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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A quieter side to Kyoto

Northern Higashiyama and Nijo Castle

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

On this day, we’ll be checking out the northern Higashiyama (東山) area. Starting off from the Silver Pavilion (銀閣寺, Ginkaku-ji) in the north, walking down the Philosopher’s Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no Michi) to Nanzen-ji Temple, and checking out the abandoned railway tracks at the Keage Incline (蹴上インクライン, Keage Inkurain).

Following that, we’ll head over to the Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho), before catching Gear, a non-verbal theatre performance.

The Kogetsudai zen rock garden at the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Itinerary Details

Starting Time

Start off at Kyoto Station

Recommended Time:

08:45

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 Silver Pavilion

Est.

08:45

53 mins

Kyoto Station

Silver Pavilion

Est.

09:40

1h 10m

Silver Pavilion (銀閣寺)

Appreciate the beauty of wabi-sabi

The Silver Pavilion makes up one of the Three Pavilions of Kyoto (京の三閣, Kyō-no-sankaku), and is a temple (寺, Tera) and that is officially known as the Jisho-ji (慈照寺, lit. “Temple of Shining Mercy”). Classified as a National Treasure, the temple is often praised for its embodiment of the wabi-sabi (侘寂) aesthetic.

Walk over to Omen for Brunch

Est.

10:50

5 mins

350m

Silver Pavilion

Meidai Omen

Bowl of hot udon at Omen in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

11:05

1 hour

Closed on Thu

Meidai Omen (名代おめん)

Slurp down some Kyoto-style Udon

Near the entrance to the Silver Pavilion is Omen, an udon (うどん) specialty shop that offers four different types of noodles:

Omen (おめん) - A standard-styled udon
Traditional Wholegrain Wheat Noodles (古代小麦全粒粉, kodai ko-mugi zenryū-ko) - Uses whole grain wheat, so you get a grittier texture than the usual smooth udon
Yamato Flat Noodles (大和平打麺, yamato hirauchi-men) - Large flat and short noodles, completely different from the typical udon.
Vegetable Udon (菜のうどん, yasai-no-udon) - Udon made using various vegetables as the base ingredient.

People walking under the sakura at the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Reggaeman (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Est.

12:05

45 mins

Philosopher's Path (哲学の道)

Ponder your way down the Philosopher's Path

The Philosopher’s Path is a stone-paved path under a canopy of trees that follows the Shishigatani Canal (鹿ケ谷, Shishigatani) from the Silver Pavilion (銀閣寺, Ginkaku-ji) to the Nanzen-ji Temple (南禅寺, Nanzen-ji) . This quiet path meanders through a rural neighborhood, and is a great place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Aqueduct near Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Samuel Berner (Unsplash)

Est.

12:50

45 mins

Nanzen-ji Temple (南禅寺)

A palace, a temple, and a roman aqueduct?

Nanzen-ji Temple was founded in 1291 after Emperor Kameyama (亀山天皇, Kameyama-tennō) converted his detached palace into today’s temple (寺, Tera). In the Gozan (五山, Five Mountains) system which denotes the ten most important Zen temples (five in Kyoto, and five in Kamakura) in Japan, the Nanzen-ji is place in a separate class by itself, above all the 10 other Zen temples.

Walk over to Blue Bottle Coffee

Est.

13:35

6 mins

500m

Nanzen-ji Temple

Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto

Exterior of Blue Bottle Coffee in a machiya in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Photostore HK (Unsplash)

Est.

13:50

45 mins

Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto (ブルーボトルコーヒー京都)

A mid-day machiya coffee break

Located near the base of the Keage Incline (蹴上インクライン, Keage Inkurain), you can find Blue Bottle Coffee, an American coffee roaster that has repurposed an old 100-year old Kyoto machiya (町家, Traditional wooden townhouse) into a modern cafe that blends together traditional and modern aesthetics.

View of the Keage Incline in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Est.

14:35

45 mins

Keage Incline (蹴上インクライン)

Climb up an abandoned railway track

The Keage Incline has in recent years captured the attention of visitors as a great sakura (桜, Cherry-blossom) viewing spot that is off-the-beaten path and away from Kyoto’s large crowds. This 582m inclined slope begins near the entrance to Kyoto City Zoo and runs all the way up to the current Keage Station on the Kyoto Subway Tozai Line.

Take the train to Nijo Castle

Est.

15:20

12 mins

Tozai Line

Towards Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station

Kyoto City Subway

Keage Station

Nijojo-mae Station

9 mins

Take Exit 1

3 mins

200m

Nijojo-mae Station

Nijo Castle

Credit: Eleonora Albasi (Unsplash)

Est.

15:40

1h 20m

Nijo Castle (二条城)

Hear the Nightingale Floors

Nijo Castle was constructed in 1626 as the residence of the Tokugawa Clan (徳川氏, Tokugawa-shi) who were the shoguns (将軍) during the Edo Period (1603-1867, 江戸時代, Edo-jidai). During the Edo Period, while the Imperial Family still existed, the actual power of ruling the country was held by the shogun. While the Tokugawa Shogunate (徳川幕府, Tokugawa Bakufu) ruled from Edo (江戸), modern-day Tokyo, Nijo Castle served as their residence in Kyoto when they visited the former capital.

Take the train to Katsukura

Est.

17:00

12 mins

3 mins

200m

Nijo Castle

Nijojo-mae Station

Tozai Line

Towards Rokujizo Station

Kyoto City Subway

Nijojo-mae Station

Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station

4 mins

Take Exit 1

5 mins

450m

Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station

Katsukura Main Shop

Plate of Tonkatsu at Katsukura in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Jun Ohwada (Unsplash)

Est.

17:25

1 hour

Katsukura Main Shop (かつくら本店)

Crunch some delicious local tonkatsu

When at Kyoto Station, one of the best places to stop at is Katsukura, a Kyoto-based tonkatsu (とんかつ, Pork Cutlet) restaurant. For the main, we recommend getting the Rosu Katsu (ロスカツ, Loin Katsu) Set Meal as well as a Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し, Steamed egg custard) as an appetizer.

Walk over to Katsukura

Est.

18:25

1 min

110m

Katsukura Main Shop

Gear Kyoto: Non-Verbal Theatre

Theatre stage of Gear in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Est.

18:35

2 hours

Gear Kyoto: Non-Verbal Theatre (ギア: 京都の感動エンターテイメント)

Immerse yourself in a steampunk world

One of the unexpected finds in Kyoto is Gear, a non-verbal theater performance, which means that no Japanese language knowledge is required to enjoy this performance. A fusion of traditional techniques of kabuki (歌舞伎) with modern performance aspects like break dancing, magic and more. It’s a performance that anyone can enjoy, from young to old, even if you are not a usual fan of the more artistic types of theatre.

Head to Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

Est.

20:35

0 mins

Gear Kyoto: Non-Verbal Theatre

Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

End off at Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

Est.

20:35

京都河原町駅

Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station

阪急京都本線