How to Spend a Week in Kyoto

Kyoto is amazing. If on a budget, just skip Tokyo altogether and park yourself in the heart of Kyoto. The cobblestone alleys and river trails will make you feel instantly at home and welcome, as opposed to Tokyo, where you are in constant danger of being swallowed by skyscrapers.

When planning your first trip to Kyoto, make sure to allow five or six full days for exploring the city and surrounding areas. You’ll need three days for day trips and at least two days for exploring the actual city. As you make your way around, keep your eyes peeled for geisha and maiko (geisha in training). You’ll see maiko everywhere, but geisha are much more elusive. Locals who have lived in the city their entire lives have only ever seen one or two.

Day 1: Arrival and Gion

Arrive, get settled. Do laundry if you’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past week. Grab dinner downtown and walk over to Gion afterward. This district is home to upscale dining and shopping. Traveling on a budget, we didn’t stick around, but enjoyed looking at the traditional Japanese storefronts and shops. Again, be on the lookout for geisha. This is where they work.

Today, geisha play the role of ultimate hostess. They are trained in the arts of conversation making, drinking games, songs, music, etc. They are also very expensive to hire and hard to find.  A previous customer is usually required to make introductions. If you’re desperate to see a geisha performance while in Japan, your best bet is to catch one of the scheduled shows at Gion Corner.

While wondering around, be sure to check out Yasaka Shrine and Kenninji Temple, these two sites bookend Gion’s most popular streets making them good landmarks to use.  Kenninji Temple will be closed at night, but Yasaka Shrine with its hundreds of hanging, glowing lanterns is especially beautiful after the sun goes down.

Day 2: Nara & Horyuji Day Trip

Day 3: Northern Kyoto and Arashiyama

Warning, this is mostly a walking tour with a short hike included. Be ready. Start the day in northern Kyoto with Kinkakuji Temple. Get there early to avoid the worst crowds. From here, walk downhill to Ryoanaji, Kyoto’s most famous rock garden, and then on to Ninnaji Temple before catching the train to Arashiyama. Don’t worry; the walking is mostly downhill.

Northern Kyoto

Kinkakuji, aka the golden temple, and its refection on the water below is the highlight of northern Kyoto. Inside and out, the temple is covered in gold leaf. Where there isn’t any gold, mirrors have been placed to create the illusion of it. Despite being a bit kitschy, it’s quite beautiful. Food tangent: as you follow the path to exit the temple, look out for wasabi peanuts. There are vendors set up all along the way offering food, souvenirs and incense packets.

After the gold temple, the rock garden will be the next attraction you come to. I know it’s a bit cliche, but it is a great place to sit down and reflect. The rocks are arranged so that you can never see them all at once. From any position, there’s always at least one that’s just out of sight. Supposedly, this is a good way to stimulate and order your thoughts or just drive the OCD a little bit more insane.

Be sure to pay attention to the sand surrounding the rocks as well. It’s hand swept every morning into subtle patterns around the rocks. Along with the rock garden, there’s also a Zen garden and pond on the premises. Walk around, check things out. There are some weird looking trees that would make Tim Burton proud.

You’re last stop in northern Kyoto will be Ninnaji Temple. When you exit the rock garden, keep walking downhill until you reach the temple gate. We were stupid and skipped this temple, which is one of our only regrets. It’s listed as a World Heritage Site and many of the temple’s buildings date back to the Edo Period. If you have to skip something, maybe make it the rock garden instead.

When you finish up at the temple, walk across the street to the local train station and catch a ride to Arashiyama. You’ll see signs for the station and it is very easy to find. Tickets are, also, very cheap and you can pay out of pocket.

Arashiyama

You’re first priority in Arashiyama will be food. Luckily, it’s easy to find. There are a variety of delicious restaurants to choose from right by the station. Go window shopping, pick out the best looking katsu and go for it. Yes, I don’t know why, but in Japan, restaurants fill their windows with plastic replicas of food served. At least it makes choosing where to go easier.

After lunch, head for the monkeys. All websites fail to mention that this is actually a good little hike above the city that offers glorious views of the Kyoto skyline. We were sweating by the time we reached the top, but it was worth it.

Monkeys are adorable and fiendishly petty just like their distant relatives.  We thoroughly enjoyed watching a baby monkey trick an older monkey out its toy sticks. The baby ran up, punched the older monkey and then ran back to a tree branch. It did this repeatedly until the older monkey followed it, which allowed the baby monkey to get away and scramble down another branch in time to take the older monkey’s sticks. Older monkey picked up a rock and got revenge later, but little monkey seemed unrepentant.

Also, it’s completely freaky to be up close and personal with another creature capable of picking things up. Their little thumbs have knuckles, nails and winkles just like ours. You’ll see them in detail when they try to steal your food. After an hour or two watching the monkeys eat, groom and play; head back down the mountain and back toward the train station.

When you come to the station, keep walking and soon you’ll come to Tenryu-ji Temple, which is located right next to Arashiyama's famous bamboo grove. The grove is accessible from both the temple and street. If you’re feeling templed-out and just want to check out the grove, you can do that. However, the temple does offer a professionally groomed Zen garden as well as a nice place to sit and eat those wasabi peanuts that you bought earlier. To access the bamboo grove from the temple, walk through the garden and find the temple’s back exit.

The stalks are massive and it’s an enjoyable little walk. As you exit the grove, look for signs that point to the JR station. This is your way home. From the grove, the station is a short walk away and clearly marked. Do not confuse the JR with the local station, which is located closer to the grove.

Getting Around

This trip requires the use of bus, local train and JR train. That said, any sort of day pass is basically useless and you may as well pay as you go. To get started, catch bus 101 from Kyoto Station. This will take you directly to the golden temple. The fare is cheap and you can pay on-board.

To get from northern Kyoto to Arashiyama, hop the local train at Ninnaji Temple. To get home from Arashiyama, walk to the JR station from the bamboo grove and catch a train bound for Kyoto Station. The trains are frequent and you’ll have no problem getting around.

Day 4: Himeji Castle & Princess Sin Day Trip

Day 5: Eastern Kyoto

Congratulations! It’s a biking day! Or at least that’s how we felt about hearing that the best way to see eastern Kyoto is on two wheels. Several of the city’s main attractions participate in a biking day pass, including the silver temple, Heian Shrine and Kiyomizudera Temple. These will be you main stops throughout the day. You’ll also bike down the Philosopher's Path, which is just cool. I didn’t even know that was possible.

Your first stop will be Ginkakuji Temple. This temple is known as the silver temple because it mirrors the golden temple or at least that’s what “people” say. Personally, I don’t see it. Yes, both temples stand over a small pond, but that’s about all they have in common. In my humble opinion, these two temples couldn’t be more different.

For starters, the silver temple is not actually covered in silver. It’s a traditional wooden temple in the middle of a beautifully landscaped Zen garden. The garden and the temple’s simplicity work together to create a humble, inviting space. As opposed to the golden temple, which can feel as if the designers were trying a bit too hard. I mean, why does a temple need to be covered in gold and mirrors? That’s not mentally distracting at all…

From Ginkakuji Temple, collect your bike and travel down the Philosopher’s Path toward Heian Shrine. Like other shrines, Heian is free to the public as well as to annoying tourists on bikes. Check it out. The most memorable thing is a huge tori gate, which stands before the shrine casting shadows over the surrounding area.

After a short rest, continue on to Kiyomizudera Temple. This temple is famous for the healing powers of its water. You probably haven’t been using the water troughs at every temple, but you should take the time to do it here. The water tastes strangely sweet. For real, they could bottle it and make a fortune. Also, the dippers are sterilized between uses with a UV system. So, you can heal whatever illnesses you have without having to worry about catching a new one. It’s a very thoughtfully setup to accommodate even the worst hypochondriac.

On your way back from the temple toward the bike lot, keep your eyes peeled for a Uji matcha tea shop. The finest matcha in Japan is rumored to come from Uji city.  If matcha is your thing or you just want to try it, I suggest buying it here. Personally, I recommend the matcha latte mix with brown sugar. Make it with milk. Hmm, it’s so good.

Getting Around

Ok, let’s be real. Biking is super fun, but not always the easiest thing to do. It depends on where you’re staying of course, but the hardest part of this trip is getting to the Ginkakuji Temple. It’s not a very steep ride, but it is a slight incline all the way. Upside, you get to coast for the rest of trip. By bike, it’s about an hour from Kyoto Station.

To get to there, bike up the river path if possible. It’s pretty and you won’t be fighting cars for street space or running over people. Of course, you will have to walk your bike up and down stairs to get on and off the trail. Good things in life can’t be too easy.

Once you come to the path for the silver temple, bike parking is located down the closest street. It’s the huge lot where all the buses are. Purchase your biking pass here. This will let you park your bike for free at various attractions around Kyoto. The helpful parking lot attendants can also provide you with a map, showing the locations of the other parking lots. You need this.  Parking for Heian is located under the shrine and you might have to climb so stairs to get Kiyomizudera. The important thing is not to give up, it’s worth it.

Day 6: Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip

Day 7: Departure 

Conclusion

A few more things of note: find time for Inari Shrine, dress as a geisha, eat all the food and get a JR Pass. Inari Shrine is actually a three hour hike. It’s completely free to visit and never closes so you can go at night. Just remember to take a flashlight. If you don’t have time to do the whole hike, that’s ok. Still check it out. It was a major highlight of our trip and definitely our favorite shrine, because of the way it interacts with the environment and because there are foxes everywhere. Foxes (kitsune) are believed to be the messengers of Inari, who is a genderless deity of agriculture and general prosperity.

Another popular touristy thing to do in Kyoto is dress as a geisha or maiko. It’s not cheap, so if this is on your wish list, budget accordingly. Last, but not least, get a JR Pass. It won’t be much help to you in the actual city, but all of your day trips will be covered as well as your rides to and from the airport. If you’re interested in a great place to stay, check out K’s Hostel. It’s quiet, clean, centrally located and you’ll meet a bunch of cool people in the lounge. Plus, they do bike rentals.