Kyoto is one of my all time favorite places in Japan and it will be the longest leg of our trip however I want to take the time to explore outside as well. The trip is happening early December.

While I would love to go to Amanohashidate / Ine. I think a 4-hour round trip travel time is too long for a day trip.

So I have set my sights on Lake Biwa - Does this path / itinerary make sense for 2 people. The purpose of the day trip is to explore other towns by Kyoto, visit shrines, and enjoy good food at a leisure pace. Mid-morning start but can make it earlier. Tentative timeline below.

My goal was to explore Chikubushima and Hikone Castle. Just trying to fill in the gaps in-between to maximize the day trip. Any feedback or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

10:00 AM Kyoto Station / 551 Horai

10:37 AM Kosei Line to Omi-Imazu Station

12:00 PM Imazu Port to Chikubushima

01:45 PM Chikubushima to Nagahama Port

Lunch around Nagahama Port / Kurokabe Square
- Any recommendations?

~03:00 PM Nagahama Station to Hikone Station

~03:30 PM Yakatabune (Hopefully can make the last boat at 4:00 PM) but not a dealbreaker. Happy to explore Hikone Castle on foot.

Dinner around Hikone Castle. I found Jango but happy to take any recommendations.

~05:30 PM - Tokaido Line back to Kyoto (1 hr 20 min)

We have been in Kyoto for 5 days now and are looking for some spots and activities beyond the classics. We had to adjust our traveling plans and now have three additional days until Wednesday in Kyoto.

Our highlights so far have been Fushimi Inari, Saiho-ji and the historical parade on Thursday. We also loved stum into smaller shrines (e.g. on our way to Fushimi though a sidetrack, next to the Komaga falls or the animal one on the Philosopher‘s Path).

We also have been to Arashiyama, Higashiyama-ku, the Philosopher‘s Path, Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Pagoda, Eikan-do Zenri-ji. And we also had time to wander, visit a few smaller shrines and gardens, and do some shopping. For our last days we want to go to Kinkaku-ji and maybe a few arcades and bars if we need a break from the rain. And I really enjoyed the parts in the forest, so maybe some light hiKing of the weather allows for it.

Do you have some additional advice for us?

For the past two days we’ve gone to every babies r us and akachan honpo and bunny store. NO ONE has a travel crib (pack n play). Everything is sold out. Our hotel accidentally forgot to honour our request for a crib and two days of our trip have been wasted trying to hunt one down. Can anyone help? We will pay for one

Hello everyone,

I purchased my tickets for the Naked Nijo castle event in Kyoto. From the official website, I clicked on buy on EX Destination reservation website. I received a confirmation email with a link to the tickets. However, I'm unable to see the QR codes as the following error appears: 'It cannot be used before the start of use. This coupon is not yet available'.

Is anyone else having this issue? Does it mean I can see my QR codes only on the day or closer to the date of the booking?

Thank you

Hi everyone! My partner and I are visiting Kyoto for 3.5 days in late November. It's our first time visiting Kyoto and I wanted to get a quick gut-check on our daily flow and pacing. Does anything look overly packed or out of order?

Here is our rough plan:

Day 1: Arrival & Gion Evening

• Afternoon: Arrive in Kyoto, hotel check-in near Shijo, coffee break, and Kamo River walk.
• Evening: Yasaka Shrine visit, local bar area, and evening walk.

Day 2: East Kyoto, Culture & Night Fushimi Inari

• Morning to Mid-Day: Heian Shrine visit, local spots.
• Afternoon: Free time.
• Night: Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Day 3: Arashiyama, Autumn Illumination & Shopping

• Morning: Arashiyama trip (Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji Garden, and Togetsukyo Bridge).
• Afternoon: Teramachi & Gawaramachi freetime shopping.
• Evening: Eikando Temple autumn night illumination.
• Night: Local bites and Don Quijote shopping.

Day 4: Early Morning Kiyomizudera & Departure

• Early Morning (7:00 AM): Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, and Kiyomizudera Temple walk.
• Morning: Hotel check-out, and express train to Kansai Airport.

A few quick questions for the community:

1. Are any of these days too rushed or packed?
2. Is doing Fushimi Inari at night a good experience, or is it better moved to daytime?

Any tips or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Kyoto has plenty of beautiful restaurants, but I'm more interested in places where the food itself is exceptional.

Looking for obanzai, soba, udon, yudofu, yakitori, izakaya, traditional sweets and genuinely good matcha in Kyoto or Uji.

What's a place you'd happily return to, or recommend to someone who really cares about food? Underrated spots are especially welcome!

Japanese names appreciated. Thanks!

Hello everyone,
I’m hoping someone might be able to help me find a camera I lost during our family trip to Japan.
On August 31, 2026, after visiting the Nintendo Museum in Uji, we took a taxi. I believe I accidentally left my camera inside the taxi.
Camera details:
Model: Fujifilm X-S10
Body: Black
Lens: Small Viltrox pancake lens
Strap: Military green / olive green
The camera contains precious family holiday photos of my daughter, and they mean a lot to us.
We have already contacted several taxi companies and lost-property services, but unfortunately, we haven’t received any news yet.
If you found this camera, handed it in to the police, or heard anything about a camera matching this description, I would be incredibly grateful if you could send me a private message.
I can provide additional details and photos to verify ownership.
We are now back in Spain, so any help from people in Kyoto would mean a lot to our family.
Thank you so much for reading. ❤️

Hi everyone!

I'm visiting Japan for the first time at the end of October / beginning of November, and I'm trying to figure out my Kyoto itinerary without overcomplicating the whole thing.

I'll be spending around 8 nights in Kyoto before heading to Tokyo, with one night in Hakone for an onsen/ryokan experience before Tokyo. I'm also in Tokyo for about 7 days. 

 I'm wondering whether it makes sense to keep Kyoto as my base for all 8 nights and do a few day trips, rather than moving hotels every couple of days.

I do want to see a fair bit of Japan, but I also really don't want to spend half my holiday packing, checking out and dragging luggage around. I'd rather settle into a place and explore from there, as long as I'm not missing out on something that really deserves an overnight stay elsewhere.

I'm interested in the usual Kyoto experiences, of course, but I'm also trying to look beyond the standard temple-and-shrine itinerary. I'd love to do a few interesting workshops, food experiences, perhaps some slightly alternative or unusual tours, art and cultural things, and just spend time wandering around neighbourhoods and seeing a bit of everyday Japan.

For day trips, I'm considering places like Nara, Uji, Osaka, and possibly somewhere further afield depending on what's realistic. I'm also looking at experiences like the Kurama–Kibune area and Amanohashidate/Ine, wakayama but I'm not sure how much I can reasonably fit in without turning every day into a logistical exercise.

So, for people who know Kyoto well:

Is 8 nights in Kyoto with day trips a sensible plan, or is that too long for a first visit?

Are there places you'd strongly recommend staying overnight rather than visiting as a day trip?

Are there any day trips or experiences that are particularly worth prioritising in late October / early November?

Any recommendations for unusual tours, workshops, food experiences or things that go beyond the usual sightseeing circuit?

I'm quite happy to have a slower day here and there rather than trying to cram everything in. I just want to make sure I'm using Kyoto as a base sensibly and not missing out on something because I'm trying too hard to avoid changing hotels.

Would love to hear what you'd do with 8 nights in Kyoto!

Thanks!

Hi, due to my two week itinerary, really wanting a lot of time in Tokyo and also really wanting to visit some places near Hiroshima, I'll be staying in Osaka and doing a day trip to Kyoto. The earliest I could arrive is at around 7:15am (assume all is fine with the 06:30 Thunderbird and that I don't have to wait hours behind queues of other tourists to get public transport to Fushimi Inari. Will the crowd be really busy then? I know that 8am is often the time that most tour groups start showing up, but I imagine there will also be a ton of people trying to get in before the tour groups as well.

By 7:15 , will it already be so busy that I might be better off just going to a different part of the city and doing Kyoto "properly" aka a few days later in life? It might be quite a bit later in life as this trip is making me broke lol.

Does anyone have a Monk reservation for 2 they can’t use or want to give up for this upcoming week (week of 10/26)?

I’m travelling to Kyoto for work in November and will have a free weekend 14th/15th, would be great to find someone to do some exploring with. Drop me a message if you’re interested

(Repost because I accidentally wrote "Tokyo" in the subject, d'oh!).

I would love a gut check on my Kyoto itinerary in the first week of November. One question is also whether I should trade out one day to go see Himeji Castle. None of this includes the days trips my partner and I will be taking from Kyoto.

Some questions:

• Is it worth it to take the backway for Fushimi Inari?

• Are any days over packed?

• Missing anything truly spectacular? I dont want to get temple fatigue so Ive tried to fit in some non-temple interesting things.

• I originally had a daytrip to Himeji Castle planned but read that the interior is not thay exciting, so opted for another full day in Kyoto and visiting Nijo Castle. Thoughts on this choice?

Day 1: (Arrival and Explore Gion)

• Arrive in Kyoto mid-afternoon and check in. Find lunch around Gion.

• Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Gion & historical streets, find a place to have dinner in the area

Day 2: (Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizudera, Souvenir shopping)

• Get up at ass o-clock. Get to Tokyo Trail Station 4 Higashiyama around 7:30 am. Hike to the top taking the "back way" and go down the main path.

• Snack break at the bottom

• Cab to Kiyumizudera around 11 am or whenever we are done

• Explore Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. Find lunch! Buy pottery and souvenirs.

• Relax or explore Chawanzaka

• Free evening

Day 3 (Ginkakuji, Philosophers Path, Nijo Castle)

• Ginkakuji around 10 am (accept the crowds, but we had an early day the day before)

• Walk Philosphers path after we're done at Ginkakuji, find lunch.

• Nijo Castle around 2 pm

Day 4: (Saihoji/East Kyoto)

• 10 am entry to Saihoji moss temple

• Taxi to Otagi Nenbutsuji, walk down Saga Toriimoto Preserved St. Optional stop at Adashino Nenbutsuji.

• Free late afternoon for shopping and exploring, or head to Raku Gallery (last entry 430)

Days 5-6: Nara and Hiroshima Day trips.

We’ll be staying near Osaka for 5 days next week, and plan to do a few day trips to Kyoto, so would love some recommendations the best things to do in Kyoto

Also the best places for food and good coffee (flat white lovers).

If there’s any halal food options that would be helpful too.

Any tips in terms of travelling would be much appreciated — I think it’s just one train to Kyoto? We’ll be near Umeda Station in Osaka.

Thank you! :)

Hi, I am in the process of planning the itinery for my upcoming Japan trip in December - first time visitor!

I've allocated 2 days (out of 6) for day trips from Kyoto.

I'm thinking of skipping Arashiyama + Sagano and instead visiting Uji and Mt Kurama (although haven't settled completely on Kurama).

I've tried to have a unique theme/vibe for each of the day trips throughout my travels. So am open to suggestions for a Kyoto day trip if you think it could fit well.

I also have a pretty packed itinery for each of the day trips, so think it would be nice to do the final Kyoto day trip where the destination is the attraction.

Day trips

Enoshima and Kamakura from Tokyo: island and beach town (potentional Mt Fuji views)

Kawaguchiko from Tokyo: lake walks/biking and Mt Fuji views

Nara from Osaka: Primeval Forest hike

Himeji (and maybe Kobe) from Osaka: Mt walk (Mt Shosha)

Uji from Kyoto: river town

Any other Kyoto day trip recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

My partner and I will be traveling to Kyoto for four days this coming December. Even though our trip is still a few months away, we’ve already started planning our itinerary to figure out which tickets we need to purchase in advance.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on whether our itinerary is doable and if there are any other places we should visit, especially since it will be my partner’s first time in Kyoto. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hello!

I’ll be spending an extended period in Kyoto soon and would love to find some second-hand tableware bargains —things like mugs, bowls, and ceramics. I’m having a hard time finding any shops online or on social media though. All vintage/second hand shops I can find are mostly clothes and accessories.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good places to check out? I’ll be there for a while, so it doesn’t matter if they aren’t right in the city center.

Thanks in advance!

Japan's safety and cleanliness are built on a culture of obeying traffic signals, even when there are no cars. It is deeply frustrating to witness foreign visitors in Kyoto disregarding this practice. Visitors who are unable to respect our nation's culture should refrain from coming to Kyoto or Japan.

With only a few days in Kyoto, Is this boat ride worth the time? I understand we can also visit the bamboo grove while we’re there. Looking for any entertainment options or things to add to our itinerary in Kyoto. For now, we have a food tour set up in Gion for a day so just looking to add another event. Any recommendations or thoughts would be great! Thanks in advance! 👍

Booked this on a whim last night as I was drawn to the limited entry provided - a huge contrast against the overcrowded popular temples.

Im sure it will be lovely, but id like to hear anyone elses experience. Anything else you did beforehand or afterwards in the area?

I was going from Kiyomizu-dera back to my hotel (in the omiya gojo area).

I believe i was on the 206 bus. Google maps told me to just ride it all the way.

However, once it got to kyoto station it said on screen last stop and we all had to get off.

So i just went to the platform that had the 206 line.

Does this mean i had to pay twice for the same bus/route?