I personally think 4 days is a good amount of time for exploring Kyoto without rushing. A 4-day Kyoto itinerary includes 3 full days in Kyoto itself and at least a day trip to nearby destinations like Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima, or Himeji.
Basically, with 3 days in Kyoto, you can spend a day exploring Gion and Higashiyama District, a day exploring the Arashiyama Bamboo forest and Kinkakuji temple, and a day exploring Fushimi Inari Shrine and downtown attractions like Nishiki Market.
If you have 2 days in Kyoto, you spend a day exploring Fushimi Inari Shrine and Gion/Higashiyama District, a day visiting Arashiyama Bamboo forest, Kinkakuji temple, and Nishiki Market.
If you have only 1 day in Kyoto, you will be able to explore all highlights but with a bit more careful planning. You can see Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkakujii, Nishiki Market, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera, and Gion District.
The ancient capital of Japan has so many things to do and see, from Unesco heritage temples and shrines, to the historic Gion district, geisha spotting, and traditional tea ceremonies, there is always something for all travelers.
A fun thing to do is renting a Kimono or Yukata and going for a walk in Gion or exploring popular temples such as Kiyomizudera.
How to Spend 4 days in Kyoto (My Itinerary)
Day 1: Gion and Higashiyama District
Morning: Explore Southern Higashiyama District in eastern Kyoto where you can find the iconic Kiyomizudera Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Sannenzaka, and Ninenzaka.
Start your day early (to avoid crowds) by visiting Kiyomizudera Temple, which is best known for its huge wooden stage with beautiful views of its surroundings. You can spend an hour exploring the temple complex.
The temple is typically open from 6am to 8pm. It is a 20 mins walk from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station on the Keihan Line, and 10 mins walk uphill from Gojo-zaka or Kiyomizu-michi stop if you take the bus.
After that you head to the shopping areas of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka Steps which are lined with traditional shophouses. You can try some Japanese snacks, and purchase souvenirs here.
Continue walking and you will spot the view of Yasaka Pagoda, explore Kodaiji Zen Temple, visit Yasaka Shrine, and Maruyama Park where you can find several Buddhist temples like Chion-in and Shoren-in.
Here are two options to spend your afternoon:
Option 1: If you are still interested in temples and shrines, you can spend your afternoon exploring northern Higashiyama attractions like Heian Shrine, Nanzen Ji, Philosopher’s Path, Honenin, and Ginkakuji.
Option 2: If you are not much into the temple and shrines, you can head to Downtown Kyoto for some food and shopping. You can visit Nishiki Market, Teramachi Shopping Arcade, Daimaru Basement Food Floor, Nijō Castle, and Kyoto Imperial Palace.
If you have only two days in Kyoto, after checking out the Downtown for lunch and some shopping, you can catch the train to Fushimi Inari. Most people recommend visiting this shrine early in the morning to avoid crowds, but late afternoon is also a good time for a beautiful sunset. It is open 24 hours.
In the evening, you can head to Pontocho and Gion for dinner. Pontocho Alley is a narrow street running close to Kamo River, from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori. You can find many restaurants here for all kinds of cuisines including Japanese and international dishes.
Day 2: Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, and Ryoan-ji
The 2nd day in Kyoto, you can explore the western part of Kyoto. You can find your way to Arashiyama area. There are trains, buses, and subways to get from Downtown to Arashiyama. Taxi is only a 25 mins ride and is a comfortable way to get there.
You can spend 30 mins at the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, check out Okochi-Sanso Villa, 30 mins at Tenryu-ji Temple checking its main hall and garden, walk to Togetsukyo Bridge, and spend 1.5 hours at Monkey Park to see monkeys and climb up to the top of the mountain for some views.
You can have a whole day exploring this peaceful part of Kyoto with so many other activities such as taking the Sagano Scenic Railway train, or joining the Hozu River Boat Tour.
Most visitors combine a visit to Arashiyama with Kinkaku-ji in the northwest part of Kyoto. You can take a taxi to Kinkaku-ji which is the most convenient way to get from Arashiyama to Kinkaku Golden Pavilion.
You can spend an afternoon exploring Kinkaku-ji by strolling on its grounds. The iconic rock garden and Zen Buddhist temple Ryōan-ji located 20 mins walk away are also well worth checking out.
End your day by taking a taxi back to Downtown Kyoto and Gion and spend your evening/dinner there. You can have your dinner at one of the platforms off of Pontocho close to Kamogawa River.
Day 3: Fushimi Inari Shrine and Downtown Kyoto
Start early in the morning to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, a must-see attraction in Kyoto known for its thousand torii gate. It is an important shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
The return hike to the top of the mountain takes around 2-3 hours. The more you hike, the less crowded it becomes, and you can take better photos.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is within walking distance from JR Inari Station on the Nara Line and Fushimi Inari Station on the Keihan Line. It is open all day and night and free to enter.
In the afternoon, you can return to Downtown Kyoto, wander around markets, shopping streets, museums like Nishiki Market, Manga Museum, Nijō Castle, and Kyoto Imperial Palace.
You can consider taking a tea ceremony or watching a traditional arts show at the Gion Corner.
Day 4: Day trips From Kyoto
When visiting Kyoto, I recommend taking at least a day trip to nearby Nara to see the bowing deer at Nara Park; to Kobe to try authentic Kobe beef; or to Uji to visit Byodo-in Temple and try its famous matcha tea.
JR Nara station is only a 50 mins train ride from JR Kyoto station. Here you can explore Todaiji Temple, Horyuji Temple, Nara Park, and Mt. Yoshino.
Kobe is easily accessible by train from JR Kyoto station, only a 60 mins train ride to JR Kobe station. Here you can try Kobe Beef, visit Meriken Park, Harborland, Kitano, and Nankin-machi.
Uji is only a 20 mins train ride from JR Kyoto Station. You can try matcha at the well-known Nakamura Tokichi Honten and visit UNESCO World Heritage Byodo-in Temple. Uji is a relaxing day trip from Kyoto.
See more:
- 10 days in Japan Itinerary for tourists
- 3 Best areas to stay in Kyoto for first-time visitors
- 7 Best areas to stay and visit in Japan
How long you spend in Kyoto really depends on your pace, what you want to do and the time you have. If your time is tight, you can see all major attractions in two full days. But within 3 days, you can comfortably explore the city at a slower pace.
There you have it, my recommendations of 4 days in Kyoto Itinerary. I hope you found some helpful information from my article. How long do you plan to spend in Kyoto? Feel free to comment down below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!