Deciding where to stay in Kyoto can be a bit tricky. It’s a big city and the main sights are spread out, making it hard to pinpoint one area from which it’s easy to see everything. This can make deciding where might work best overwhelming. However, once you know the city a bit more, you realise there are four great areas to stay in Kyoto as a first-time traveler. Here’s where they are…
Kyoto
The best advice for planning, and enjoying, your trip to Kyoto, Japan. Find out tips on what to do, when to go, where to stay and more.
The Quick Guide to the Sagano Romantic Train in Kyoto
The Sagano Romantic Train is a scenic sightseeing train that travels along the top of the Hozugawa River and the Hozu Gorge in Kyoto between Arashiyama and Kameoka. But, is it worth taking the time out of your day to sit on it – and if it is, how do you get your tickets, where should you sit – and why, exactly, is it romantic? We explain…
Understanding the Gion Tourist Ban in Kyoto
Hoping to see a geisha (or geiko as they are known in Kyoto) is one of the reasons many people visit Kyoto – but it got a bit harder to do when the Gion South Side District Council, who look after the geisha/geiko district, announced it was banning tourists from some roads in Gion from April 2024. Here’s what you need to know…
How to Avoid the Crowds in Kyoto
Kyoto is busy – sometimes it can feel busier than Tokyo as in Tokyo, people are heading in all different directions, whereas in Kyoto, people are all in the same places at the same time. It’s one reason why I can’t spend too long in the main tourist sights in Kyoto – but it is possible to escape the crowds, with a few tips.
Where to Find the ‘Lucky’ Kyoto Buddhist Statues
Here’s a fun thing to do when you’re in Kyoto – some of the shrines or temples have statues in them, our outside, that you can touch or rub for good luck – finding them all is a good way to keep small children (and some adults) interested while visiting a few different shrines in one day – but, where are the stones and what do you need to do at them to ‘make merit’.
Here’s a full list of all eight of them – with locations, and a simple walking route to ‘catch them all.
How to Get From Kyoto to Osaka By Train
If you’re staying in Kyoto, it’s very easy to take a trip to the nearby city of Osaka to eat some great food, see the famous lights or the castle, or visit Universal Studios Japan, but, to make the most of your time, you need to know the best way to get between Kyoto and Osaka
Got Four Days in Kyoto? Here’s the Best Way to Spend Them.
We think four full days is the minimum time you need to see all of Kyoto’s best sights without rushing around too much – so how should you break that down? Our four-day Kyoto itinerary makes it easy.
How Long Should You Spend in Kyoto?
Kyoto is many people’s favorite city in Japan and I often hear people saying ‘I wish I’d spent longer there’ – to stop you from making the same mistake, let’s take a look at how long you should spend in Kyoto.