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Itinerary · Kansai

First-Time Kyoto Classics: 3 Days, 2 Nights

🗺 3 days, 2 nightsAll year
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Overview

Overview

A route covering Kyoto's signature sights, including Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama and Nijo Castle, in three days. Each day focuses on one area (the south and Higashiyama, the northwest, then the center and Okazaki), so you transfer between buses and trains less.

Best for
First-time visitors to Kyoto, and travelers who mainly want to enjoy temples, shrines and walking around town
When to go
Year-round. Cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons are especially crowded, so visit popular temples and shrines early in the morning.
Where to stay
Kyoto City
Where to stay in KyotoKyoto Station Area・Shijo-Karasuma & Karasuma-Oike・Shijo-Kawaramachi & Pontocho・Gion & Higashiyama

Highlights

  • ✓Fushimi Inari's endless torii and a walk through Higashiyama's sloping lanes
  • ✓Moving through the northwest in one direction, from Kinkaku-ji to Ninna-ji and Arashiyama
  • ✓A final day walking from Nijo Castle to the Philosopher's Path
Day by day

Day-by-day plan

Day 1From Fushimi Inari to Higashiyama

Head south from Kyoto Station to Fushimi Inari and Tofuku-ji, then move to Higashiyama in the afternoon and walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Kodai-ji. You start in the south near the station and come down Higashiyama's slopes in the evening.

  1. Getting there
    Tokyo → Kyoto →

    Take the shinkansen to Kyoto Station. For details, see the intercity travel guide. Leave your luggage in a station coin locker or at your hotel to travel light.

  2. 1
    📍

    Fushimi Inari Taisha

    Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Inari Station. The crowds thin out the further you go through the torii tunnel, so if you have time, climb partway up Mt. Inari.

    Official site ↗
  3. 2
    🍁 Autumn leaves

    Tofukuji Temple

    A Zen temple close to Fushimi Inari, famous for the ravine you look down on from Tsutenkyo Bridge. Outside foliage season, it is relatively calm.

    View guide →
  4. 3
    🍁 Autumn leaves

    Kiyomizu-dera Temple

    Move to Higashiyama and visit the famous stage of Kiyomizu-dera. The approaches, Kiyomizu-zaka and Sannenzaka, are lined with souvenir shops you can browse on the way up.

    View guide →
  5. 4
    🍁 Autumn leaves

    Kodaiji Temple

    From Kiyomizu-dera, walk north along Ninenzaka and Nene-no-Michi. Arriving in the evening puts you in a good spot to head into Gion for dinner.

    View guide →
🛏 Where to stay：Around Gion and Kawaramachi or around Kyoto Station. Since you go west on day 2 and east on day 3, the Shijo-Karasuma area, with easy subway and bus access, is also convenient.
PR🏨 Find hotels near Kyoto CityAgoda →

Day 2From Kinkaku-ji to Ninna-ji and Arashiyama

Head west from Kinkaku-ji in the north, through Ninna-ji to Arashiyama, moving across the city's northwest in one direction.

  1. 1
    📍

    Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji)

    Take a city bus to Kinkakuji-michi in the morning. The classic photo spot for the Golden Pavilion across Kyoko-chi Pond is just a short way along the path.

    Official site ↗
  2. 2
    🌸 Cherry blossoms

    Ninna-ji Temple (Omuro Cherry Blossoms)

    From Kinkaku-ji, follow the Kinukake-no-Michi west to Ninna-ji. Its spacious grounds include the Niomon Gate and a five-story pagoda.

    View guide →
  3. 3
    🌸 Cherry blossoms

    Arashiyama (Togetsukyo Bridge)

    Take the Randen (Keifuku Electric Railroad) from Omuro-Ninnaji Station to Arashiyama. Have lunch around Togetsukyo Bridge and walk along the river.

    View guide →
  4. 4
    🍁 Autumn leaves

    Hogon-in Temple (Arashiyama)

    A sub-temple of Tenryu-ji with a garden that incorporates the Arashiyama scenery. It is open to the public only during limited periods, so check the guide before visiting.

    View guide →
🛏 Where to stay：Staying another night at the same hotel as day 1 means you do not have to move your luggage.
PR🏨 Find hotels near Kyoto CityAgoda →

Day 3Nijo Castle, Okazaki and the Philosopher's Path

After visiting Nijo Castle, take the Tozai subway line east and walk north from Heian Jingu to the Philosopher's Path.

  1. 1
    🌸 Cherry blossoms

    Nijo-jo Castle

    Right by Nijojo-mae subway station. Tour the Ninomaru Palace and gardens.

    View guide →
  2. 2
    🌸 Cherry blossoms

    Heian Jingu Shrine Garden

    Take the subway to Higashiyama Station and walk to Heian Jingu in Okazaki. Behind the shrine buildings is a garden that circles a pond.

    View guide →
  3. 3
    🍁 Autumn leaves

    Eikando (Zenrinji) Temple

    Walk east from Heian Jingu to Eikando. Nanzen-ji is also close by, so you can visit it too if you have time.

    View guide →
  4. 4
    🌸 Cherry blossoms

    Philosopher’s Path

    Finish by walking the Philosopher's Path along the canal from north of Eikando toward Ginkaku-ji. Return to Kyoto Station by bus.

    View guide →

Sample itineraries from day trips to 5 days, by region and season. Every stop links to its guide, and you can save any itinerary as your own trip plan and rearrange it day by day.

Tips

Tips

  • •Staying in one hotel for both nights, around Kyoto Station or Shijo, makes daily travel easier.
  • •Buses to Higashiyama and Arashiyama get crowded at busy times, so combining trains (JR, Keihan, Randen and the subway) makes getting around easier.
  • •Places such as Hogon-in are only open during set periods, so check the latest information in each guide before you go.
Itineraries

More itineraries in this region

🗺 Day tripAutumn

Nara Autumn Day Trip: Nara Park Foliage and the Shosoin Exhibition

Kansai ・ 4 stops ・ October・November

A day trip that takes you through Nara Park in autumn, to Kasuga Taisha and Todai-ji, and then to the Shosoin Exhibition, held only at this time of year. You can walk from the station to the museum, making it well suited to a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.

🗺 2 days, 1 nightSpring

Kyoto Cherry Blossom Tour: 2 Days, 1 Night

Kansai ・ 7 stops ・ March・April

A spring-only route that visits Kyoto's famous cherry blossom spots, including Daigo-ji, Maruyama Park, the Philosopher's Path, Heian Jingu, Nijo Castle, Ninna-ji and Arashiyama, in two days. It combines spots that bloom at slightly different times and groups them by area.

🗺 2 days, 1 night

Osaka Classics: 2 Days, 1 Night with Osaka Castle, Shinsekai and Kaiyukan

Kansai ・ 8 stops

A one-night route from and back to Kansai Airport that covers Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, the Kaiyukan aquarium and an observatory in Umeda. Day 1 focuses on the Minami side and day 2 on Osaka Port and Umeda, keeping each day within its own area.

All itineraries →

Check prices, opening hours and access on each stop’s guide and official website. Seasonal events and peak seasons vary from year to year.

Official sources

Information as of 2026-10-13

PRKlookArashiyama sightseeingBamboo grove, Togetsukyo Bridge and seasonal colorsView