Kiyomizu-dera / Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
ITINERARY
Kyoto in 2 Days: East Kyoto on Day 1, Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama on Day 26 stops, in the order with the least travel time
With two days, split Kyoto into two sides — the east (Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari) and the west (Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama) — and you can see both without rushing.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- 2 days, 1 night
- Stops
- 6
- Total travel
- 4 h 12 mintrain & bus
- Stay
- Gion-Shijo Station areaWhere to stay ↓
Saves 54 min of travel compared with the obvious order(5 h 6 min → 4 h 12 min)
Assumes you arrive at Kyoto Station at 10:30 on day 1 and are back at Kyoto Station by 16:30 on the last day (a typical schedule when coming from the Tokyo area).
Route and arrival times
All times are Japan time (JST), in 24-hour format.
Day 110:30–15:37 · travel 1 h 37 min
- 10:30Kyoto Station 京都駅Depart
- ↓ Travel 32 min
- 11:02Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社1 h
- 12:02Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 33 min
- 13:35Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺1 h
- ↓ Travel 23 min
- 14:58Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社30 min
- ↓ Travel 10 min
- 15:37Gion-Shijo Station area 祇園四条駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 209:00–15:35 · travel 2 h 35 min
- 09:00Gion-Shijo Station area 祇園四条駅周辺Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 44 min
- 09:44Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺1 h
- ↓ Travel 45 min
- 11:29Tenryu-ji 天龍寺1 h
- 12:29Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 11 min
- 13:40Togetsukyo Bridge 渡月橋1 h
- ↓ Travel 55 min
- 15:35Kyoto Station 京都駅Arrive
Travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance. They don't include transfers, timetables or opening hours (how far off they can be).
Where to stay
Night 1: Gion-Shijo Station area. An area with plenty of hotels, close to the first stop the next morning.
Visiting different places? Where to stay (general guide)
General guidance, not calculated by this site.
| If you're mainly visiting | Area to stay |
|---|---|
| Kiyomizu-dera and Ginkaku-ji (Higashiyama, east) | Gion-Shijo / Kiyomizu-Gojo 祇園四条・清水五条 |
| Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama (west) | Nijo / Shijo-Omiya 二条・四条大宮 |
| Fushimi Inari and the south | South side of Kyoto Station 京都駅の南側 |
| If you can't decide | Around Kyoto Station 京都駅周辺 |
We don't link to hotel booking sites on English pages yet. Search for the area name on the booking site you use.
If you have time
- Nijo-jo Castle 二条城
- Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺
- Nanzen-ji 南禅寺
- Nishiki Market 錦市場
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
2 notes
- On the last day you finish at Togetsukyo Bridge and get back to Kyoto Station in 55 min (arriving 15:35).
- Night 1: Gion-Shijo Station area. It's 10 min from Yasaka Shrine, the last stop of the day, and 44 min to Kinkaku-ji, the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
FAQ
Can you see these 6 classic Kyoto sights in 2 days?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 15:37, and travel adds up to 4 h 12 min over 2 days (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Where is the most convenient area to stay in Kyoto?
Where you stay on this itinerary: Gion-Shijo Station area. It sits between the last stop of one day and the first stop of the next, and there are plenty of hotels in the area.
Should I visit Kinkaku-ji or Arashiyama first?
Kinkaku-ji. On day 2 this itinerary heads west from Kinkaku-ji to Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge, so the day ends in Arashiyama, where JR Saga-Arashiyama Station has trains straight to Kyoto Station with no change.
How do I get back from Arashiyama to Kyoto Station?
Take the JR line from Saga-Arashiyama Station — it runs to Kyoto Station without a change. This itinerary allows 55 minutes from Togetsukyo Bridge back to Kyoto Station (an estimate based on distance, not a timetable).
Kyoto: 3 days, 2 nights (10 stops) →