Exterior of the Golden Pavilion overlooking a pond in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Comprehensive Itinerary to Cover All of Kyoto's Sights

Ultimate Kyoto 4 Day Itinerary

Our Kyoto 4 Day Itinerary extensively covers all the major attractions that Kyoto has to offer. In addition to the first two days itinerary, the third day checks out the Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho), the Silver Pavilion (銀閣寺, Ginkaku-ji), and the sacred Nanzenji Temple. The fourth day covers the Golden Pavilion (金閣寺, Kinkaku-ji), Nijo Castle (二条城, Nijō-jo), and the Kyoto Railway Museum (京都鉄道博物館, Kyōto Tetsudō Hakubutsukan).

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Exploring Central Kyoto's Old Districts

Fushimi Inari, Higashiyama, and Gion

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

If there’s one neighborhood that you have to visit in central Kyoto, then it’s got to be the Higashiyama (東山) district. The district consists of stone-paved roads, wooden buildings and shops on both sides of the street, all leading up to the UNESCO World Heritage Site (世界遺産, Sekai Isan), the Kiyomizudera Temple (清水寺, Kiyomizu-dera) located atop a wooden stage.

Before heading to Higashiyama though, we’ll also check out the famed Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousand torii (鳥居) gates, and the Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki-ichiba), also known as Kyoto’s kitchen.

Ninenzaka staircase at Higashiyama in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Itinerary Details

Starting Time

Start at Kyoto Station

Recommended Time:

08:00

京都駅

Kyoto Station

JR-E01

嵯峨野線

Sagano Line

JR-D01

奈良線

Nara Line

烏丸線

Karasuma Line

JR-A31

JR京都線

JR Kyōto Line

JR-A31

琵琶湖線

Biwako Line

Head to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Est.

08:00

10 mins

Nara Line

Towards Nara Station

JR West

Kyoto Station

Inari Station

5 mins

Take Main Exit

Rows of torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

08:20

2 hours

Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社)

Explore the Thousand Torii Gates

The Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of Kyoto’s most iconic shrines (神社, Jinja), with its endless torii (鳥居) gates lined up one after another, making for an unforgettable sight. The shrine worships the Shinto god, Inari (稲荷, God of foxes, fertility, rice, and agriculture), the god of rice, and kitsune (狐, Fox) are thought to be Inari’s messengers. As such, you’ll find many kitsune statues throughout the shrine, some carrying a key in their mouth for the rice granaries.

Head to Sanjo

Est.

10:20

36 mins

3 mins

270m

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi-Inari Station

Keihan Main Line

Towards Sanjo Station

Keihan

Fushimi-Inari Station

Sanjo Station

11 mins

Take Exit 6

12 mins

950m

Sanjo Station

Tokura Sanjo

Teriyaki Kinoko Hamburg at Tokura in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

11:05

1 hour

Closed on Wed

Tokura Sanjo (とくら三条)

Try out a Hamburg

One of the common hallmarks of Japanese yoshoku (洋食, Yōshoku, Western Food) is the hamburg (ハンバーグ, Hanbāgu, Hamburger steak). Here at Tokura, they specialize in handmade hamburgs that are so juicy, the moment you cut into one, the juices of the meat will keep on flowing.

Walk over to Nishiki Market

Est.

12:05

7 mins

600m

Tokura Sanjo

Nishiki Market

Credit: Nesnad (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Est.

12:25

1 hour

Nishiki Market (錦市場)

Walk down Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto’s kitchen, is a long and stored market in Kyoto, having first opened in 1615. Today, the market runs along a covered shotengai (商店街, Shōtengai, Shopping Street) for around 400m, with around 130 shops offering fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, pickles, dried items, and more. It’s a great place to stroll down, take in the bustling atmosphere, and check out some of the local wares.

Walk over to Yasaka Shrine

Est.

13:25

19 mins

1.4km

Nishiki Market

Yasaka Shrine

Credit: ayumi kubo (Unsplash)

Est.

13:50

45 mins

Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社)

Explore Yasaka Shrine and its Garden

The Yasaka Shrine, also known as the Gion Shrine, is a shrine (神社, Jinja) whose grounds often serve as a connection between the Gion and Higashiyama Districts. The temple was first founded in 656, and worships Susanoo (須佐之男), the Shinto god of the sea, storms, fields, the harvest, marriage, and love. Today, the temple plays host to the Gion Matsuri every summer, Japan’s largest traditional matsuri (祭り, Festival), with large floats and hundreds of participants.

People flocking the streets of Higashiyama in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

14:35

1.5 hours

Higashiyama (東山)

Discover the charm of Kyoto's Machiya

The Higashiyama District is one of the best places to feel as if you’ve been taken back to old Kyoto. The streets are lined with traditional machiya (町家, Traditional wooden townhouse) on both sides, filled with bustling shops that evoke the atmosphere of an area that has been serving merchants and visitors for centuries.

Warabimochi in Fumon-an in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

16:05

1 hour

Fumon Chaya (普門茶屋)

Chew on some Warabi-mochi

Fumon Chaya is a modern cafe that specializes in warabi mochi (わらび餅, Bracken Starch Mochi) and matcha (抹茶, Maccha, Powdered Green Tea). The cafe is located near Kiyomizudera Temple (清水寺, Kiyomizu-dera) and boasts a modern chaya (茶屋, Teahouse) interior. Their warabi-mochi is also served in an eye-catching manner atop a large leaf on ice. The warabi-mochi is lightly dusted with kinako (きな粉, Roasted Soybean Flour) and is cut in large chunks that are nice and chewy, with more kinako and kuromitsu (黒蜜, Brown Sugar Syrup) on the side. It is also served with a monaka (最中) filled with anko (餡子, Red Bean Paste) and vanilla ice cream.

Main temple building of Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

17:05

45 mins

Kiyomizudera Temple (清水寺)

Check out a temple on a wooden stage

Kiyomizudera Temple is one of Kyoto’s most famous temples (寺, Tera), due to its iconic architecture where the entire main temple building sits atop a wooden stage that props it up into the air like stilts. Said to be founded in 780, Kiyomizudera was named after the Otowa Falls whose site the temple was built on.

Walk over to Gion Hanami-koji Street

Est.

17:50

14 mins

1.2km

Kiyomizudera Temple

Gion Hanami-koji Street

Shirakawa area of Gion in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

18:15

1 hour

Gion (祇園)

Stroll through Kyoto's Hanamachi

The Gion district of Kyoto is famous for being one of Japan’s most well-known hanamachi (花街, geisha districts, lit. flower town), and also for the machiya (町家, Traditional wooden townhouse) that line its streets. While the Gion district is large, and much of it is modern, there are two preserved districts that still maintain the atmosphere of yesteryear Kyoto: the Shirakawa area, and the Hanami-koji area.

Walk over to Kichi Kichi

Est.

19:15

10 mins

750m

Gion Shirakawa Area

Kichi Kichi Omurice

Chef serving up omurice at Kichi Kichi in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

19:35

1.5 hours

Closed on Wed

Kichi Kichi Omurice (キチ・キチ)

Watch omelettes fly through the air

A visit to Kichi Kichi is half-meal and half-performance, as the shop’s master (マスター, Masutā, Owner), Yukimura Motokichi (幸村元吉), dazzles you with his cooking skills. This charismatic owner has gone viral on Youtube and Instagram for his enthusiastic attitude, and pizzazz while cooking his omurice (オムライス, Omuraisu, Omelette rice). As you sit at the counter, you marvel at his skills as he stir fries the rice, flipping it through the air, as he explains each ingredient and the seasoning that goes into it, before finally cooking the omelette, flipping it onto the bed of rice, and then slicing it open to watch the yellow goodness flow all over the rice.

Head to Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

Est.

21:05

5 mins

400m

Kichi Kichi Omurice

Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

End off at Kyoto-Kawaramachi

Est.

21:10

Those looking for drinks can check out some of the bars in the Pontocho Alley area, while those tired can grab a bus back to Kyoto Station.

京都河原町駅