shrine, you can draw faces on mirror-shaped prayer plaques to improve your outer – and inner – beauty. And drink a beauty drink that’s said to be good for your skin.
The shrine is open 24 hours, but if you want to colour in the prayer plaques, or drink the beauty drink, you need to arrive when the shop is open between 9 am and 4 pm.
The main prayer hall at Shimogamo is stunningly beautiful, so make sure you guide your teens up there afterwards – there’s also a shrine to rugby on the way if you have any players in the family who might want to bestow a bit of luck on their team.
17. Search for Monsters
A 400-metre-long stretch of shops west of downtown Kyoto is home to Yokai Street, where many of the shops have statues of monsters outside.
It’s all to do with a local legend about the night 100 household objects, upset with being discarded, came alive, turned into monsters, and marched along the street, causing havoc. You can find the full story here on Japlanease’s sister blog, Differentville.
The road is officially called Taishogun Shopping Street, and it’s at the eastern end of Ichijo Dori between Nishioji Street and where the road turns into Nakadachiuri Street.
The closest station to reach it is Kitano Hakubaicho, which is just a few minutes’ walk away.
The street is also full of traditional old shops to wander around while you yokai hunt.
18. Go Feed the Deer
About a 40-minute easy train ride south from Kyoto is the city of Nara – and, in the park at Nara, there are rather a lot of deer just wandering about.
Buy a packet of deer cookies from the park vendors, and you’ll quickly become Snow White with a trail of Bambi-brethren following your every move.
Oh, and if you bow to the deer, they will bow back.
The best time to visit the deer is first thing in the morning before they get too hyped up on deer cookies. The calmer you are with them, the calmer they will be with you, but they can nip.
Our guide to meeting the Nara deer has more tips on where to find them and how to meet them so everyone is happy.
19. Eat Fire Ramen
Fire ramen is the specialty of a restaurant called Menbaka Fire Ramen, located slightly north of Kyoto Castle.
The idea is simple – you’re served a bowl of light chicken, pork, and soy broth full of green onions, slices of pork, and noodles – and a layer of oil on top.
The chef then comes past your bowl, sets light to the oil – and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It’s fun, tasty – and if you hand over your phone to the team, you get a brilliant video of your experience.
They are open seven days a week from 11 am to 9 pm.
The restaurant takes walk-ins, but queues can be long. I’ve been twice and got there about 30 minutes before it opened to try and get a spot on the first seating. They do take reservations, but if you reserve, you have to order from the set menu. The sets include ramen and side dishes and are pretty big, so go hungry if you do reserve.
See more details and make bookings on their website. They can cater for vegetarians and gluten-free eaters.
One thing that is unclear from their website is whether you can currently just order ramen on its own, as I did when I last visited. If budget or appetite levels are an issue, you might want to check this before committing.
20. Ride a Quad Bike
It’s not what you immediately think of when you think about exploring genteel Kyoto, but that’s why it’ll surprise your teens so much if you book it.
The experience happens about an hour away from central Kyoto. You’ll be met at Suzan Station, then taken back to pick up your guide and your ATV – where you’ll be driven up to the top of the mountains in Keihoku for an amazing view.
You can also try extra activities like mochi pounding.
21. Visit the Monkey Park
A short climb uphill from the Togetsukyo bridge in Arashiyama is the Monkey Park Iwatayama.
Here, the monkeys are wild, and the humans visiting them are kept in the caged area.
The park is open seven days a week from 9 am to 4 pm, although they might close early if the monkeys decide they’ve had enough for the day and decide to go back to their homes in the mountains.
It costs 800 yen to get in – and note that only cash is accepted.
22. Vs Park
Vs Park is located at the Aeon Mall, just south of Kyoto Station, and it’s basically an activity park full of the type of physical challenge you see on reality TV shows – there are swinging foam bars for you to dodge between, swinging weight bags that can drop your opponent into a ball pit and more.
The park is offering special foreigner tickets at the moment for either 30-minute or two-hour sessions of fun.
And that’s it. I’m sure there are more teen-friendly attractions out there, and I’ll add to them as I give more a try on my next Kyoto trip, but I think it’s enough to get you started. Did your time in Kyoto just extend to a week?
Thanks to the team at Kyoto Tourism in Australia for their help with extra suggestions for this article.
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve travelled to Japan nine times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 50 towns and cities. My last visit was in April 2026, so everything here is pretty up to date.