Oh it will be hard for you to leave after so long, it is a beautiful city, it's difficult enough to move on after a week or two. Will you return to Aus or continue your adventures elsewhere?

It sounds great Sarah. Your choice of Kiyomizudera and Fushimi Inari to do early make good sense are they are both beautiful but can get very busy by mid-morning. The 29th is a lot to see, it can definitely be done in the time but some of those temples are extensive with beautiful gardens and many buildings so it will be a look around rather than a deep exploration of each. The 30th is also a lot, can I suggest doing a bit of reading on Arashiyama so you can target what you want to do there as some of it is quite spread out. The Golden Pavillion is beautiful, a little out of the way but I consider it a must-see. It will be a shorter visit as the gardens are smaller and only a couple of small buildings in addition to the famous Pavillion. Nijo castle grounds, on the other hand, is big to walk around. If you have an interest in feudal Japan don't miss walking on the Nightengale floors there. Great choices, enjoy!

Thank you so much - this was very helpful 🙂 I will be there from Sept 28 - Oct 2. Would I be able to get some feedback on my itinerary? I have a 7 day JR pass that I plan to activate on Oct 1 in Kyoto. After Kyoto I'm off to Osaka (using the JR pass for day trips) until Oct 6, where I head back to Tokyo.

29/9
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Higashiyama District
Ninen-zaka
Maruyama Park
Chionin Temple
Shoren-in Temple
Nanzenji Temple
Eikando Temple
Philosophers Path
Ginkaku-ji Temple

Tea Ceremony

30/9
Arashiyama
Kinkaju-ji/Golden Pavillion
Nijo Castle

1/10
Early start to Nara
Stop at Fushimi Inari on the way
Go to Nara
Coming back stop at Kyoto Station
Kyoto Tower

2/10
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Leave for Osaka around noon

Any feedback would be great 🙂 thanks again!

Hi Sarah. The time taken is so dependent on how many of the places along the way you stop to explore and how long you spend at each, I know that isn't much help but at Kiyomizudera alone some people will spend 15 minutes, others several hours. It may also depend if it is a peak season such as autumn leaves or cherry blossom as that slows things down some with more people around. Going to Kiyomizu-dera early will beat the crowds, it's lovely when it's quiet but that does mean the shops and cafes on the approach won't be open, they mostly open between 9-10 am.

You could do it either way but as you are staying in Gion and that's the best area to be in the evening I think I would continue on all the way through to Ginkaku-ji. Then take the local bus route 17 bus back from the Ginkakuji-michi bus stop near the temple later in the afternoon for the tea ceremony. It's 9 stops (20 minutes) back from Ginkakuji to the Kyoto Shiyakusho Mae stop near the tea ceremony. For me I would find it easier to get the most out of the day that way, I prefer not to have book things in the middle if I can avoid it but both options you are considering will work. You could alternatively plan to do the tea session at late morning then take the bus out to Ginkaku-ji and work your way back south along the Philosopher path from there towards Gion.

Hi Clare, there are a couple of places we've stayed in Kyoto multiple times and each has its advantages. I love Gozan Hotel and Apartments in Higashiyama. They are beautiful, self-contained and modern but with Japanese styling. It's a 10-minute walk to the heart of Gion, a couple of minutes to Sanjo station, a great location to explore this eastern part of the city.

If we are doing a lot of day trips by JR train or arriving from the airport late at night we find the Granvia Hotel very convenient. They are large well-appointed rooms, right at Kyoto station but we've never heard railway noise from there. There are many places to eat close by and of course very convenient for train, subway and bus.

Another option that is really good value, has a subway stop right outside the door, and modern, self-contained apartments is the Citidines Karasuma Gojo. This isn't quite as conveniently located as the other two but offers a good price for what you get and if you are happy to walk a bit as we do you can get around on foot into Gion, Kyoto Station, Kiyomizudera temple etc but it's a little further.

Hi,
I am planning a kyoto trip in Oct.May I know where do u recommend to stay?
Thanks

Hi Vera, we've visited a lot of temples in Kyoto over the years but haven't done a temple stay so there's nowhere I can suggest from personal experience. Sorry, would love to hear your thoughts on it though, we will eventually get around to doing one on Mount Koya.

Cheers,
Vera