I would like to receive insight/criticism into the KYOTO part of my 6-week trip in Japan.
Abbreviations to note:
* (T) → Temple
* (S) → Shrine
* (W) → To wander about
Timeframe: Mon, 22 January → Sat, 27 January
**Day 01 \[Arrival\]:**
* 12:00 PM → Hotel Check-in
* Takase River First Port
* (T) Honno-ji
* 01:30 PM → LUNCH
* (W) Kawaramachi-dori
* 06:00 PM → DINNER
* Gion Shirakawa / Tatsumi Bridge
* (W) Potoncho Alley / Kiyamachi-dori (Night)
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
**Day 02 \[Ginkaku-ji / Sanjūsangen-dō\]:**
* 06:30 AM → Awake + Breakfast from nearby konbini
* Keage Incline
* (T) Nanzen-ji
* (W) Philosipher’s Path
* (S) Otoya-jinja
* (T) Honen-in
* Ginkaku-ji
* 12:00 PM → LUNCH
* (T) Sanjūsangen-dō
* (T) Yogen-in
* Sanjo Ohashi Bridge
* 05:30 PM → DINNER
* (W) Hanami-koji + Ichiriki-tei
* (S) Yasaka-jinja (Night)
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
**Day 03 \[Kiyomizu-dera / Kennin-ji\]:**
* 05:30 AM → Awake + Breakfast from nearby konbini
* (T) Kiyomizu-dera
* Kiyomizu-zaka | Sannen-zaka | Ninen-zaka | Nene-no-Michi Alley
* (T) Chion-in / Chion-in Daishoro
* HIKE to Shogunzuka Mound
* 01:15 PM → LUNCH
* (S) Yasaka-jinja (Day) → *Only if* ***Schedule #1 of Day 01*** *was chosen.*
* (T) Kennin-ji
* (W) Kiyamachi-dori (Day)
* 07:00 PM → DINNER
* (W) Kamo-gawa Riverside
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
**Day 04 \[Arashiyama / Tameshigiri Experience\]:**
* 06:30 AM → Awake + Breakfast from nearby konbini
* (T) Daikaku-ji
* (T) Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
* (T) Asashino Nenbutsu-ji
* (W) Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street
* (T) Gio-ji
* Arashiyama Park Observation Deck
* 01:45 PM → LUNCH
* Togetsukyo Bridge
* Tameshigiri Experience
* (W) Teramachi / Shinkyogoku Shotengai
* Daimaru Kyoto
* 07:00 PM → DINNER *(Flexible for this day, dinner at either Daimaru or Teramachi)*
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
**Day 05 \[Amanohashidate / Kyoto Station\]**
* 07:00 AM → Awake + Breakfast at nearby konbini
* 08:15 AM → Train to Amanohashidate
* (T) Chion-ji
* Kaisen Bridge
* (S) Amanohashidate-jinja
* Ishoshimizu Well
* Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
* (T) Nariai-ji
* 01:40 PM → LUNCH
* 03:40 PM → Train back to Kyoto Station
* Kyoto Station Building
* 07:00 PM → DINNER
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
**Day 06 \[Kinkaku-ji / Uji / Fushimi Inari\]**
* 06:00 AM → Awake + Breakfast at nearby konbini
* (T) Kinkaku-ji
* (T) Shoden-ji
* 10:15 AM → Bus & Train to UJI STATION
* 11:30 AM → LUNCH
* (T) Byodo-in
* Tachibana Island
* Asagiribashi Bridge
* (S) Ujigami-jinja
* Tale of Genji Museum
* Ujibashi Bridge
* *Potential snack at Nakamura Tokichi (?)*
* 02:30 PM → Train to Inari Station
* Fushimi Inari Hike
* 06:00 PM → DINNER
* 09:30 PM → Return to Hotel
For time reference:
* (T) usually take 45 mins – 1 hour
* \[ Kiyomizu-dera | Daikaku-ji | Ginkaku-ji \] have more than 1 hour exploration time
* (S) usually take 30 mins
* LUNCH & DINNER usually take 1 hr 15 mins to account for prep time, and potential wait time.
I am aware of temple/shrine burnout, as such, I try to spread out/limit the number of temples I visit. Some of them are for my goshuin collection.
Thank you for taking the time to read my itinerary. Hope to hear some feedback!
2 comments
Hopefully my post this time doesn’t get taken down by AutoMod.
thats a pretty detailed itinerary. I am not sure that going down into these kinds of details and times is doable, or still fun – but everybody is different
that all being said. it looks pretty well thought and planned out. nothing is really sticking out as too odd…
there are a few parts I find ambitious, but barely so, and not to the point where I could argue it wont work. I did not follow this plan myself, and an area being more or less busy might make a difference big enough as well…
which brings me back to starting a day at 6:30, visiting 5-6 stations, and then writing down 1.45pm lunch. Ive been there, and I would not know at what time I would be done when i got up at 6.30 and did all that. will it be 10am? no. will it be 5pm. no. will it be 1.45. how would I know…
thats probably true for the other days as well.
so dont get hung up on the actual times you start to do something. maybe you need to take lunch at a different time, at a different place…
day 6 is leaving me a bit puzzled, it feels off. kinkakuji opens at 9, i feel heading to uji, taking a lunch, seeing byodoin and the shrine and walking along to see the other stuff, not sure you will be back at the station at 230pm
if you head there a bit earlier, ryoanji opens at 8am…