Travel around the sights: Kyoto City’s suburbs
Time required : Five-day trip
- Japanese Culture
- Outdoor
The suburbs of Kyoto with its own history, historical landmarks, scenery, and specialties nurtured by different climates has a different look and feel from the main city. Luckily, it is just a quick hop out of Kyoto City. Here's a course that makes efficient use of public transportation as you tour around everything from streets that still have an ancient feel to them to famous tourist spots popular with people from all over the world and power spots where you can get in touch with nature.
Take the Kansai Airport Express Haruka from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto.
By train (Kansai Airport Express Haruka (JR Kansai Airport Line) to Kyoto): 1 hr 20 mins
Day 1
1Kyoto Tower
Kyoto Tower, the landmark of Kyoto City, stands at 131m. Inside you'll find an observation deck, restaurants, shopping levels, and a large public bath.
Accommodations (Yunohana Onsen/around Kameoka Station)
Move to Yunohana Onsen from Kameoka Station by free shuttle bus from the spa
20 min by train
Day 2
2Kameoka and Arashiyama
Enjoy picturesque views of the Hozukyo Ravine as you shoot the rapids in a small boat on the Hozugawa River Boat Ride. Once you arrive at Arashiyama, take a stroll on the Togetsukyo Bridge over the Katsuragawa River, around famous shrines and temples, and through the bamboo forest. Don't miss the popular tofu cuisine for lunch.
50 min. by train
3Uji City
Uji is famous for its tea, two World Heritage Sites, Byodoin Temple and Ujikami Shrine, and more. You can enjoy experiences with the Uji tea: savoring matcha green tea at a tea ceremony, making matcha with a millstone, and so on. A wide variety of tea-based sweets are tempting, too. Byodoin Omotesando (the front approach to Byodoin Temple) is a charming and fun place with lots of shops and cafes.
Accommodations (in Uji / around JR and Keihan Uji Stations)
30 min. by train
Day 3
4Yawata City
Iwashimizu Hachimangu is one of the three major Hachimangu shrines. Perched on Mt. Otokoyama, the main building complex offers a majestic sight as well as serene escape. The shrine has National Treasures including the main building. Shokado Garden Art Museum is a must-visit place, too. It has a prestigious restaurant, Kyoto Kitcho Shokado. Savor their famous Shokado boxed lunch, and immerse yourself in the tranquil beauty of the garden.
25 min by train
5Fushimi Inari Taisha Grand Shrine
The head of all Inari shrines and a center of Japanese religious faith for 1,300 years. The corridor of vermillion lacquered torii gates create an indescribably mysterious atmosphere.
Accommodations (around Kyoto Station)
Day 4
6Kyoto Otokuni Bamboo Grove area (Muko City, Nagaokakyo City, Oyamazaki Town)
Muko, where high quality bamboo shoots are harvested, is home to a fantastical bamboo forest path. You can enjoy fresh bamboo shoot cuisine from late March to early May. Don't miss Nagaoka Tenmangu Shrine with its beautiful seasonal flowering plants and the Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art and its collection of Water Lilies paintings by Monet.
30 min by bus
7Kyoto City
The main shrine of Kiyomizu-dera Temple is on the side of a mountain, and its veranda jutting out from the side of the cliff is a sight to behold. Inside the shrine grounds you'll find the Okuno-in Hall, the Amida-do Hall, and other cultural heritages. Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's three main festivals, is held in town on May 15. It's an elegant procession through town, with participants dressed in Heian Period garb.
Accommodations (around Kyoto Station)
30 min by train
Day 5
8Osaka
Take a tour around Osaka Castle, the symbol of Osaka, and enjoy a stroll and shopping in Dotombori. Then, head to Kansai International Airport from Tennoji Station.
