Kyoto in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Here are the best things to do in Kyoto in 3 days. Temples, shrines, palaces, castles, teahouses, natural areas... You will be able to see everything.

Your first day begins with a tour of the city of Kyoto. You will discover the Otani Honbyo Buddhist Temple, the Kiyomizu Dera Temple, the Geisha Quarter, the Chion-in Temple, the Shoren-in Temple and the Heian Jingu Temple.

The Buddhist Otani Honbyo Temple

The first stop of this day in Kyoto is the Otani Honbyo Buddhist Temple, located in the Otani Mausoleum. There, you will enjoy a solemn atmosphere, surrounded by acres and a bonsai garden.

During the tour of this site, considered one of the best temples in Kyoto, you can access the hall of the founder of the Buddhist sect Jodo Shinshu and the hall of the Buddha and the Kura, which is a warehouse with national relics. There is also the hiunkaku or tea room along with a couple of ancient stages.

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Kiyomizu Dera Temple

From the previous destination, you should walk about 10 minutes to the Kiyomizu Dera Temple, built in the year 780. It is one of the largest temples in Japan, named a World Heritage Site in 1994 by UNESCO.

In the temple you will see the statue of the goddess of mercy, Kannon, with its 42 arms and 11 faces. You will also enjoy a breathtaking view of Kyoto from the wooden terrace, have the opportunity to drink water from the streams of the Otowa Waterfall, and then visit the Okunoin Hall, among other areas.

• Price: entrance to the temple costs about 3€ per person.
• Hours: daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and in summer the opening hours are extended to 6:30 pm.

The Gion Quarter

Once you finish your visit to the Kiyomizu Dera Temple, you will have to walk for about 15 minutes to reach the Gion Quarter or geisha district.

You will find a traditional and picturesque scene, temples, sake bars, izakayas (pubs), boutiques and restaurants. A place you can explore on your own or by booking a private tour of Kyoto.

You will pass the wooden Tatsumi Bridge, where you will see the geishas in their colorful kimonos. You can also marvel at the Zen garden of Kennin-ji Temple and visit the Yasaka Shinto Shrine, which is the main shrine in this area.

• Price: the entrance fee to Kennin-ji Temple is approximately 4€ per person. Access to the Yasaka Shrine is free.
• Opening hours: Kennin-ji Temple from 10:00 to 17:00 (March to October) and from 10:00 to 16:30 (November to February). Yasaka Shrine is open 24 hours a day.

Chion-in Temple

The Chion-in Temple, located a maximum of a six-minute walk from the Gion Quarter, is a Buddhist compound composed of some 106 buildings: Kuromon Gate, Gobyō Mausoleum, Hōjō Gardens, Tahoto Pagoda, Yūzen Gardens, Nokotsudo Hall, among others.

Among some of the hidden gems you'll see during your tour is the statue of Jōdo shū Hōnen, founder of the temple, arranged in the main hall. You will also be amazed by the 74-ton bell, which is usually rung on New Year's Day.

• Price: access to the temple is free.
• Opening hours: the main buildings are usually open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Shoren-in Temple

To access the next destination, you will have to walk about three minutes from the previous point to Shoren-in Temple. This is a place built in the fourteenth century as an imperial residence in which from the first moment you will breathe peace and tranquility.

Inside the temple you can appreciate the decorations present in the sliding doors. You will also stroll through the Zen-influenced Japanese garden, Shoren-in, which is located on the side of a mountain. You will also see the purification lake Ryujin-no-ike, where a stone in the shape of a dragon sword stands out.

• Price: to enter the temple you must pay about 4 € approximately.
• Hours: daily from 9:00 to 16:30.

Heian Jingu Temple

The last stop of the day is the Heian Jingu Temple, located about eight minutes walk from the Shoren-in Temple. This is a must-see destination, especially if you are in Kyoto in October, as it is the site of the Jidai Matsuri or Festival of the Ages.

Whether you visit this temple on your own or book a tour of Higashiyama in Kyoto, you will be amazed by the scenic garden scene and the monumental torii, considered one of the largest in Japan. In addition, you will see the central building, whose design evokes the style of the Imperial Palace.

• Price: the entrance fee is around €4 per adult and approximately €2 per child.
• Hours: from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

On Day 2 in Kyoto you will visit a number of historic buildings: the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Nijo-jo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace and Ginkakuji Temple.

The Fushimi Inari-taisha Shinto Shrine

For this day's adventure, you must travel 16 minutes by car from central Kyoto to the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shinto Shrine. This shrine dates back to 711 AD and is located at the base of Inari Mountain.

To access the shrine, you will walk along a beautiful path with 32,000 torii, or traditional portals in orange with black. It is about a three-hour walk, where you will be in contact with nature and spirituality. It is also usually included when booking the Higashiyama tour in Kyoto.

• Price: admission is free.
• Hours: Open 24 hours.

Nijo-jo Castle

The next place to visit is Nijo-jo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will only need to transfer from the previous destination in a drive of about 20 minutes.

The castle is composed of the Ninomaru Palace, where you will see a series of paintings from the Edo period, the Honmaru Palace with its rice paper decorations and the garden area with about 400 cherry, maple and ginkgo trees.

It has a natural environment ideal to enjoy the hanami in spring or to see the Momiji if you are in Kyoto in autumn.

• Price: the average entrance fee is around €8 per person.
• Hours: 8:45 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on December 29 and 31.

Kinkakuji Temple

The Kinkakuji Temple or Golden Temple is the next stop on your second day itinerary in Kyoto. This Zen compound is located approximately 15 minutes from the Nijo-jo Castle and is one of the most representative monuments of Japan.

Apart from the gardens and the Kyōko-chi pond, you can see the different floors of the temple: Chamber of Waters, the Tower of Wind Waves representative of the samurai style and the Kukkyoo-choo, with the triad of Buddha. There is also the ancient Sekkatei, where you can experience the Kyoto tea ceremony.

• Price: the entrance fee is approximately 3 € per adult and about 2 € for children.
• Hours: from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

From Kinkakuji Temple you should travel about 10 minutes by car to reach the Kyoto Imperial Palace. This historic building was erected in 1331 and rebuilt in 1855, and was the official residence of the emperors until 1869.

Although access to the interior of the palace is not permitted, you can view the pavilions from a distance and stroll through the gardens. You will find a rest center for visitors , water dispensers and free Wifi.

• Price: admission is free.
• Hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm from September to March, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm from October to February and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from April to August. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ginkakuji Temple

The itinerary for this day ends at the Ginkakuji Temple or Silver Temple, located 10 minutes by car or 30 minutes walk from the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It is a Buddhist temple built in the 15th century and in 1994 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can see the main building preserved intact despite fires and earthquakes, the white sand garden with a central dune representative of Mount Fuji and the moss garden with a series of small islands and bridges connected to each other.

• Price: access to the temple has an approximate cost of about 4 € per adult and about 2 € per child.
• Hours: daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

For your last day in Kyoto, the recommendation is to get up early and travel to the village of Arashiyama. There you will visit the Tenryu-ji Temple, the Daikaku-ji Temple and the Giouji Temple.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

After a 30-minute drive from the center of Kyoto to the village of Arashiyama, you will arrive at the shopping street, from where you should start walking a few meters following the signs. Then you will find the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.

You will enjoy the photogenic scenery of this path surrounded by thousands of moso bamboos, while relaxing to the sound of the stalks, registered among the 100 sounds preserved by Japan. And to enhance the experience you can book a food tour of the Arashiyama and Sagano bamboo forest in Kyoto, as there are food stalls with delicious traditional sweets in this forest.

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: open 24 hours.

Tenryu-ji Temple

Your next destination is the Tenryu-ji Temple, which you will reach by one of the paths in the bamboo forest, in about 7 minutes on foot. In this Zen Buddhist World Heritage Site, you will be able to admire the more than 700-year-old garden, the Sogenchi Teien.

You will also be able to see the Hojo or main building, composed of several halls. You will also have the opportunity to visit the prayer shrine where Emperor Go-Daigo studied when he was a prince.

Afterwards, you can go to the Shigetsu restaurant to try the temples' vegan cuisine. It is an ideal place to incorporate into the destinations of any Kyoto food tour.

• Price: the entrance fee is about €4 per adult and about €2 per child.
• Hours: daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Daikaku-ji Temple

From Tenryu-ji Temple you will have to walk approximately 20 minutes to Daikaku-ji Temple, which is the destination of your next visit. There, you will see the main building or Shinden, accompanied by an ancestral orange tree.

On the other hand, there is the Shingyo pagoda, which houses the Heart Sutra, but unfortunately this temple only opens its doors every 60 years. In addition, you will have the opportunity to walk around Lake Osawa. This artificial spring has a diameter of approximately one kilometer and is home to about 300 lotus flowers.

• Price: access to the temple costs about €4 per person and to enter the pond, you will have to pay about €1 per person.
• Hours: daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Giouji Temple

To end your last day in Kyoto, you should proceed from the previous destination to the Giouji Temple. This is a quiet place with postcard scenery. Inside the temple you will find the imposing statue of the Buddha of Light, Dainichi Nyorai.

Meanwhile, outside you will enjoy a moss garden with a nostalgic and somewhat gloomy atmosphere. This is thanks to the dense vegetation, which in autumn creates an incredible contrast due to the ocher colors of the leaves. After this tour you can return to the hotel to travel to the airport.

• Price: the average price of admission to the temple is about 2 € per adult and less than 1 € per child.
• Hours: daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

By purchasing the JR train pass in Kyoto, you will have the possibility to save time on some transfers in your itinerary. For example, if you travel to Arashiyama or Fushimi Inari, you will arrive in less than half the time compared to the bus.

Among the JR train lines in Kyoto that you will be able to use are this pair:

• The JR Sagano line: stopping at Nijo station near Nijo Castle and Saga-Arashiyama station located a few meters from the bamboo forest, among others.
• The JR Nara line: stopping at Tofukuji station near the Buddhist temple Tofukuji and Inari station near the Fushimi Inari, among others.

Kyoto is a city well served by buses. Generally, public transport lines operate from 6:00 am to 10:30 pm. You only have to buy an unlimited day pass for a cost of about 4 € per adult and about 2 € for children.

Some of the routes covered by the main bus lines in Kyoto are the following:

• Line 100 and 206, with stops at Ginkaku-ji Temple and in the Gion district.
• Lines 204 and 205, with destination at the Golden Pavilion.
• Lines 5 and 105, ideal if your destination is Fushimi Inari.
• Lines 72 and 74, with destination Arashiyama Village.
• Lines 101, 50 and 9, which will take you to Nijo Castle.

This 3-day itinerary in Kyoto is very complete. So that you do not forget anything, I have left a summary below.