Things to do in Kyoto in a day?

cj iwakura

I'm going (back) to Tokyo in April, but I'm also going with a friend, so we were thinking of taking a day trip to the old capital via bullet train.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

It looks really daunting. Is it as navigable as Tokyo? I never left there when I went last time, so I was wanting to see more of the country this time.

If Kyoto's too much, is there a better alternative? We'll be there for a week, and we weren't planning on getting separate hotels anywhere(we're just staying in Shinjuku).

Delzhand

Kyoto doesn't have as much of a public transit system, so it's a little harder to get around in my experience. Kyoto has amazing old architecture and there's plenty to do (we did a samurai experience and a geisha tea time experience among other things), but if you're timeboxed by the bullet train you might find it hard to get the most out of it. A lot of locals use bikes to cut down on walking time, but it seems like that's only workable if you don't need to check your phone for directions.

Busses can be an option, but your Tokyo IC cards won't work, you'll need to have cash.

Skeith

The bus system was okay when I was there, but you're going to be racing around a bit. You should be able to make it to Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizudera without much issue, but you'd have to choose between Fushimi-Inari or the Arashiyama bamboo forest.

Delzhand

Fushimi-Inari is super convenient - there's a train station like 50 feet from the entrance so that's a good option if you're there on a day trip. It's a cool train station, too. It's tiny but all the support beams are painted like the torii gates.

Ignus

I visited twice. Once with a friend, once with my wife. Both times we rented a bicycle and just went sightseeing with google maps. It was lots of fun. Both times we picked one or two easily attainable goals (a temple, hiking spot, brewery) and just visited whatever temple, bar or restaurant we found along the way.

cckerberos

Bus was the primary way tourists got around Kyoto because there was a super convenient one-day pass available, but I vaguely recall reading that they're ending that due to overtourism. There are a lot of good tourist sites concentrated in the eastern part of the city from Kiyomizudera to Ginkakuji, but Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, Nijo-jo, and Fushimi Inari are kinda spread around the city.

Frankly speaking, I'm skeptical that it's worth spending 30,000 yen and 6 hours on a train to spend half a day in Kyoto. If you're looking to get out of Tokyo (and you should), I'd take a look at Kamakura, Matsumoto, Nikko, or Kawagoe.

Delzhand wrote: »

Busses can be an option, but your Tokyo IC cards won't work, you'll need to have cash.

There may be private bus lines where they don't work, but you can use Suica/Pasmo on municipal buses.

cj iwakura

cckerberos wrote: »

Bus was the primary way tourists got around Kyoto because there was a super convenient one-day pass available, but I vaguely recall reading that they're ending that due to overtourism. There are a lot of good tourist sites concentrated in the eastern part of the city from Kiyomizudera to Ginkakuji, but Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, Nijo-jo, and Fushimi Inari are kinda spread around the city.

Frankly speaking, I'm skeptical that it's worth spending 30,000 yen and 6 hours on a train to spend half a day in Kyoto. If you're looking to get out of Tokyo (and you should), I'd take a look at Kamakura, Matsumoto, Nikko, or Kawagoe.

My only concern, gorgeous as those areas look, is the train rides seem just as long as one to Kyoto would be.

cckerberos

cj iwakura wrote: »

cckerberos wrote: »

Bus was the primary way tourists got around Kyoto because there was a super convenient one-day pass available, but I vaguely recall reading that they're ending that due to overtourism. There are a lot of good tourist sites concentrated in the eastern part of the city from Kiyomizudera to Ginkakuji, but Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, Nijo-jo, and Fushimi Inari are kinda spread around the city.

Frankly speaking, I'm skeptical that it's worth spending 30,000 yen and 6 hours on a train to spend half a day in Kyoto. If you're looking to get out of Tokyo (and you should), I'd take a look at Kamakura, Matsumoto, Nikko, or Kawagoe.

My only concern, gorgeous as those areas look, is the train rides seem just as long as one to Kyoto would be.

That's not really the case; Kamakura is an hour away from Tokyo and costs less than a thousand yen to get to.

The farthest, Matsumoto, is two and a half hours away, so the train ride is admittedly not that much shorter than the one to Kyoto. But unlike Kyoto, Matsumoto is an easily walkable city that you can do in a day. And you'd save over $100 in train fare.

Mortal Sky

If I were going to recommend one thing in Kyoto it would be Nanzen-ji, really excellent Zen temple with a mix of classic and Meiji/Taisho architecture on the grounds

Incidentally the Philosopher's Walk between Ginkaku-Ji and Nanzen-ji is pretty much a perfect slice of old Kyoto

If you did that as early in the morning as reasonably possible once things open up, and have time/energy for more, then I'd hit up Arashiyama in the afternoon and get soba noodles by the river at Arashiyama Yoshimura, then explore around that area of the city before it gets dark

cj iwakura

cckerberos wrote: »

cj iwakura wrote: »

cckerberos wrote: »

Bus was the primary way tourists got around Kyoto because there was a super convenient one-day pass available, but I vaguely recall reading that they're ending that due to overtourism. There are a lot of good tourist sites concentrated in the eastern part of the city from Kiyomizudera to Ginkakuji, but Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, Nijo-jo, and Fushimi Inari are kinda spread around the city.

Frankly speaking, I'm skeptical that it's worth spending 30,000 yen and 6 hours on a train to spend half a day in Kyoto. If you're looking to get out of Tokyo (and you should), I'd take a look at Kamakura, Matsumoto, Nikko, or Kawagoe.

My only concern, gorgeous as those areas look, is the train rides seem just as long as one to Kyoto would be.

That's not really the case; Kamakura is an hour away from Tokyo and costs less than a thousand yen to get to.

The farthest, Matsumoto, is two and a half hours away, so the train ride is admittedly not that much shorter than the one to Kyoto. But unlike Kyoto, Matsumoto is an easily walkable city that you can do in a day. And you'd save over $100 in train fare.

Nikko looks utterly gorgeous, but yeah, somewhere closer does seem to appeal more, especially since we only have ~5 days in Japan. I guess the shinkansen itself isn't too special? (Do you feel how fast it is, or is it nausea-inducing at all?)

Mortal Sky

The Shinkansen could be a fun way to get to Kyoto if only for the novelty of saying you have, plus it opens up a ton of free time if it's a one-day trip

It's astonishingly smooth, incredibly little tangible motion or vertigo relative to most passenger rail I've ever been on - it has an insanely robust suspension system and rides on much wider rails than most conventional trains

cckerberos

The Shinkansen is fun. Not nausea-inducing at all and you don't really realize how fast you're going until you look out the window.

If you just wanted to experience it, you could easily work it into most any daytrip itinerary, such as taking it to Utsunomiya (for Nikko) or Yokohama (for Kamakura). That's what I did when my mom visited me in Osaka; we took the Shinkansen to Kyoto (which was only like a 15 minute trip) just so that she could say she'd been on it.

Pacificstar

I went to Japan and Kyoto for the first time in April. We either walked or took the bus to get around Kyoto and mostly just paid cash. It was easy to pay with coins and the machine in the front of the bus will break bills for you. I would highly recommend the water shrine/temple (Kiyomizudera) and the Fushimi-Inari Shrine.

A cool thing to do for an extra ~$5 at the Kiyomizudera is the tainai meguri (journey to the womb?) which is this dark tunnel you go through that has absolutely no light and is meant to symbolize birth. I would not recommend it if you are claustrophobic.

The Fushimi-Inari shrine was also really cool. If you've ever watched an anime/read a manga where the characters run through a temple that consists of gates over and over, that's basically what the shrine is. The walk/hike is really nice, but you'll want to wear real shoes and clothes that you'd feel ok breaking a sweat in.

WhiteZinfandel

Oh, I was there for two days or so a few years back. I'll tell you some of my experiences.

First and foremost, I found the Kyoto International Manga Museum really cool when I was there. It's a converted high school (IIRC) with a bunch of museum exhibits, but it's also kind of in the style of a library. So when you get tired of looking at exhibits, you can pick something off of the many shelves that are in almost every room and hall and just sit down to read. I really liked the room with plaster casts of the hands of famous Mangaka.

Kinkakuji temple is visually striking, but you can't get all that close to it. The 3d crystal engraving of the temple I bought from the gift shop was one of the neater things I picked up though. My mom spoke more highly of Ginkakuji.

For eateries, I've got two. First would be Honke Owariya, which is a soba noodle shop and confectionery that's been in more or less continuous operation since 1465. It's supposed to be one of, or perhaps the oldest restaurant in the world still operating. The building is nifty looking and the food was good, though not exceptional IMO. My mom liked it more than I did. Mostly I recommend it for the novelty.

The second place is New Delhi Indian Restaurant. Obviously the novelty of an Indian restaurant in Japan is low for a westerner, but the food was great. My mum and I went there because by the time we got to Kyoto we were tired, footsore, and craving some familiarity in our cuisine. Fortunately, this place was about a hundred feet away from our hostel. We actually got cocky about proportions and ordered more food than could probably have fit on our table if it all came out at once, but it was all delicious. Even the stuff we had to finish off 6 hours later haha. The waiter informed us excitedly that they had won an award for the largest naan in Kyoto and I absolutely believe him.

Lastly, check out Nijo Castle if you're around after dark. I only saw the exterior, but they did a lighting display that was worth seeing.

Mortal Sky

Oh yeah the Kyoto International Manga Museum is fantastic, I have been twice and it never disappoints

cj iwakura

So yeah, uh, going in a week, and we booked the bullet train, so Kyoto's etched in stone for the day.

I'm also open to other stuff in Tokyo on the other three days. Is it feasible to cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot, or is it better to take a bus/other route?

I was also considering Roppongi Hills since I have a friend this time, or is it really not a good idea to visit there?

Skeith

You can walk the bridge, just have to get to the right train station to do it. I think the walkway is on the lower deck rather than the upper, and you need to choose which view you want-- north faces on Tokyo, south on Odaiba. You could walk it both ways too, it's maybe an hour and a half to do it that way. If you're planning on checking out Odaiba anyway, that's easy to tack on.

cj iwakura

Yeah, we're going regardless to check out the Unicorn Gundam. (The mall there seems pretty cool too.)

cj iwakura

So yeah, Kyoto was MUCH bigger than I expected... but the JR West seemed just as good as the JR East, we had no issues getting around via train.

Sadly we only had time for Mt. Inari and Arashiyama, but I think we chose wisely.


That said, the best beef bowl I ever had, from Fushimi Inari:


Neighborhoods:

(Actual real) Kobe beef!

Arashiyama:

Fushimi Inari:

(ALL YO YENS YIP YIP YIP)

All in all, a beautiful area, and well worth the daytrip.

Delzhand

Fuck, I miss Japan

We went to Fushimi Inari at nighttime and it's awesome, the world beyond the gates just melts into the darkness.

cj iwakura

Sheesh, that mountain was nerve-racking in the daytime, I can only imagine at night.