Kiyomizu-dera / Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
ITINERARY
3 Days in Kyoto: One Area per Day, Two Nights near Kawaramachi10 stops, in the order with the least travel time
Kyoto's sights are spread out from east to west, so the order you visit them in — and where your hotel is — makes a big difference to how long you spend getting around. This itinerary gives each day one part of the city.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Stops
- 10
- Total travel
- 6 h 35 mintrain & bus
- Stay
- Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station areaWhere to stay ↓
Saves 2 h 38 min of travel compared with the obvious order(9 h 13 min → 6 h 35 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 110:30–15:42 · travel 1 h 42 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 15 min
- 15:42Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area 京都河原町駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 209:00–16:03 · travel 2 h 18 min
- 09:00Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area 京都河原町駅周辺Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 30 min
- 09:30Nijo-jo Castle 二条城1 h
- ↓ Travel 41 min
- 11:10Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺1 h
- 12:10Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 28 min
- 13:38Nanzen-ji 南禅寺1 h
- ↓ Travel 31 min
- 15:09Nishiki Market 錦市場45 min
- ↓ Travel 9 min
- 16:03Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area 京都河原町駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 309:00–15:34 · travel 2 h 34 min
- 09:00Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area 京都河原町駅周辺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
- 15:34Kyoto 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
Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area for all 2 nights. 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
- Sanjusangen-do 三十三間堂
- Heian Jingu Shrine 平安神宮
- To-ji 東寺
- Kitano Tenmangu Shrine 北野天満宮
- Kyoto Imperial Palace 京都御所
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
7 notes
- Nijo-jo Castle: planned for around 09:30 (this itinerary arrives at 09:30). Last entry is at 16:00, so it's the first stop on the morning of day 2.
- Each day covers one area: day 1 goes from Fushimi Inari Taisha north through Higashiyama to Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine; day 2 runs from Nijo-jo Castle to Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji, then Nishiki Market; day 3 goes from Kinkaku-ji to Arashiyama (Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge).
- Both nights are near Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station, so you can leave your luggage at the hotel and travel light.
- Day 3 ends in Arashiyama at Togetsukyo Bridge, so you can ride straight back to Kyoto Station from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station without changing trains.
- On the last day you finish at Togetsukyo Bridge and get back to Kyoto Station in 55 min (arriving 15:34).
- Night 1: Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area. It's 15 min from Yasaka Shrine, the last stop of the day, and 30 min to Nijo-jo Castle, the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
- Night 2: Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station area. It's 9 min from Nishiki Market, 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 10 classic Kyoto sights in 3 days?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 16:03, and travel adds up to 6 h 35 min over 3 days (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Where is the most convenient area to stay in Kyoto?
This itinerary uses the same base for all 2 nights: Kyoto-Kawaramachi 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. Head west from Kinkaku-ji to Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge and finish the day in Arashiyama — from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station you can ride to Kyoto Station without changing trains.
Should I visit Fushimi Inari or Kiyomizu-dera first?
Fushimi Inari Taisha. It's south of Kyoto Station, so starting there and working north to Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine means no doubling back.
What time is last entry at Nijo-jo Castle?
16:00. This itinerary puts Nijo-jo Castle first thing on day 2, at 09:30.
Do I need to change hotels during the 3 days?
No. Both nights are near Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station, so you can keep the same hotel and leave your luggage there each day.
Kyoto: 2 days, 1 night (6 stops) →