If you want to immerse yourself in the heart of Japanese culture, there’s no better destination than the city of Kyoto! Located in the Kansai region, Kyoto is home to a quarter of Japan’s national treasures, with its vast collection of ancient temples, countless shrines, and imperial palaces. And since Japan opened its borders to international tourists this October, Kyoto has also welcomed hundreds of visitors daily!
Whether you’re visiting Kyoto for the first time or seeking out new guidelines about traveling to Kyoto — you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more with this comprehensive guide we made about visiting Kyoto in 2023!
Fast Facts
- Language: Japanese (Nihongo)
- Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
- Airports: The nearest airports to Kyoto are in Osaka. Osaka International Airport (ITM) is the closest airport to Kyoto, which is approximately 50 minutes away from the city via airport limousine. Kansai International Airport (KIX) serves as the main international access to Kyoto and is roughly 90 minutes away via express train.
Getting Around Kyoto
Like many other cities in Japan, Kyoto is conveniently accessible by train. To get to Kyoto from Kansai International Airport, you can easily hop aboard the special JR Haruka Airport Express (you can also use your JR Pass to ride this). Alternatively, you can also hire a private transfer car if you prefer to be dropped off at your exact destination.
Connectivity Options
Staying connected in Kyoto is easy because there are several connectivity options that are waiting for you! You can either rent a pocket Wi-Fi or a data eSIM card. Both pocket wi-fi and data eSIM cards can be conveniently picked up at airports.
Where To Stay In Kyoto
Kyoto is one of Japan’s ten largest cities. Like its wide collection of historical attractions, Kyoto is also replete with accommodation options for every traveler! Here are our top hotel recos in Kyoto for every budget.
Budget: The Pocket Hotel
Located a few minutes away from Karasuma Station, The Pocket Hotel brings a whole new definition to the ‘famous’ capsule hotels. This quasi-capsule hotel offers private rooms that are compact, functional, and comfortable for budget travelers. If you don’t mind compromising space in exchange for saving on accommodation, this hotel makes a decent choice. None of the rooms are ensuite and the restrooms are all communal, but the good news is the facilities are all clean and spotless! If you’re a solo female traveler, they also have a dedicated women’s only floor.
Address: 474 Setoyacho, Nishikikoji-sagaru, Yanaginobanba-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 604-8122
Website: https://sotetsu-hotels.com/en/pocket-hotel/karasuma/
Mid-range: Cross Hotel
Cross Hotel is a stylish and urban hotel that brings you to the heart of Kyoto’s shopping and gourmet district. Located near Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi streets, this hotel brings you to all the necessary action downtown. The rooms are clean, stylish, and quite spacious for Japanese hotels. It’s also a great starting point for exploring nearby heritage sites as well.
Address: 71-1 Daikoku-cho, Kawaramachi-dori Sanjo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8031
Website: https://www.crosshotel.com/kyoto/en
Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo
If you’re traveling with kids, we highly recommend this hotel. Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo is a boutique hotel that offers Japanese-style rooms. We especially love the tatami flooring (Japanese straw floor), which gives off the feeling that you’re staying in a traditional Japanese home.
Aside from its wonderful interiors, Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo is also strategically located. It lies in the heart of downtown Kyoto and puts you at the center of many restaurants and tourist attractions.
Address: 59-1 Daikokucho, Sanjo-sagaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Website: https://www.resol-kyoto-k.com/en
Where To Eat In Kyoto
When it comes to dining options, Kyoto boasts a competitive culinary scene that is on par with other cities in the Kansai region. The options here are as rich as its culture—think of Michelin-starred restaurants, chic cafés, sushi stalls, izakayas, and hole-in-the-wall noodle houses. It’s easy to find yourself slurping steaming bowls of ramen one moment, then find yourself getting immersed in kaiseki (Japanese tasting course) the next.
Whichever is up to your taste buds, here are our top picks!
Tsudaro
Enjoy kaiseki while basking in the ambiance of a traditional Japanese teahouse in Tsudaro. Tsudaro was originally a tea house established during the end of the Edo period where geisha (traditional Japanese female entertainer) and maiko (Geisha apprentice) used to perform. In 2010, it was renovated and reopened as a restaurant. Nowadays, Tsudaro specializes in kaiseki and elegant Japanese cuisine, which are made with fresh fish and high-quality seasonal Kyoto ingredients.
Tsudaro also holds various cultural events throughout the year, including lunch meetings with a maiko and classic Geisha entertainment.
Address: 570-121, Gionmachiminamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 605-0074
Kibunesou
Taste the fresh delicacies of Kyoto’s cuisine while being surrounded by the refreshing streams of Kyoto’s rivers at Kibunesou. Kibunesou offers a unique riverside dining experience with their kawadoko (english translation: river floor) meal course. The restaurant was built over the river floor, where a steady stream flows from the Kibune waterfalls. This tradition is believed to have originated from the time when the locals would come by the river to cool down during summer and sit on wooden benches to enjoy food and tea.
Kibunesou offers fresh conger eel shabu-shabu and grilled ayu fish for their kawadoko course. They also have a wide selection of Japanese rice wine and liquor to pair with your meal.
Address: 50 Kurama Kibune, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 601-1112
Website: https://www.kibunesou.com/
TEN Japanese Café
Located near Kiyomizu-dera, TEN Café is the perfect place to satisfy all your matcha or green tea cravings. Their specialty is matcha cheesecake, characterized by an elegant marbling on top. If cheesecakes are not to your liking, you can also try their Kinako Ochiwan Parfait Set, which is made with soy powder ice shavings and topped with red bean paste and matcha mochi. All desserts come with a free drink of your choice — you can choose coffee, hot or iced tea, orange juice, or cola.
Address: 2 Chome-208-10 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0862
Website: https://www.ten-kyoto-japan.com/
What To Do In Kyoto
Kyoto is Japan’s cultural and spiritual heart. For over 1,000 years, Kyoto served as the capital of Japan during the Heian period before the imperial capital changed to Tokyo. As such, Kyoto serves as the home of 2,000 Buddhist temples, religious shrines, and numerous World UNESCO Heritage Sites. It’s quite impossible to visit every temple if you’re short on time, so go for tours! Here are some of our favorite activities.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Arashiyama, and Nara Park
Explore two of the most sought-after attractions in Kyoto while making a day trip to Nara! This popular route will let you enjoy Kyoto at its finest. Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine and have the ultimate torii gate experience by going through a thousand torii gates, which were built for Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Marvel at the postcard-perfect Kinkakuji Temple, a Zen temple covered in gold leaf. Get up close and personal with the famous Nara deers and see the giant Buddha statue in Todai-ji temple.
Nishiki Market Food Tour
Satisfy the epicurean in you with a Nishiki Market Food Tour! This tour package includes a 3-hour guided tour in Nishiki Market, which is also locally known as ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen.’ Get to taste the world’s smoothest sashimi, dashi tamagoyaki and fresh seafood while exploring. Food tastings and a 7-course lunch menu are included.
Rent A Kimono
Elevate your Kyoto travel experience by exploring the city while dressed in a traditional kimono! Kimono rentals are popular in this city and you can choose from a wide variety of elegant and brightly-colored patterns. We highly recommend choosing an outdoor photography package along with your rental so you can be professionally photographed with one of Kyoto’s historical sites as your backdrop!
More Kyoto travel experiences are waiting for you on KKDay! Browse our collection and find our best recos to make your next Kyoto trip more memorable.
