Inside Kyoto | Kyoto Travel Guide

Make the most of your trip to Kyoto with our comprehensive Kyoto itineraries and rundown of essential attractions in each of Kyoto’s fascinating districts

Kyoto Itineraries

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1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 4-day and 5-day itineraries to help you make the most of Kyoto. Read More

First Time In Kyoto

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First visit to Kyoto? Here’s everything you need to know on one page. Read More

Kyoto Ryokan

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Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns and a quintessential Kyoto experience. Read More

Kyoto Hotels

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Kyoto has a wide variety of excellent hotels in all budget classes. Here are my top picks. Read More

Kyoto Machiya

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Machiya are traditional Japanese townhouses available as vacation rentals. Read More

Kyoto Places To Eat

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Kyoto has a huge mix of places to eat, from haute cuisine to hole-in-the-wall gyoza. Read More

Where To Stay In Kyoto

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Our full breakdown of the best places to stay in Kyoto, along with my picks for the best accommodation. Read More

Packing List For Japan

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Use my comprehensive packing list to ensure you’ve got everything you need to make your Japan trip hassle free. Read More

Things To Do In Kyoto

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Our comprehensive list of the best things to do in Kyoto will help you make the most of your time in the city. Read More

Romantic Kyoto

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If you’re in search of a romantic hideaway for your Kyoto trip, here are our top picks for Kyoto’s most romantic places to stay. Read More

Kyoto Walking Tours

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Chris Rowthorn Tours offers private guided Kyoto walking tours for groups of 1 to 6 people. Read More

Kyoto Districts

image © Jeffrey Friedl
Explore Kyoto’s famous temples, secret alleyways and zen gardens with our easy to follow guides. Read More

Kyoto Events

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See the full rundown of fascinating events happening this month in Kyoto. Read More

Getting Around Kyoto

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Make the most of Kyoto’s excellent bus system, taxis and trains. Read More

Destination

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Japan Travel Guides

There are several must-see destinations in Japan within easy reach of Kyoto. They all make great additions to any Kyoto itinerary. These concise guides provide details about what to see and do.

New And Updated On Inside Kyoto 2026

NEW Genji Kyoto Machiya – Genji Kyoto Machiya is a beautifully renovated Meiji-era townhouse that offers one of Kyoto’s more appealing combinations of traditional atmosphere and contemporary comfort. Read More
NEW How to Understand and Use JR Train Tickets – Japan’s JR train ticket system can look intimidating at first, especially when you encounter unfamiliar terms like “basic fare” and “limited express fare.” The good news is that the system is actually fairly logical once you understand how Japan train tickets work. Read More
NEW How to Use JR Online Booking Systems – Japan’s regional JR online booking systems are easy to use once you understand how JR train tickets work. This guide uses the JR East booking system as an example, but the same basic process applies to most regional JR booking systems in Japan, including JR West, JR Kyushu and others. Read More
NEW Sushiro Kyoto Gion – Sushiro Kyoto Gion is the perfect place for a casual and fun sushi lunch or dinner while exploring Gion and Southern Higashiyama, especially if you have kids, who tend to love automatic sushi places (kaiten sushi). Read More
NEW Tanigawa Seijiro Shoten – Tucked away in Kyoto is a shop that preserves a form of tobacco culture most of Japan has long since left behind. Tanigawa Seijiro Shoten, founded in the Kyoho era (1716–1736), is the country’s only remaining specialist in kiseru – traditional Japanese tobacco pipes. Read More
NEW teamLab Biovortex Kyoto – What is teamLab Biovortex Kyoto? An immersive forest of digital art a short walk from Kyoto Station. If you’ve had your fill of temples and shrines, teamLab Biovortex Kyoto offers a complete change of pace. Biovortex combines light, sound, projection, movement and interactivity to create something that feels part art installation, part dreamscape and part science-fiction film. Read More
NEW Willow House – Willow House is a beautifully restored machiya in Kyoto’s Gosho Minami district, one of the city’s most attractive residential neighborhoods. With a minimum stay of 30 days, it is designed for those who want to try living in the city for a while. Read More
UPDATED Best New Hotels in Kyoto 2026 – Several great new hotels have opened in Kyoto in the last year or so. Many are located in the convenient Higashiyama area. We’re happy to see an effort to showcase local Japanese style. Here are our favorite new hotels in Kyoto as of June 2026. Read More
UPDATED How to Buy Japan Rail Tickets Online – People worry about buying Japan train tickets online, especially before arriving in Japan, but it’s remarkably easy. You just need to know which system to use for the tickets you want. Here’s the simple breakdown. Read More
UPDATED How To Purchase Shinkansen Tickets from Ticket Machines – Ticket counters and ticket offices at JR stations can be crowded, especially during rush hour and holiday periods. The solution is to use ticket machines, which are surprisingly easy to use and usually have short lines or no lines at all. Read More
UPDATED Kyoto Ryokan: How to Choose the Right One – A night or two in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) is an essential Japanese experience and Kyoto is the place to do it. Here are my top ryokan picks which I’ve personally inspected or stayed in. And if you need more explanation about ryokan, just scroll a bit further. Read More
UPDATED Where To Stay in Kyoto 2026 – Where is the best place to stay in Kyoto? Here’s the simple answer based on my 20 years of living in the city and the experiences of my friends, family and hundreds of clients. Read More

Kyoto Vacation Checklist

ESSENTIALS – For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide
HOTELS – Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
BULLET TRAIN – You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo
WHERE TO STAY – Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
PACKING LIST – See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
SIM CARDS – You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airports or Kansai International Airport. You can also rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
FLIGHTS – Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
JAPAN RAIL PASS – If you're making frequent train journeys during your visit, you might save money with Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
TRAVEL INSURANCE – World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
WANT HELP? – Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help

Kyoto District Map

Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation

About InsideKyoto.com and Chris Rowthorn

Chris Rowthorn is the co-founder of InsideKyoto.com and has an unparalleled travel knowledge of Kyoto spanning three decades. Chris has written or commissioned and edited every page on the Inside Kyoto website.
A former author of Lonely Planet Kyoto and Lonely Planet Japan guidebooks, Chris is also the director of the Kyoto walking tour company Chris Rowthorn Tours, and Japan Travel Consulting, where you can get bespoke travel advice for your Japan trip.
InsideKyoto.com has been cited by the New York Times and The Times of London, among many other publications and websites.

Your Kyoto Travel Guide