Find out how to get around Kyoto, the best times to visit, and sample itineraries.
Kyoto offers a mix of ancient temples and traditional districts like Gion and Arashiyama. To avoid crowds, visit popular sites like Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove early in the morning or late in the evening. Public transport can be crowded, so consider using taxis or walking, and try to experience the local culture through tea ceremonies and traditional inns (ryokan).
From Kyoto Station, take the direct Kyoto City Bus number 205 to Kinkakuji, which takes about 40 minutes and costs 230 yen. Alternatively, it may be quicker and more dependable to take the Karasuma Subway Line to Kitaoji Station (15 minutes, 260 yen) and then take a bus (10 minutes, 230 yen, bus numbers 204 or 205) or taxi (10 minutes, roughly 1500 yen) to Kinkakuji.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second stop on the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station. The journey takes five minutes and costs 150 yen one way; rapid trains do not stop there. Alternatively, you can walk from Fushimi Inari Station on the Keihan Main Line to the shrine.
The JR Sagano Line (also called the JR Sanin Line) provides the fastest route from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama. A one-way ticket to Saga-Arashiyama Station costs 240 yen and takes around 11 minutes. From the station, it's a five to ten-minute walk to the heart of Arashiyama.