Stories · Japan
A weekend in Kyoto
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
You don’t visit Kyoto; it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 2 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · The icons
In the morning, meet me at To-ji Temple. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (20,204 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Late morning, I make my way to Kyoto Station Daikaidan (Great Staircase). Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. 4.5 out of 5 across 518 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
In the afternoon, it’s Kyoto Station Skyway. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (782 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or also check Tiqets.
To end the day, head to Muromachi-koji Square. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Kyoto is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, head to Ginkaku-ji. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.5 out of 5 across 18,255 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
Then, meet me at Nanzen-ji. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (12,786 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, it’s Heian-jingū Shrine. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
As the light fades, I make my way to Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or go through Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Kyoto does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Ryōan-ji, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Nijō Castle, Kinkaku-ji, Tenryu-ji and Kiyomizu-dera. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
Safe travels. And get lost at least once; that is where Kyoto begins.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.