Hey, I am planning a trip to Japan for my team. We are staying in Osaka but wanted to do a 1 day excursion to Kyoto and are about 20 people. I have some questions would appreciate some input on the itinerary. The date for this Excursion would be Saturday 14th of October.
– **8:00 AM:** Arrival in Kyoto.
– **8:30 AM – 10:30 AM:** **Fushimi Inari Shrine:** Explore the iconic red torii gates.
– **10:30 AM – 11:00 AM:** Travel to the Higashiyama District.
**Mid-Morning:**
– **11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:** **Higashiyama District:** Wander the historic district.
– **12:30 PM – 1:00 PM:** Walk to Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
– **1:00 PM – 2:00 PM:** **Kiyomizu-dera Temple:** Explore the temple complex.
**Lunch:**
– **2:00 PM – 2:30 PM:** Travel to Nishiki Market. It’s approximately a 25-minute walk, or can take a quick bus or taxi ride.
– **2:30 PM – 3:30 PM:** **Lunch at Nishiki Market:** Sample various foods from different vendors.
**Afternoon: (Optional) **
– **3:30 PM – 4:00 PM:** Travel to Arashiyama.
– **4:00 PM – 5:30 PM:** **Arashiyama Bamboo Grove:** Experience the bamboo forest.
– **5:30 PM:** Begin your journey back to Osaka.
Questions:
**1)** I am considering having 1 early group (as above) and one later, arriving to Kyoto around 11. The later group would go to Fushimi Inari and meet the other group at Nishiki market. I know it’s better to go to Inari early to avoid crows, but how bad is it? Would it be better to skip Inari and instead go to Higashiyama for the later group?
**2)** My understanding is that public transportation is quite smooth in Japan. Is there anything I should do other than having the route planned out to make it easier to herd a larger group? We plan to take Shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto should we get tickets in advance? And for the transportation within Osaka/Kyoto will it acomodate our group fine or might it be busy enough that we should do Taxis instead?
Other than that any general input also appreciated, thanks!
6 comments
Hey OP,
I’m also planning a one day trip to Kyoto for next week, and so far – ours mirror each other until the after lunch part. I’m also planning to arrive in Kyoto at about 9am – so an hour after your itinerary starts.
Instead of going to Arashiyama, I’m planning to do the Philosopher’s path after lunch, then just stick to Kyoto metro area and Gion for the later half of the afternoon/early evening.
I’ve been told PT to get across town to Arashiyama and back is just not worth the trek, since it’s possibly 40 minutes one way.
your plan is, all things considered, roughly okay-ish
Being a group of 20 will definitely impact you, and your plans. It would be advisable to have more time from arriving to fushimi inari to higashiyama – but you dont. so, you wont be able to really hike the mountain. no, you get there, explore, hike a little, and then head back
higashiyama you have 3hrs to, roughly, get to higashiyama, explore, and get back out again. thats – fine I guess.
[on that note, you need to figure out, do you intend to stay a group, with a stick and color to hold up and walk around as a group, which I STRONGLY advise against, or will you let everybody explore alone or in smaller groups, and just “ask” (demand) that everybody be back at [insert place] at [time] ]
one hour for nishiki market is. if you go there to eat, okay, but its not enough time to actually explore. you should have more time. and you can, we dont need to rush next within an hour.
normally, I would advise very strongly against traveling to arashiyama just for the bamboo grove. in this case I will make an exception. you will need more time in nishiki market. when you leave, there is not much you can still do. the bamboo grove is open 24/7 so it qualifies. further more. from arashiyama there is a train line going south west to osaka. since you are headed there, it could be described as somewhat convenient. so “Ill allow it” 🙂
however you need to realise one thing!!!! about
2) yes, public transport is quite good in japan. kyoto bus does not count. well, it does. it is good. in theory. but its also operated on the limit of capacity. AND you are traveling in a grp of 20. you can not. I REPEAT, you can not expect to just use a public transport bus. even if they can fit all 20 people in, they will hate you. with good reason.
I will also say that finding like 5 taxis for 20 people just randomly standing there waiting might be asking for trouble. it could, might, should? be okay. but…
Honestly, with that plan and 20 people. why not see if you can charter a small bus for the day?
using trains with 20 people should be okay.
and 1) so, you have another group of people ADD to the group of 20 during the day? well thats not making it easier.
or did youi mean to split up the 20 people in 2 groups?
i dont think it will matter much about fushimi inari or the bamboo grove or anything really with timings. you dont have the time so to speak to fully explore fushimi inari anyway, you are on a schedule, which needs keeping, so there is no optimizing with going before 8 am. and the bamboo grove the same, youll be there, others will be there. its the way it is…
how are you ending up organizing a trip for 20 people+ if you dont have experience? you are not doing it commericially I hope?!
Going to Arashiyama for the bamboo forest is 100% not worth it. It’s like a 5 minute walk. Especially with a group of 20 people that might want to split up and do their own thing and walk around and enjoy Kyoto.
For a group of 20, stick to train-based transport (or five taxis). It’s unlikely you’ll all fit on the same public bus.
If crowds are a concern, Higashiyama/Kiyomizudera will also be extremely crowded. So pick your poison between that and Fushimi Inari really.
The bamboo forest is a 10-minute attraction and will be massively crowded. If someone took me there and told me to spend 1.5 hours I would be judging the organizer hard. Instead, if there are no group dinner plans, I would suggest that after everyone is brought to Nishiki Market they are allowed to roam free in Kyoto for an afternoon (maybe give some ideas about what to do and instructions on how to head back to Osaka).
This sounds like a kind of a nightmare, but if you’re going to do it, I would skip Arashiyama, spend the entire day on the east side of the city (maybe walk up to Nanzen-ji and the Philosopher’s Path), and stick around Kyoto in the evening for dinner and ambiance (e.g., in Pontocho, Gion, and around Higashiyama). Doing so will really cut down on the need for transportation and there is EASILY enough on the east side of the city to fill more than a time that you have.
>1) I am considering having 1 early group (as above) and one later, arriving to Kyoto around 11. The later group would go to Fushimi Inari and meet the other group at Nishiki market. I know it’s better to go to Inari early to avoid crows, but how bad is it? Would it be better to skip Inari and instead go to Higashiyama for the later group?
If you’re trying to stick together and avoid crowds, I would go as early as possible (ideally even earlier than 8:30), or go towards the end of the day (just before sunset). Be forewarned: sticking together all day is going to be next to impossible, so decide ahead of time what people should do if you get separated and intend to go back to Osaka together. And if you intend to sit down to eat anywhere as a group, you will DEFINITELY need advanced reservations.
>2) My understanding is that public transportation is quite smooth in Japan. Is there anything I should do other than having the route planned out to make it easier to herd a larger group?
Even as a smaller group or an individual, I would recommend minimizing hopping around to different areas of the city as much as possible. With 20 people, I recommend this even more strongly. Higashiyama/Gion and even areas further north like Nanzen-ji and Ginaku-ji are entirely doable on foot.
>We plan to take Shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto should we get tickets in advance? And for the transportation within Osaka/Kyoto will it acomodate our group fine or might it be busy enough that we should do Taxis instead?
The Shinkansen is a massive waste of money for this trip, and depending on where in Osaka you’re coming from, may very well actually take longer (and will almost certainly require additional transfers). Taking Keihan would be the easiest for Fushimi Inari and Higashiyama, however with a group as large as 20 people, you might just consider chartering a bus. If you stick around Fushimi Inari and Higashiyama, everything is doable on foot from the station, but if you end up walking farther away from the station (e.g., to Ginkaku-ji) you may feel it’s neceessary to take taxis back to a station. With more detail about where specifically you’re coming from in Osaka, I could give greater detail.
Just curious, what is your “team” compose of? Co-workers? Honestly if everyone is an adult just split into small group of 3-4 and explore Kyoto on their own itinerary.