Kyoto, Japan - Itnerary Check

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  jsediv on 13/02/2019 - 16:48

  +2

  I did Kyoto in one day on my last trip. Looks like you're trying to cover it all! 5 days will be more than enough. I found after visiting a few temples I wasn't as excited as I wanted to be for the next one.
  Kinkakuji (Gold temple) was my favourite. So peaceful even with thousands of tourists.

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  mi goreng on 13/02/2019 - 17:03

  +1

  Five days is a long time for Kyoto but looks like you're packing the whole of Kyoto in. If you're planning to do everything on you're list you're going to have to be up at the crack of dawn to get a lot of this done. I found Kyoto a little bit harder to get transport around.

  Quick FYI - one of my favourite ramen shops Gogyo is in Kyoto. You can find it near the Nishiki Markets.

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  Caped Baldy on 13/02/2019 - 17:16

  +1

  Looks okay, you may get "templed out". Personally, I found Kyoto underwhelming. There were fair too many tourists in some spots (particularly the bamboo forest which wasn't dense with bamboo at all) and it didn't have any old character to the buildings in the tourist areas.

  If you haven't planned any time for it, I highly recommend going to Osaka especially to check the night life. Dotonbori is fantastic.

  • 

    crentist on 13/02/2019 - 17:49

    +2

    Osaka is under an hour away by local train too, so it's definitely worth at least the $5 trip

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  dazweeja on 13/02/2019 - 17:22

  +2

  If you're not going to Nara at another time in your trip, I'd consider going there for one of the days. 45 minutes on the train.

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  altomic on 13/02/2019 - 17:42

  +1

  do Arashiyama but then walk north-west a couple of KMs.

  head out of kyoto and you get in to large hills. really nice.

  personally all the temples get a bit much.

  the train museum is pretty interesting.

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  crentist on 13/02/2019 - 17:47

  +1

  5 days is a lot for kyoto, but it is a great place to take it slow.
  I'd suggest reconfiguring your 21st and 22nd a bit. Mostly they are both over on the east side, and kinda seem to start around the same point, but head in different directions. But the entire walk along that side (Kiyomizu-Ginkakuji) is only about 5km and can be nicer than the sum of the temples themselves. Might be better to plan it as a long stroll over two days, and just see how far you get on the first, then hop on a bus to Gion in the evening.

  It kinda seems like you are planning to be at each place for a long time. This makes more sense for the out of town areas, and more natural spaces where you can wander about more, than the temples themselves which can be pretty quick, especially the crappier ones or once you are all templed out.

  Think of Kyoto a bit like a small town in the countryside. A short trip (couple of days) works better if you just hit main sights. A longer trip works better if you try to get into the nature of the place, and don't focus so much on the sights themselves. For example, most people check out Fushimi Inari for under an hour and head somewhere else. I like to be there for a few hours and absorb it longer. But it's really just a walk up a mountain path, which means after the first hour I'm not seeing any new sights, and just enjoying a long stroll in a nice area.

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  yoonibear on 13/02/2019 - 17:51

  +1

  Fair number of temples there - like phil said, you might get templed out.
  Suggest doing Fushimi early in the morning (avoid crowds) then hitting up Tofukuji in the afternoon (they close 4-430PM).
  There's a flea market on the 25th of every month at the kitano tenmangu shrine if you can stretch it out that long.
  Also, as it's in the Arashiyama area, you might enjoy the sagano scenic train (they have an open air carraige that's quite nice - get in early for that. we woke up early and lined up before they opened to make sure we got one). Could also end the night at an onsen near the bridge in Arashiyama (fufunoyu) - very relaxing but takes a while to get used to seeing everyone naked

  Most important tip I could give is to not have too much places to visit, best part about Kyoto was that you could wander around and discover hidden shopping streets (one near Nijo - senbon sanjo dori i think - wife also discovered the 100yen stores and literally filled a medium sized suitcase with junk)

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  DarthAntz on 13/02/2019 - 18:05

  +1

  Good timing, a lot of cherry blossoms will be in season. You'll be able to take a lot of photos and you'll see groups of people in the parks picnicking/getting wasted on blue mats. As above, you can do Kyoto in less time. Check out the monkey park to the West, you can get a train there, or search directions on google maps and find the bus number and times.
  Enjoy an onsen and plenty of products made from green tea, like milkshakes and pancakes.
  As above comments, too many temples and Shrines. If you love walking, then stick to your plan. Take the opportunity to go to Osaka and/or Nara.

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  Marty-69 on 13/02/2019 - 19:07

  +2

  I think I spent at least 6 hours at Fushimi Inari Shrine, it's a big walk. Maybe make that a day trip (skip a few other temples) and walk back to your hotel through all the little streets. Lots of nice restaurants and don't forget Kyoto steaks.
  +1 for Nara. Cancel one day Kyoto to go there. Different and worth it.

  • 

    deego on 13/03/2019 - 22:16

    +1 on Nara trip

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  deego on 13/03/2019 - 22:15

  Lived in Kyoto for a couple of years. 2 tips

  1. Climb Fushimi Inari Shrine at night. Creepy as. Lots of statues to the foxes that used to protect the grain from vermin. Story goes that the fox spirits can possess you by entering your body at night via your fingernails. Ive done this a couple of times, once with a group of friends and once just with my wife. Bonus night view of Kyoto from the top.

  2. Silver Pavilion is so much better than Kinkakuji. All that the golden temple has over it is the token kyoto photo you take in front of it (after waiting ages to get a clear shot because of all the tourists. If you do Ginkakuji get off the bus early and walk down the Philosopher's Path, great scenic walk.

  Bonus food tips

  FAMICHIKIN - like 100 Yen from Family Mart - best fried chicken ever

  PIZZA-MAN - steamed pork bun filled with pizza filling instead of pork, available at lots of kombini (https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/the-konbini-connoi…)