3 Day Kyoto Itinerary Check (with Nara) — Traveling with some first timers

Hi!

Some background about my experience with Kyoto; I’ve been to Kyoto before but a few people in my group have not, so I’m trying to find a good mix of must-sees and off the beaten path type of sights. I’m travelling with my parents and due to circumstances, they prefer not to do anything too strenuous (so we’re skipping things like the monkey park or hiking up the entirety of Fushimi Inari). We’re all very much into sights, food, and anything interesting but enjoy getting lost in the town rather than cramming as many sights into one trip. Our AirBnb is near Nishiki Market, so there’s a general idea of where we’re staying.


So, here is my current itinerary:

**Day 1 (12/12):**

* Train from Osaka
* Check-in AirBnb
* Kyoto Station (1hr)
* Higashi Hongan-ji Temple (1.5 hour)
* Fushimi Inari (2 hours)

**Day 2 (12/13):**

* Kiyomizudera and Hokan-ji Temple (Higashiyama District) (half day)
* Keage Incline (30 mins)
* Okazaki Park (30 mins)
* Okazaki Shrine (30 mins)
* (optional Philosophers Path)
* Gion at night (1.5 hours)
* Late night enjoy AirBnb area

**Day 3 (12/14):**

* Nishiki Market (maybe also MiPig Cafe) (1.5 hour)
* Kyoto Imperial Palace (1 hour)
* Toei Studio Park (~2 hours)
* Nijo Castle (1.5 hour)

**Day 4 (12/15):**

* Nara


I feel like our Day 3 is quite light, but I’m also not sure how much time is needed at the Toei Studio Park (2 ish hours?), or if its even worth the trip lol. The second half of Day 2 also seems light, but considering travel time and approximative 30 mins to 1 hour in each area, it might be enough for the day. We’re probably going to skip Arashiyama this time due to time constraints and trying to keep the trip light and not too strenuous. Is there anything I should add that’s worth seeing, especially for people who it’s their first time seeing Kyoto?

Leave a Reply
You May Also Like