Travelomore
Kyoto

Kyoto

Kansai, Japan

Kyoto

Kansai, Japan

HeritageTemplesGardensUNESCO

Temples, tea houses and a thousand years of capital

Japan’s capital for more than a thousand years, and still its cultural heart. Kyoto holds some of the densest temples, shrines and preserved districts in the country: Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama and Gion are all within easy reach of each other. Come for the sights, stay for the evenings in the old lanes of Gion.

Ideal stay3–4 nightsThree nights covers the main temples and Gion. A fourth lets you take Arashiyama slowly, or add a half-day in Nara.
Nearest airportKansai (KIX)1 hr 20 min to Kyoto · Haruka express to Kyoto Station
Getting thereAbout 2 hr 15 min from Tokyo by ShinkansenNozomi trains leave Tokyo Station every few minutes. From Osaka it is about 15 minutes by Shinkansen, and from Kansai Airport about 80 minutes on the Haruka express.
Time zoneGMT+93 hr 30 min ahead of India

Getting around. Buses and two subway lines cover the centre, and taxis are good value for short hops. The sights are spread out, so plan by area: Higashiyama, Arashiyama and the north-west work best on separate days.

Part ofJapanHakone, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka and 2 more cities

Things to do in Kyoto

6 experiences from our activity catalogue

Fushimi Inari TaishaShrineFushimi Inari TaishaThe head shrine of Inari, with thousands of vermilion torii gates climbing Mount Inari.1 hr 30 minFreeKiyomizu-deraTempleKiyomizu-deraA hillside temple whose wooden stage projects over the Higashiyama slope, reached up the Sannenzaka lanes.1 hr 30 minJPY 500 adult · JPY 200 elementary/junior high studentArashiyama Bamboo GroveNatureArashiyama Bamboo GroveThe bamboo path through Sagano, where stems close overhead and the light turns green.20 minFreeGionOld quarterGionKyoto’s best-known geisha quarter — wooden machiya along Hanami-koji and the willow-lined Shirakawa canal.1 hrFreeKinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)TempleKinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)The gold-leafed three-storey pavilion of Rokuon-ji, mirrored in its pond.40 minJPY 500 adult · JPY 300 elementary/junior high studentKyoto Traditional Tea CeremonyCultureKyoto Traditional Tea CeremonyA guided chado tea ceremony with a host, in a traditional Kyoto tea room.45 min

Packages that include Kyoto

Ready-to-book itineraries with Kyoto on the route

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Japan First-Timer6 nightsJapan First-TimerTokyo · 3NKyoto · 3NTokyo and Kyoto in a week, with Fuji and Nara day tripsFrom₹1,25,000 per personView package Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka7 nightsTokyo, Kyoto & OsakaTokyo · 3NKyoto · 2NOsaka · 2NThree cities in eight days, with Fuji, Hakone and a Dotonbori food walkFrom₹1,45,000 per personView package Japan Cultural Journey9 nightsJapan Cultural JourneyTokyo · 3NKanazawa · 1NKyoto · 3NOsaka · 2NTen days through Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and OsakaFrom₹1,75,000 per personView package Japan Scenic & Alpine Route10 nightsJapan Scenic & Alpine RouteTokyo · 3NTakayama · 2NKyoto · 3NOsaka · 2NEleven days adding the Hida mountains and Shirakawa-goFrom₹1,95,000 per personView package Japan Grand Tour12 nightsJapan Grand TourTokyo · 4NHakone · 1NKyoto · 3NHiroshima · 1NOsaka · 3NThirteen days from Tokyo to Hiroshima, with a night in HakoneFrom₹2,35,000 per personView package Luxury Japan14 nightsLuxury JapanTokyo · 4NHakone · 2NKyoto · 4NOsaka · 2NHiroshima · 2NFifteen days, privately guided, with a luxury onsen ryokan in HakoneFrom₹3,40,000 per personView package

Hand-picked hotels

Stays our experts book in Kyoto

Weather and best time to visit

Tap a month to see the details

Best time to visit

November

Autumn foliage usually peaks from mid-November. Book early.

High / Low16° / 7°CRainfall80 mm
Best timeGoodOff seasonOpen-Meteo historical weather (ERA5), 2015–2024 averages
SpringMarch – MayCherry blossom

Blossom usually peaks in the first week of April. It is the most beautiful and the busiest time, so book hotels and key experiences well ahead.

SummerJune – AugustHot and humid

The rainy season runs through June and into July, then it turns hot and humid. Gion Matsuri fills July. Go early in the day to the temples.

AutumnSeptember – NovemberFoliage

Typhoons can still pass in September. The leaves turn from mid-November, and the temple gardens are at their finest then.

WinterDecember – FebruaryQuiet season

Cold and clear, with the fewest visitors and lower hotel rates. Snow on Kinkaku-ji and the temples is rare, so treat it as a bonus.

More cities in Japan

Often paired with Kyoto on the same trip

All of Japan
TokyoTokyo2 hr 15 min by ShinkansenNeon crossings, old temples and the best food in JapanOsakaOsaka15 min by ShinkansenJapan’s kitchen: neon canals, street food and a castleHakoneHakoneHot springs, Lake Ashi and views of Mount FujiKanazawaKanazawa2 hr 15 min by Thunderbird expressSamurai lanes, tea houses and a famous gardenTakayamaTakayamaEdo-period streets in the Japanese Alps