{"id":2152,"date":"2017-09-19T17:33:22","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T15:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/?page_id=2152"},"modified":"2026-07-22T10:41:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:41:59","slug":"kyoto-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide","title":{"rendered":"Kyoto travel guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kyoto, located in the central part of the island of Honshu, is considered by many as <strong>Japan\u2019s most beautiful city<\/strong>. Kyoto was the Japanese capital until the government was moved to Tokyo in 1868.<\/p>\n<p>However, Kyoto is still Japan\u2019s religious center with over 1000 Buddhist temples. Kyoto is home to some of <strong>Japan\u2019s most iconic landmarks<\/strong>, with some of the most exquisite gardens, temples, and masterpieces you will ever see.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Discover Kyoto<\/strong> with the help of our guides. From getting around the city, where to eat, and what to see and do, our guides tell you everything you need to know.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_white no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Top_attractions_in_Kyoto\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Top attractions in Kyoto<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Getting_around_Kyoto\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> Getting around Kyoto<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Main_train_stations_in_Kyoto\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Main train stations in Kyoto<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Itineraries_and_nearby_attractions\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Itineraries and nearby attractions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Day_trips_and_nearby_destinations\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Day trips and nearby destinations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Top_attractions_in_Kyoto\">Top attractions in Kyoto<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As one of Japan\u2019s largest cities and a <strong>top tourist destination<\/strong>, there is plenty to see and do in Kyoto.<\/p>\n<p>To help you decide what to visit during your time in Kyoto, have a look at our detailed guides to some of the city\u2019s <strong>best attractions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The Arashiyama bamboo grove, Nijo Castle, and the thousand red torii gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine are just some of the highlights.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Getting_around_Kyoto\">Getting around Kyoto<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Kyoto has an <strong>excellent public transport system<\/strong>: the city has efficient rail and bus networks. Getting around Kyoto and the surrounding areas is easy with your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/the-japan-rail-pass\">Japan Rail Pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll usually be able to choose from several options to get you from A to B in Kyoto. To save time once you arrive in the city, it\u2019s a <strong>good idea to plan transport<\/strong> in advance.<\/p>\n<p>Our guides to trains, buses and other modes of transport will help you prepare for your visit.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Main_train_stations_in_Kyoto\">Main train stations in Kyoto<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Kyoto Station is a main transportation hub in western Japan. It houses 2 separate stations: <strong>JR Kyoto Station<\/strong> and <strong>Kintetsu Kyoto Station<\/strong>. The impressive glass and steel building was designed by an award-winning architect and is home to many shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>There are other stations that you may wish to use during your stay. Check out our guides to find out more about train stations in Kyoto and help you plan your journeys.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Itineraries_and_nearby_attractions\">Itineraries and nearby attractions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To get the most out of your stay in Kyoto, it\u2019s important to <strong>have an itinerary<\/strong>. We\u2019ve put together several options depending on how long you will stay in the city and which attractions you\u2019re interested in seeing.<\/p>\n<p>Using our itineraries, you can <strong>make the most of every minute<\/strong> of your time in Kyoto. Don\u2019t miss out on any of the best sites, and enjoy some of the finest cuisine the city has to offer.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Day_trips_and_nearby_destinations\">Day trips and nearby destinations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While there\u2019s lots to see and do in Kyoto city center, you might also want to <strong>explore the surrounding areas<\/strong>. There are many interesting nearby towns that you can visit on a day trip to Kyoto.<\/p>\n<p>Here you\u2019ll find guides to some of the <strong>most popular places close to Kyoto<\/strong> and how to get there. If you\u2019re spending a few days in the city, these are great options to see a bit more of Japan during your vacation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kyoto, located in the central part of the island of Honshu, is considered by many as Japan\u2019s most beautiful city. Kyoto was the Japanese capital until the government was moved to Tokyo in 1868. However, Kyoto is still Japan\u2019s religious center with over 1000 Buddhist temples. Kyoto is home to some of Japan\u2019s most iconic landmarks, with some of the most exquisite gardens, temples, and masterpieces you will ever see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10656,"parent":2011,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"acf":{"related_tours":{"tour_number":false},"bread_1":false,"bread_2":false,"bread_3":false,"bread_4":false,"bread_5":false,"bread_6":false,"bread_7":false,"bread_last":false,"custom_guide":"Kyoto","shortcodes":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Kyoto: City Travel Guide | JRailPass<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover Kyoto with the JR Pass: how to get around, things to do, what to see and the best temples, gardens and attractions in the Kansai area.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2152\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kyoto: City Travel Guide | JRailPass\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover Kyoto with the JR Pass: how to get around, things to do, what to see and the best temples, gardens and attractions in the Kansai area.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-22T08:41:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/cherry-blossoms-kyoto.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide\",\"name\":\"Kyoto: City Travel Guide | JRailPass\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-09-19T15:33:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-22T08:41:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"Discover Kyoto with the JR Pass: how to get around, things to do, what to see and the best temples, gardens and attractions in the Kansai area.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\/kyoto-travel-guide#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Japan Travel Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Best cities to visit in Japan\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/cities\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Kyoto travel guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Japan Rail Pass Travel Blog | JRailPass\",\"description\":\"Discover Japan by train with the Japan Rail Pass\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Japan Rail Pass S.L. - 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