Did you know that the Kyoto has over 2000 shrines, temples, castles, zen gardens and other historical sites? Its hard to know which ones to see and how to do it right. I’ll give you all the research in one compact itinerary. This is the perfect way to get around and see the most on your time in this amazing city.
Day one of this itinerary is using trains, taxis and buses. This is perfect if it is rainy weather. Day 2 is best accomplished by renting a bicycle. Best for a warm and sunny day.
Day 1 (5 major stops)
1. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
I wondered if it was worth traveling outside of Kyoto for this sight, but trust me, it is! You’ll be up early, so jump on the train and get started! Once you get off the train, you’ll have to walk about 13 minutes to get to the temple and bamboo grove area. The bamboo grove walk is absolutely incredible. As you emerge from the grove, there was a Garden you can pay 2000 yen to get into. If you go, let me know how you liked it!
2. Tenryu-ji – temple and gardens
We decided to only pay for the gardens and could see plenty of the temple from the grounds. You’ll have great opportunities to see other castle and temple buildings later. The Gardens were stunning with so many different vegetation as well as a pond and religious statues.
There is no easy way to get to other sights from here, so catch a taxi to the next stop.
3. Ryoan-ji Zen garden and Temple
You’ll definitely get into a Zen-like state staring at the perfection of this 15-stone rock garden. The peace is palpable. Loved relaxing in this beautiful place.
Its a 20 min walk from Ryoanji to Kinkaku-ji or a short taxi ride
4. Kinkakuji – Golden Temple
This is the most iconic building in the area. You can only see it from afar, but the gold is stunning and the garden areas set just perfectly. I love the attention to detail the Japanese have. 
Take a bus from Kinkakuji to Nijo Castle.
5. Nijo Castle
We did have to wait in line for a little bit to get into this popular castle. Splurge on the guided tour headphones to understand ore the history and use of the castle. It is a huge castle with grounds and views galore. The architecture and detailed designs make for an interesting stroll.For breakfast, lunch and dinner try out one of the foods from my must-try
Day 2 (10 Major Stops)
If you’re coming from America, you’ll be up early, so take advantage of the crowd-free time to spend at the most famous shrine.
1. Fushimi Inari Shrine
Since it is an outdoor temple, it is free to enter and has no official opening time. It is one of the most famous shrines. Only a few priests were on the premises in the early morning hours. Definitely, take a hike through the 1000s of tori to the top of a mountain for a great view of the city.
From the shrine, take the train to the main Kyoto station and find a bike rental place. You’ll be happy to zip around the city on a bike and you’ll get to take so much more in! Surprisingly, for weary legs, riding a bike is a break! You’ll love sitting down. Just remember to ride on the left side of the road!
2. Kiyomizudera Temple
This place was CROWDED! Even though we followed the instructions to be amongst the first there. I can’t imagine it later in the day! The view from the platform is amazing and the temple is thick and strong. But the crowds were really annoying, so we headed out for a short hike to secluded shady spot.
One of the great things at this temple was un-photographable. We paid 100Y to go into a ‘womb’ (totally dark and tight cavern) and venture through the birth canal to a magical stone before emerging with a new life at the end. Very memorable.
3. Chion-in Temple
After the crazy crowds, this massive and widespread temple area was amazing. Wander around the grounds into the smaller buildings and you might even see monks ringing a massive gong.4. Nanzen’ji Temple and Gardens
Peaceful grounds and a classic temple with another zen rock garden to appreciate. Nanzen means perfect in Japanese.
Right next to this temple, is the
5. Zenrinji(Eikan-do) gardens.
We didn’t fit this in because we wanted to get to the Ginkakuji before it closed, but if you go, share a photo with me! It looks stunning!
6. Preserved Streets and Gion area
Take a ride through old Japan. Keep your eyes open for geisha girls. Enjoy some shopping.
7. Philosopher’s path
It’s on the way to your next site and is a great space to contemplate the meaning of life.
8. Honen-in temple
It’s smaller, but still a free stop along your way.
9. Ginkakuji (silver temple)
The Ginkakuji is a popular place with lots of people. Being shuffled through the crowds made this site not as impressive (to me) as others in Kyoto. The gardens area was quite beautiful, though!
As we returned the bikes we rode around the Kyoto Imperial Palace but found there wasn’t much there to see.
10. Rengeoin Sanjusangendo
This is back near the main train station, if you have time before you drop off the bikes, you will see 1001Buddist Statues in the same room.
How much will this cost?
Some of these venues are free (the temples) and some cost 500-1500 yen per person. Most only accept cash, so make sure you have enough Yen. Don’t run out of cash and have to spend one hour looking for a post office to exchange for dollars (like we did!)
Travel: Use the Japanese Rail pass which covers train and bus costs. We spent about $20 on bike rentals and one taxi ride for $20.
Attraction entry fees: $75 per person on entries to all the different venues.
Food: We saved money on food by eating at convenience stores and train kiosks (see food ideas here). We spent an average of $7 per meal so $42/person for 2 days.
Hotel: We stayed in a very small, but affordable hotel (only $55/night) for 3 nights. It was very close to Fushimi Inari Shrine, but a way out from the other sights in the city.
Altogether, it was around $500 for my husband and me to see Kyoto for 2 days.
How do I get around?
Before you head into the city, when you are on Wi-fi, download the maps of the area. Put a star on each of the areas you plan on visiting. Then when you are walking or riding bikes around, put in your destination and you can navigate right to the location. Of course, you may be sent on an adventure, but isn’t that why you travel? Make sure you save the location of the bike rental so you can easily return them at the end of the day.
This itinerary for a week in Japan includes 2 days in Kyoto.
Make sure to do these bucketlist must-dos in Japan for the full experience!
For more details on these sights, click on these photos to buy a guidebook.
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