11 Day Trips from Kyoto

There is a lot to do in Kyoto – there are, after all, over 2000 shrines and temples alone, but it’s also surrounded by other cool places to visit for the day. So, if you have a spare day during your Kyoto trip, where could you spend it? Here are 11 ideas.

Bright lights, amazing sake, floating shrines and cute deer are all among the things you can easily see on a day trip from Kyoto – and I have a list of the top spots below.

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

The prices and times listed are a rough guide, as exact details depend on the route chosen and the time of day you’re travelling. All train routes are priced and timed from Kyoto Station (unless otherwise mentioned).

I’ve also organised them by time taken from Kyoto. Osaka can be your quickest option; getting to Kanazawa takes the longest.

1. Osaka

Cost: From ¥410. Time to Get There: 15-60 minutes depending on route

Highlights

• Osaka Castle
• Retro Shinsekai
• Dotonbori lights and food

While I could spend a week in Osaka and not get bored, it also lends itself very well to a day trip, as there are a handful of ‘must-see’ sights and they are all easy to fit into one day.

My perfect first-time day trip to Osaka would start at Osaka Castle, then I’d make my way down to Kuromon Market to try some of the foods Osaka is famous for – and see the fun decorations.

Then head to Shinsekai, Osaka’s old retro area (via the amazing Lion Head Shrine). If you can, stay in Shinsekai long enough to see it lit up at night – then head back to Dotonbori to see the most famous sight in Osaka: the lights by the canal before heading back to base.

How to Get There

It can take as little as 15 minutes to get to Osaka by Shinkansen, but many local trains cost far less and might bring you closer to what you want to see. This guide explains your options.

Prefer a Tour?

Because it’s so easy to get to Osaka on your own, most tours don’t pick up in Kyoto, but meet you in Osaka. Here’s a list of Osaka walking tours for once you arrive.

2. Fushimi Sake Area

Cost: ¥300. Time to Get There: from 20 minutes

Highlights

• Sake tastings
• River boat trip
• Sake ramen

Located just outside Kyoto, this pretty area is full of the same small streets, old wooden houses and quaint shrines – but with a fraction of the people. The soft water flowing through this area makes it perfect for sake-making – and as such, 40 sake breweries make the area their home – and you can do tastings at a few of them while you are here.

There’s also an interesting boat trip to the nearby lock gate.

Our guide to spending one day in Fushimi explores all the sights.

How to Get There

You can either catch the Kintetsu-Kyoto Line to Momoyamaogoryo-Mae Station or the Keihan Main Line to Chushojima.

Prefer a Tour?

This one takes in the main highlights – including a boat tour.

3. Uji

Cost: ¥240. Time to Get There: 24 minutes

Highlights

• Drinking Japan’s best matcha
• Byodo-in temple
• Kosho-ji

Home to much of Japan’s matcha production, Uji is the best place to drink the green stuff – but also try all sorts of other dishes containing it, like beer and green noodles.

But Uji is also home to some amazing shrines and temples, including Byodo-in, the one that appears on the 10 yen coin.

My favourite spot, though, was Kosho-ji. Situated on the other side of Uji’s surprisingly raging river, it has a beautiful garden, amazing squeaky nightingale floors and a ceiling marked with bloody handprints.

See more about all of these sights, and how to organise your day, in this guide to one day in Uji.

How to Get There

It couldn’t be easier. Just jump on the JR Nara line to Uji Station. It will take about 24 minutes to get there. All the main sights are an easy walk from the station.

Prefer a Tour?

This half-day tour covers the main sights in Uji and a tea ceremony. You can also add Nara to it for the afternoon.

4. Nara

Cost: From ¥760. Time to Get There: From 33 minutes

Highlights

• Deer in the deer park
• Todai-ji temple
• Kasuga Taisha

Nara is a very easy day trip from Kyoto, and it ticks a lot of boxes – easy to get to, easy to get around, and with plenty of sites within a short distance of each other.

The deer are the big draw for many, but Nara’s temples are outstanding – Kasuga Taisha in the morning is one of the prettiest places I’ve been to in Japan. The town is also worth a wander around as it has some cute shops to investigate.

Our upcoming guide on how to spend one day in Nara will help you plan your time.

How to Get There

You can take a few different trains from Kyoto to Nara, but the fastest route uses the direct Limited Express trains on the Kintetsu Line. These bring you to Nara Kintetsu Station, which is within walking distance of the big sites. If you’re on a budget though, check the price of these carefully when planning your departure times – some trains have supplements that can more than double the fare.

The JR Nara line also travels between Nara and Kyoto and can be a good option if you are stopping off somewhere like Fushimi Inari on the way. The super-convenient Loop bus can then take you to the main sights.

Prefer a Tour?

This is a good option that takes you to most of the main sights and picks up in Kyoto.

5. Omihachiman

Cost: ¥940. Time to Get There: 50 minutes

Highlights

• Hachimanbori Moat
• Hachiman Yama Ropeway
• Shinmachi Street

Another town with a Kyoto feel, without crowds (well, usually), Omihachiman is a great place to go if you just want to wander around enjoying the old town, taking in some pretty views from above, and maybe even getting on a boat.

Saying that though, I arrived late on a public holiday, so it was more crowded than normal, but I still enjoyed wandering around, particularly at the Himuri Hachimangu shrine, which has some interesting touches. I decided not to join the queue for the ropeway or boat ride this time, as I already decided the town was pretty enough to bring me back again in the future to explore properly – when it’s not a holiday.

How to Get There

Catch the Tokaido Sanyo Line for 35 minutes to Omihachiman Station. The pretty old centre is about a half-hour walk from the station, but buses stop right outside the station, and they will get you there in about five minutes. The tourist office will guide you to the right stop if you get confused.

Prefer a Tour?

This full-day tour is the perfect introduction to Omihachiman – and it even includes lunch of their famous beef. It includes Kyoto pick-up and drop-off.

6. Himeji

Cost: ¥4740. Time to Get There: from 43 minutes

Highlights

• One of Japan’s 12 original Castles
• Exploring Koko-en Garden

There are only 12 original castles left in Japan – and Himeji is said to be the best. Known as Shirasagi-jo (White Heron Castle) because of its brilliant white exterior, it is the largest and most spectacular.

An important thing to note is that Himeji is one of the first places in Japan to launch dual pricing for locals versus tourists – we pay ¥2500, but this does go toward the upkeep of this historic place.

How to Get There

The fastest way to get to Himeji from Kyoto is via Shinkansen from Kyoto Station, but you do pay for the convenience. If you are happy to take a slightly slower route to save some money, you can also take the Tokaido Sanyo Line, which takes about 85 minutes but only costs ¥2210.

The castle is a 20-minute walk from the station, and Koko-en is right next door. A combined ticket for the two costs ¥2600. Make sure you also try some Himeji beef and local sake while you are here.

Prefer a Tour?

This tour takes you around the castle and garden in half a day, but you do need to make your own way to Himeji.

7. Ukimodo Shrine

Cost: ¥620. Time to Get There: 43 minutes

Highlights

• Peace
• Quiet
• One of the prettiest things I have seen in Japan

I ended up at Ukimodo Shrine by fate. I wasn’t supposed to be in Kyoto, but rain had prevented me from getting where I was supposed to be. The problem was it was a bank holiday weekend, and Kyoto was a madhouse. I had to get out – and so I headed to see this pretty shrine that juts out into Lake Biwa.

And it was stunning.

The shrine is surrounded by a cute little town with a few shops and another interesting shrine, and it makes a lovely half-day outing from Kyoto. If you want to extend your day, you can also visit Omi Hachiman for the afternoon.

How to Get There

Take the Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Katata Station, where you catch a bus to the shrine. It’s all very clearly signposted, but you’ll find full details in our longer guide to visiting Ukimido Shrine.

Prefer a Tour?

One reason Ukimido is so peaceful is that it isn’t on the tour routes, so you’d need to book a private car to take you here. The benefit of this is that you can also go and see the stunning Shirahige Shrine; combining the two via public transport can be tricky.

8. Kobe

Cost: ¥1100. Time to Get There: 55 minutes

Highlights

• Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway
• Try Kobe Beef
• Nakinmachi

This is one of only two destinations on the main part of this list that I haven’t yet been to myself, but if you do visit, you’ll be greeted by a modern harbourfront city that’s also home to Japan’s second-biggest Chinatown.

As for where to try the famous beef, the experts at ByFood have a few suggestions in this piece (and they can make bookings for you so you don’t miss out).

How to Get There

Getting to Kobe is simple by train; the direct route on the Tokaido Sanyo Line is the quickest.

Note: If you want to start your day at the ropeway, Shin Kobe Station is nearer.

Prefer a Tour?

Most tours to Kobe depart from Osaka, but this one can meet you at the station and show you around.

9. Katsuo-ji

Cost: ¥1770. Time to Get There: 85 minutes

Highlights

• Thousands of Daruma dolls
• Fun stamp-making challenge
• Beautiful temple buildings in pretty grounds – amazing autumn colours

This is commonly suggested as a day trip from Osaka, but it’s just as easy to get here from Kyoto.

The sight of the thousands of daruma left all over this Buddhist temple is mind-blowing, especially toward the end of the year, as a whole 12 months’ worth of dolls that have been returned to the temple after they granted their owner’s wishes have collected at the shrine.

These dolls are burned on the 28th of December each year, ready to be replaced with new ones, so just bear in mind if you go in January, you might not see quite so many.

How to Get There

To get there, take a local train to Shin-Osaka Station, then catch the Midosuji Line to Minoh Kayano Station, then catch a bus. This journey used to be tricky, but is now very simple, and everything is clearly signposted for tourists.

For full details on making the most of your day at Katsuo-ji, and detailed travel directions, see our Katsuo-ji guide.

Prefer a Tour?

This one offers pick-ups in Kyoto and Osaka. It starts in Uji and then takes you to Katsuo-ji and nearby Minoh Falls.

10. Hiroshima

Cost: ¥10,770. Time to Get There: 100 minutes

Highlights

• Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park
• Itsukushima Shrine and the floating torii gate on Miyajima
• Daishoin Temple on Miyajima

It’s a long day, but you can visit Hiroshima from Kyoto for the day. It’s the furthest place in distance from Kyoto on this list – over 300 kilometres- but the speedy Shinkansen service and compact size of the city still make it a viable day trip.

You can easily see the sights of Hiroshima City in a day, and, if you plan it well, also make it over to the island of Miyajima.

Our walking tour of the Atomic Bomb Sights is a great guide if you just want to see the city of Hiroshima, and is easily carried out in one day (although it might be a bit emotionally overwhelming) or, if you want to hit up both spots, our one-day Hiroshima and Miyajima guide has all the important details.

How to Get There

To get there, simply catch the Sanyo Shinkansen from Kyoto Station. From Hiroshima, the handy tram system will take you into town or down to Miyajima port. You can also catch a ferry to Miyajima from the city.

Prefer a Tour?

If you’d prefer someone else to deal with the logistics, this tour departs from Kyoto and visits both Hiroshima and Miyajima.

11. Kanazawa

Cost: ¥7,720. Time to Get There: 2 hours

Highlights

• Higashi Chaya
• The amazing Ninja Temple
• Omicho Market

Kanazawa is somewhere you can easily spend a few days, but if you don’t have time, then you can take in many of the sights in one day – head first to Omicho Market for an amazing fresh sashimi breakfast, then jump on the bus to the fascinating Ninja Temple to see what’s hidden inside. Request a spot on the next tour as soon as you arrive, as there might be a short wait.

Once you’ve seen inside, make your way back to the old geisha district of Higashi Chaya and wander around the old buildings now packed with shops and restaurants.

Our guide on how to spend one day in Kanazawa has more details on all of these.

How to Get There

To get to Kanazawa, catch the Thunderbird Train from Kyoto Station to Tsuruga, then change to the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa.

Prefer a Tour?

You’ll need to make your way to Kanazawa yourself, but this tour with a local guide departs from the tourist office in the station.

Places I’m Still To Visit

That’s a pretty big list that can easily keep you busy, but there are a few other places reachable from Kyoto, like the forest village of Kibune and nearby Kifune Shrine, the pretty thatched village of Miyama, the shrine-filled village of Ohara and the stunningly beautiful Amanohashidate and Ine that aren’t on the list yet.

I haven’t included these because I haven’t visited them personally, and I want to see how easy it actually is to do them by public transport before I add them. The links above do take you to tour companies offering day trips, though.

My next planned Japan trip will cover all of the above, so I’ll update this post with more in-depth suggestions once I’ve checked them out.

If you want to go even further afield for the day, have a look at our guide to day trips from Osaka – many of these are also available from Kyoto, but I capped the travel time for this one at two hours.

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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.

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