🏯 Kyoto Trip Plan
30 June — 3 July 2026 · 3 nights · Family of 4
Temples, Geisha district, Bamboo, Old Japan
📋 Trip Info
Arrival
Tue 30 Jun 2026, ~12:48 — Kyoto Sta via Nozomi Shinkansen from Tokyo
From
Tokyo Sta via Nozomi (~2h 15m, ¥14,170/adult)
Hotel
Hotel address
240 Shoshoicho, Nakagyo-Ward, Kawaramachi, Kyoto 604-0862
Hotel phone
+81 75 251 1234
Hotel booking
Agoda · Booking ID
666872491 · Ref 150641RA029387 · Visa 7989 ·
📄 VoucherRoom
2 Twin Beds, Bathtub · 3 adults + 1 child
Total paid
€270 (3 nights, 30 Jun – 3 Jul)
Cancellation
Free until 27 Jun 2026
Check-in
From 15:00 on 30 Jun
Check-out
By 11:00 on 3 Jul
Includes
Free hot breakfast (Hyatt Place standard) · daily housekeeping · Hyatt brand service · free WiFi · World of Hyatt points
Departure
Fri 3 Jul morning — Shinkansen / local train to Osaka (~15-30 min)
🔥 Bookings to make:
- Nozomi Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto (30 Jun, ~10:30 dep) — book via Smart-EX · ~¥51,000 family
- Train Kyoto → Osaka (3 Jul morning) — Shinkansen Kodama (15 min) or Hankyu/JR local (30 min, cheaper). Day-of OK
- Consider kimono rental Kyoto if you want a Gion photo experience (Day 1 evening or Day 2)
📷 Each card has a "Photos" button — click to open Google Images with dozens of real photos of that place.
💰 Transit Costs (Kyoto)
Mostly walking + buses + 1-day subway/bus pass. Kyoto is compact; metro covers central area, buses cover temples.
| Item | Family cost (3 adults + 1 child) |
|---|
| Nozomi Tokyo → Kyoto (reserved) | ~¥51,000 (€322) |
| Kyoto City Bus 1-Day Pass × 4 (¥700/adult) | ~¥2,600 (€16) |
| Subway + bus IC card use (Suica/Pasmo works) | ~¥3,000 (€19) |
| Train Kyoto → Osaka (Shinkansen or local) | ~¥1,800 (local) or ¥6,000 (Shinkansen) |
| TOTAL Tokyo→Kyoto+local+→Osaka | ~€370-395 |
Tip: Kyoto Bus + Subway 1-Day Pass (¥1,100/adult) covers both if you do a temple-heavy day.
Theme: Land in Kyoto → vintage open-window train through Hozugawa gorge → bamboo grove → UNESCO Zen temple → yudofu dinner.
10:30 Nozomi Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto (~2h 15m)
12:48 Arrive Kyoto Sta
13:00 Subway Karasuma Line → Karasuma Oike (3 stops, ~6 min) → 5 min walk to Hyatt Place Kyoto
13:20 Drop bags + quick konbini lunch (Airbnb room not ready until 15:00)
13:48 JR Limited Express (Hashidate/Kinosaki/Maizuru) Kyoto Sta → JR Kameoka (~25 min, ¥860/adult)
OR JR Sagano Local (~50 min, ¥510/adult — cheaper but slower)
14:13 Arrive JR Kameoka
14:23 Walk to Torokko Kameoka Station (~10 min)
14:30 🚂 Sagano Romantic Train Kameoka → Arashiyama (~23 min) — BOOKED ✅
14:53 Disembark Torokko Arashiyama (mid-stop)
14:58 Walk to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (3 min)
15:00 Bamboo Grove walk-through
15:45 Tenryū-ji Temple + gardens (¥800 garden + ¥300 buildings)
17:00 Wander Arashiyama old town
17:30 Yudofu early dinner (Kyoto tofu specialty — many restaurants in Arashiyama)
19:00 JR Sagano back to Kyoto Sta → walk/subway to hotel
~20:00 Hotel · early sleep before Day 2
✅ Sagano Torokko BOOKED. 30 Jun 14:30 Kameoka → Arashiyama · 3 adults + 1 child · Booking #ARS_SAGANO_KANKO-20260607-AUCN · E-ticket via linkt.to/EQiputEG. Get off at Torokko Arashiyama (3 min walk to Bamboo Grove).
🗺️ Day 1 Route
🚉 Kyoto Sta (arrive 12:48)
🚇 Karasuma Line · 3 stops to Karasuma Oike · ¥220 · ~6 min
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto (drop bags) — 5 min walk from Karasuma Oike
🚇 Walk/subway back to Kyoto Sta · ~15 min
🚉 Kyoto Sta (JR Sagano Line — Limited Express)
🚆 JR Limited Express · ~25 min · ¥860/adult
🚉 JR Kameoka Sta
🚶 10 min walk to Torokko Kameoka Sta
🚂 Sagano Romantic Train Kameoka → Arashiyama (23 min)
🚶 3 min walk from Torokko Arashiyama Sta
🎋 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove + Tenryū-ji
🚶 5 min walk
🥢 Yudofu dinner Arashiyama
🚆 JR Sagano back · ~15 min
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
Totals: Walking ~1.5h · Train ~1h · Use Kyoto Bus 1-Day Pass or IC card
🗺️ View Day 1 route on Google Maps →
🚂
Sagano Railway
Open-window vintage train
Sagano Scenic Railway (Torokko) — ✅ BOOKED
Open-window vintage train through Hozugawa river gorge. 23 min one-way. 14:30 Kameoka → Arashiyama on Tue 30 Jun, 3 adults + 1 child, ¥3,080 total. Booking #ARS_SAGANO_KANKO-20260607-AUCN. E-ticket only via linkt.to/EQiputEG. Disembark at Torokko Arashiyama (3 min walk to Bamboo Grove). Closed Wednesdays outside peak — Tue ✅ operates.
🎋
Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Famous towering bamboo forest path. Free, ~15 min walk. Mid-afternoon = some crowds but light filtering through is still magical. Right next to Tenryū-ji.
🛕
Tenryū-ji
Zen + gardens
Tenryū-ji Temple
UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple right next to the Bamboo Grove. Famous Sōgen-chi pond garden designed by Musō Soseki (1339) — borrowed-scenery view of Arashiyama hills. ¥800 garden + ¥300 buildings.
⏱️ Tight arrival timing: Nozomi 12:48 arrival → 14:02 Sagano train = ~75 min for bag drop + transit. Cutting it close. If Nozomi runs late, pivot to 15:02 Sagano departure (still fits the Arashiyama plan).
Theme: 10,000 orange torii morning → Kyoto's Kitchen lunch → Higashiyama old streets → Kiyomizu sunset → Gion + Pontocho dinner.
07:30 Breakfast (konbini or hotel)
08:00 JR Nara Line: Kyoto Sta → Inari Sta (~5 min, ¥150)
08:30 Fushimi Inari Taisha — climb through orange torii (~2h, free)
(Early morning = far fewer crowds; walk 20+ min up for empty photos)
10:30 JR Nara back to Kyoto Sta
11:00 Subway/walk to Shijo / Nishiki area
11:15 Nishiki Market 錦市場 — early lunch + snacks (~1.5h)
12:45 Walk through Pontocho area + cross Kamogawa to Gion (~15 min)
13:00 Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社 — free, ~30 min
13:45 Walk into Higashiyama old streets
14:15 Yasaka Pagoda 八坂塔 (Hōkan-ji) — iconic photo stop (~10 min)
14:30 Sannenzaka + Ninenzaka stroll, browsing, matcha café (~2h)
17:00 Free buffer / café rest
17:30 Kiyomizu-dera at sunset (¥400) — wooden stage views
(Sunset Jul 1 ≈ 19:13 so 17:30-19:30 is golden hour)
19:00 Walk back down through Higashiyama to Gion (~20 min)
19:30 Dinner Pontocho Alley (riverside) or Gion side streets
~21:30 Subway / walk back to hotel
🗺️ Day 2 Route
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
🚇 Walk/subway to Kyoto Sta · ~15 min
🚉 Kyoto Sta (JR Nara Line)
🚆 JR Nara · ~5 min · ¥150
🚉 Inari Sta
🚶 2 min walk
⛩️ Fushimi Inari Taisha (10,000 torii)
🚆 JR Nara back · subway · ~15 min
🍱 Nishiki Market (Kyoto's Kitchen)
🚶 Walk through Pontocho / Kamogawa · ~15 min
⛩️ Yasaka Shrine + Gion district
🚶 5 min walk south into Higashiyama
🗼 Yasaka Pagoda (Hōkan-ji) — photo
🚶 5 min walk uphill
🛍️ Sannenzaka + Ninenzaka streets
🚶 10 min uphill walk
⛩️ Kiyomizu-dera (sunset)
🚶 Walk back through Higashiyama to Gion · ~20 min
🍶 Dinner Pontocho / Gion
🚶 / 🚇 back to hotel
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
Totals: Walking ~3h (lots of temple grounds + Fushimi climb) · Train + subway ~1h · Use Kyoto Bus 1-Day Pass (¥700) or IC card
🗺️ View Day 2 route on Google Maps →
⛩️
Fushimi Inari
10,000 torii
Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社
The iconic orange torii gates climbing Mount Inari. Free, open 24/7. Start early morning (08:30) for crowd-free photos. Walk 20-30 min up the mountain even if not summiting — bottom torii are packed but quieter higher up.
🍱
Nishiki Market
Kyoto's Kitchen
Nishiki Market 錦市場
400-year-old covered food street, ~400m long with 130+ stalls. Pickles, yuba, mochi, sweets, knives, tea, fresh dashi-maki tamago. Free to walk, snack-as-you-go. Avoid pork stalls; plenty of seafood + veg options.
👘
Gion + Yasaka Shrine
Geisha quarter
Gion + Yasaka Shrine 祇園 / 八坂神社
Old wooden machiya houses, lantern-lit alleys, geisha/maiko sightings at dusk on Hanamikoji St. Yasaka Shrine free, glowing at night. Cross Kamogawa from Pontocho to enter Gion.
🗼
Yasaka Pagoda
Iconic photo spot
Yasaka Pagoda 八坂塔 (Hōkan-ji)
5-story wooden pagoda (46m) — THE iconic Kyoto photo, framed at the end of a sloping Higashiyama street. Free walk-past, ~10 min for photos. On the natural walk between Gion and Sannenzaka.
🛍️
Sannenzaka + Ninenzaka
Old stone streets
Sannenzaka + Ninenzaka 三年坂 / 二年坂
Old preserved stone-paved sloped streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera. Wooden machiya houses, souvenir shops, matcha cafés, kimono rentals. Most photogenic part of Higashiyama. Free.
⛩️
Kiyomizu-dera
Sunset views
Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺
Iconic wooden temple on a hillside with city views. Famous "wooden stage" built without nails. Approached via Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka old streets. ¥400. Sunset Jul 1 ≈ 19:13.
Pontocho Alley 先斗町
Narrow lantern-lit alley along Kamogawa River. Dozens of restaurants — kaiseki, yakitori, sushi. Most atmospheric dinner spot in Kyoto. After Kiyomizu sunset, walk through Gion to here.
🌅 Pro tip: Fushimi Inari is much quieter before 09:00 — that's why we start at 08:30. The bottom torii are packed by 10:30. Climb 20-30 min up the mountain for empty-corridor photos.
Theme: Free-roaming deer, Japan's giant bronze Buddha, 3,000-lantern shrine, ancient capital.
08:00 Breakfast at hotel
08:45 Walk to Kyoto Sta / Kintetsu Kyoto Sta
09:10 Kintetsu Kyoto → Kintetsu Nara (Limited Express, ~35 min, ¥1,160/adult)
OR JR Nara Line Rapid (~45 min, ¥720/adult — cheaper)
10:00 Arrive Kintetsu Nara Sta — walk 10 min to Nara Park
10:15 Nara Park — deer feeding 🦌 (shika senbei crackers ¥200/pack)
11:00 Tōdai-ji 東大寺 — Great Buddha Hall (15m bronze Buddha), ¥600
12:15 Lunch in Naramachi old town (vegetarian shojin or kakinoha-zushi)
13:30 Walk through Kasuga Taisha 春日大社 — 3,000 stone & bronze lanterns (free outer, ¥500 inner)
14:30 Walk back via Nara Park to Kofuku-ji 興福寺 5-story pagoda + Sarusawa Pond
15:30 More deer photos + souvenirs in Higashimuki shopping arcade
16:15 Walk to Kintetsu Nara Sta
16:30 Train back to Kyoto (~35 min)
17:15 Back in Kyoto — rest at hotel
19:00 Dinner in Pontocho or Nishiki area
~21:30 Back to hotel
🗺️ Day 3 Route
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
🚇 Walk / Karasuma Line to Kyoto Sta · ~15 min
🚉 Kintetsu Kyoto Sta
🚆 Kintetsu Limited Express · ~35 min · ¥1,160/adult
🚉 Kintetsu Nara Sta
🚶 10 min walk east
🦌 Nara Park (deer feeding)
🚶 5 min walk
🛕 Tōdai-ji — Great Buddha Hall
🚶 10 min walk south to Naramachi
🍱 Lunch in Naramachi old town
🚶 15 min walk east
🏮 Kasuga Taisha — lantern shrine
🚶 15 min walk back west
🏯 Kofuku-ji 5-story pagoda + Sarusawa Pond
🚶 5 min to Higashimuki arcade + station
🚉 Kintetsu Nara Sta
🚆 Kintetsu Limited Express back · ~35 min
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
Totals: Walking ~4-5 km (mostly flat park paths) · Train ~70 min total · Family transit ~¥7,000 round-trip
🗺️ View Day 3 route on Google Maps →
🦌 Deer tip: The deer in Nara Park are wild but accustomed to humans. Buy "shika senbei" (deer crackers, ¥200/pack) from licensed vendors. Bow to a deer — they bow back! But hold crackers above head once empty or you'll get nibbled. Watch hands/bags around babies.
🦌
Nara Park
1,200 wild deer
Nara Park 奈良公園
660-hectare park with ~1,200 free-roaming sika deer (national treasure of Japan). They bow for senbei crackers (¥200). Kids' favorite. Free entry, ~1h to explore main area.
🛕
Tōdai-ji
Great Buddha (Daibutsu)
Tōdai-ji 東大寺 — Great Buddha Hall
UNESCO. World's largest wooden building (until 1998), housing a 15m bronze Buddha (Daibutsu) cast 752 CE. Awe-inspiring scale. ¥600/adult, ¥300/child. Don't miss the "Buddha's nostril" pillar with the hole kids can crawl through (good luck!).
🏮
Kasuga Taisha
3,000 lanterns
Kasuga Taisha 春日大社
UNESCO Shinto shrine founded 768. Famous for 3,000+ stone & bronze lanterns donated by worshipers over centuries. Vermillion buildings against deep forest. Free to enter outer area; inner sanctum ¥500. Atmospheric, deer roam through.
🏯
Kofuku-ji
5-story pagoda
Kofuku-ji 興福寺 (5-Story Pagoda)
UNESCO. Iconic 50m vermillion 5-story pagoda (second-tallest in Japan after Tō-ji), built 730 (current rebuild 1426). Free to admire outside; National Treasure Hall ¥700. Next to Sarusawa Pond — perfect reflection photo.
🏘️
Naramachi
Old merchant town
Naramachi ならまち — Old Town Lunch
Preserved Edo-era machiya (wooden townhouses) now converted to cafés, craft shops, small museums. Best for lunch — try kakinoha-zushi (persimmon-leaf sushi, Nara specialty) or shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist).
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Pack & check out (by 09:30)
09:30 Subway/walk to Kyoto Sta — store bags in coin lockers (¥700)
10:00 Walk to Tō-ji 東寺 (8 min south of Kyoto Sta)
10:15 Tō-ji — 5-story pagoda (tallest in Japan, UNESCO) + Kondō hall, ~45 min, ¥500
11:00 Walk back to Kyoto Sta, retrieve bags
11:30 Train to Osaka — choose:
- Shinkansen Kodama 15 min (~¥6,000 family)
- JR Special Rapid 30 min (~¥1,800 family) ← recommended
- Hankyu Limited Express 45 min from Kawaramachi (~¥1,800)
12:30 Arrive Osaka, check in to hotel
🗺️ Departure Route — to Osaka
🏨 Hyatt Place Kyoto
🚇 Karasuma Line to Kyoto Sta · ~5 min · ¥220
🚉 Kyoto Sta (drop bags in coin lockers)
🚶 8 min walk south
🗼 Tō-ji 東寺 — 5-story pagoda (UNESCO)
🚶 Walk back · ~8 min
🚉 Kyoto Sta — pick up bags
🚆 JR Special Rapid · ~30 min · ¥570/adult (cheapest)
OR 🚄 Shinkansen Kodama · 15 min · ¥1,420/adult (fastest)
🚉 Osaka Sta (Umeda) OR Shin-Osaka Sta (if Shinkansen)