3-DAY KYOTO JAPAN TRAVEL ITINERARY 🇯🇵 things to do, places to eat, travel tips & hidden gems

3-DAY KYOTO JAPAN TRAVEL ITINERARY 🇯🇵 things to do, places to eat, travel tips & hidden gems

I feel like I take for granted the fact that I’m married to a Japanese local the other day I went to take some photos of the autumn leaves in Arash maroto by myself paid to enter a temple and then walked out after completely missing half of it anyway I’m back in kyto and this time I brought some company BYT e cuers [Music] there’s so many people what the hell oh my god dude look how many people there already are it’s 6:30 in the morning why are you all awake [Music] look at the colors the reds are so [Music] red wow this place is [Music] beautiful oh my God side K is so worth it absolutely beautiful it’s only 500 y [Music] entry [Music] wow oh it’s so sad that the tree is gone used to be a big old sucker tree right here it was like over 100 years old wasn’t it so trippy that there’s just cars passing [Music] by it’s 7:30 in the morning and this is how busy it is here at the Pagoda during Pig season in B we wanted to get here early to try and get some pics with no people in front of like the P but during peak season it’s just not possible there’s people people here all the time even at Sunrise so I mean unless you’re staying like in Kyo around K I wouldn’t recommend waking up this ear especially not if you’re coming all the way from orer this is the line for the Starbucks it opens in 30 minutes line goes all the way back there do you want to go somewhere [Music] else if you are coming to Kim before 8 a.m. you can take your taxi up all the way to the front of the temple after 8:00 a.m. it gets too busy so taxis can’t get through so you’d have to walk up it’s not far it’s like a 30 minute walk from the closest train station or like 15 from the bus stop here’s the pagota and this is keu stand [Music] [Music] much closer meow he looks so grumpy kamogawa the river that runs straight through Kyo is probably my favorite thing about the city I really want to get a photo of the Autumn Leaves I see so many banging photos on Instagram but I just can’t get anywhere close to that level but I think that’s my goal for this Kyoto trip to get like a Kyoto Autumn viby photo that I like you can see their little legs under the water that’s so [Music] cute it was a paid after iski market iski market started as a fish market way back in the 14th century it since changed and the range of shops has grown exponentially but it’s been a very integral Market in Kyoto for locals and tourists alike ever since but with all the variety Nishi Market can be super overwhelming so let me show you two of my favorite shops to get you started this is the first one I don’t know what it’s called but they offer these delicious free Chestnut samples out the front and then inside the store it’s just a bit quieter from the rest of nki market so it’s a nice little break they used to serve tea here but I’m not sure if they do [Music] anymore the next one is is a food store that serves Japanese sakeet for 100 yen a glass you can choose from either a sweet or a dry [Music] Japanese because it’s a food store there’s also heaps of other cheap food you can try here as well [Music] [Music] this is the m Ramen popular with tourists and this is the sh Ramen popular with the [Music] [Applause] locals fore forers [Music] that’s so cool he got me some souvenirs [Music] so this is the Kyoto Autumn special it’s [Music] beautiful it tastes like sweet potato I think there’s ice cream underneath yeah it’s like a Japanese way it’s so [Music] cute do not I really like the flowers that’s really [Music] tasty we got this [Music] one cut [Music] it’s gorgeous weather right now it’s about 15° there’s no wind no clouds in the sky so we’re just chilling by kamogawa this is our first stamp since K we got the Ki stamp rally postcard should we put it here I’ve never done this before me neither [Music] maybe I needed to press that up it’s supp to like that do you want to do the all you can [Music] eat our vegetables so the meat vegetables noodle rice ice oh you can include that oh nice you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning making your friends and your family more interesting how after we ordered thisi we got this instructions way to eat skak it’s in Japanese and English and Chinese so this is the skaki sauce that you add and then if it’s too strong you can add some kelp broth to water it down a little bit and then you can adjust the flavor as it evaporates and to your taste come by skaki is normally eaten by dipping the pop pot food into a raw egg you absolutely don’t have to dip it into a raw egg if you don’t want to but it adds a very tasty creamy texture so I recommend giving you a try it’s totally safe in Japan [Music] going this is the shine good morning we’re on our way to a place called enori it’s very cold apparently the autumn leaves here are absolutely stunning oh [Music] [Music] God this place is so beautiful did you find a little gu that’s the little guy there he’s so [Music] [Music] cute wow eni is so pretty the main viewing deck has this insane view of the garden with like all the beautiful Autumn foliage I could have sat there all day honestly it was beautiful if you would like to come to enori Temple you need to make a reservation during Autumn you can do that online it’s really easy to do it’s all in English and entry costs 1,000 yen [Music] oh that’s so cool yeah 100% you know there’s people that go like see the Mona Lisa and they don’t take a photo they just look at it it’s like that I want to be that person yeah definitely there’s something I need to tell you about the coffee shop we’re heading towards H it’s in a temple that costs 5,000 yen to enter oh and I’m not sure if we have to enter the temple to access the coffee shop or not yeah if by chance we have to pay 5,000 yen to go do you still want to go no okay well [Music] [Music] spee foree [Music] we’ve got a hot coffee and a green tea so love you but what’s special about this place is this which is called the sunny blend by the way the coffee is made from some kind of holy water I think from this Temple that we’re in which is really cool I don’t know if you can see but the reflection of the leaves in this coffee cup oh [Music] I made a mistake it’s not holy water that they use this spring is calledo it’s one of Kyoto’s famous Springs there used to be three of them but now this is the only one remaining this is the water that the cafe that we just went to uses for their coffee should I put 100 y okay yamas is only one stop away from Cur station but it’s much less touristy our next destination is in yamas so we decided we’ll just grab lunch here before we go [Music] if you’ve never heard of T it is a cold ramen noodle dish where the noodles are dipped into a hot flavored soup so essentially it just looks like a bowl of ramen with the soup on the side just a heads up this is a very local joint there is no English on the menu so a little bit of Japanese knowledge would probably be helpful here gets cold there’s a microwave where you can warm it [Music] up it’s like smiry and buttery you have to get this [Music] the colors are insane it’s like every single tree is turning red it’s raining on this side sunny on this side [Music] K’s hiding from the [Music] rain it’s pretty steep these stairs my God it’s so pretty here I think around the temple grounds it’s free but if you want to go in I think it costs a little bit like 500 y something and they have a cafe so many photographers it’s like a photographers [Music] Paradise oh I think this is a huge sakura tree a weaking sakura tree that would be beautiful the free part is pretty big isn’t it no you walk like it’s a pretty big [Music] Temple oh it’s cute it started raining so we’ve just come to I think it’s B cafe or something like that right next door to bisham door just to wait out the rain it looks like a regular souvenir shop from the outside but then you come in and it’s like a full-on like Japanese style like tatami fors restaurant Cafe with these insane views of the foliage outside like it’s like bright red and orange and we’ve got window seats so we’re just like sitting drinking our coffee facing outside so nice and cozy even though the windows are open it’s really Pleasant I bet it would be cold during winter but apparently it Snow’s here so I wouldn’t mind saying [Music] now what a beautiful place for so [Music] nice so we just left bisham but yeah I would recommend bisham for Autumn I’m sure it’s beautiful in the other Seasons but it’s famous for its Autumn folage you can do so much of the temple for free the only thing is location wise it’s a little bit out of the way so perhaps for people that have limited time in Kyoto it’s maybe not the best place but if you do have some time and you want to go somewhere that has a little bit less people this one’s good [Music] one one pie Dragon Ball [Music] it’s like cards and stuff it’s so well preserved I don’t know what this is but it’s very well preserved oh my God it’s Jack what the hell [Music] [Music] [Music] dude look at these seats so this place is called onwa it’s in an area of Kyo called PTO sh which has a lot of isayas and like drinking alleys but this one is actually in a building on the 9th floor so we’ve got this awesome view of the Kyo CC so you order through a QR code unfortunately there’s no English menu so you have to use your browser to translate it into English the drinks don’t have photos but the food there is images accompanied on the menu also there is a OSI OSI which is kind of like a compulsory entree that you get when you get seated so it’s kind of like a seating charge this one is 440 Yen so it’s basically 440 Yen each as a seating charge here which is pretty common regular procedure in isaka [Music] Japan also I’m not 100% sure but I have a feeling this Isa allows smoking so if you have a preference for that she cut some this is potato salad with some an on top and bacon the potato Sal is great it’s got like um curry powder in it so it gives this really nice Curry of RAR and some fried rice so many things on the menu are coming with like egg yolk on top which just adds such a nice creamy texture I actually love it I’ve never thought about adding just raw egg yolk to like rice but I works the food tastes really good affordable and good [Music] [Music] [Music] a there you go m [Music] so this is studio so Kyo station’s like here and this is where get the K in is over here then here this Isa and then and then all the way over here this is where we are and then we’re going to take the airzone [Music] railway to around here this is so cool they’ve got maps in different languages now I got the map on my phone in English [Music] the airzone line is a local train that connects a lot of residential areas of Kyo but it’s very much turned into a bit of a sizing train just because of how pretty the scenery is this is also where you will see the famous Maple tunnel it’s obviously super famous for its nighttime illuminations but it’s also extremely busy during that time and I reckon it’s really nice during the daytime as well [Music] started raining with this gorgeous smell in the air that smell of like wood and a fireplace burning this is very much the countryside [Music] [Music] [Music] he [Music] [Music] I feel like I’ve stepped into a fairy [Music] tale yeah it’s so true and the trains are always like really cool colors as well it’s nice [Music] so entry here is 2,000 Yen if you don’t book ahead if you do book ahead it’s 1,600 and it’s much more secluded with less people obviously because they have a cap so you can really take your time and enjoy the mountains and if you come in Autumn see amazing Autumn Leaves this tree is phenomenal so we’re walking from hakan garden to C Ney station now which is about a 20 minute walk it’s in the middle of forest and there have been bare settings around here so we’re a bit on edge [Music] W this is the station here this is the bus stop here looks like a lot of restaurants are closed today it’s a Wednesday [Music] C shine is really really pretty in Autumn but because it’s a bit colder up here the leaves fall off a bit sooner too it is still really pretty here in any season though to makeup they also have these really really fun water or Miki Fortune s so this is blank now and then you put it in water and your fortun and it’s got QR codes that’s cool so we can look it up in English too this is so [Music] hard oh it’s appearing let’s have a look what you got yes or better than what’s [Music] that KET is much cooler than the rest of Kyo during the summer so a lot of these restaurants here are open during the summer and then they’ll close during the winter [Music] is this one of those ones you’re supposed to eat together like this is [Music] actually I love cominis really cool [Music] [Applause] [Music] yum so [Music] good Peach French Frye by bye this is the peach Berry and this is the tall H question know looks like the drinks on [Music] fire so this place is called I’m not sure how to pronounce it but secon Kon but it’s a rooftop bar on top of a hotel it’s got gorgeous views of Kyo and we’ve got a fireplace and we’ve got blankets to keep us warm and these heating things so it’s not cold at all and they do warm alcoholic drinks it tastes really good this is like Japanese sake with like Yuzu and all kinds of delicious things it’s really good tastes like alcoholic [Music] T I got another drink this a Sion lemonade I hope you enjoyed our 3 days in kyodo and a huge shout out to AO for sponsoring this video if you would like to check them out for your next overseas trip you can use my discount code Sunny for an extra $3 off you can check it out through this QR code here or infos down in the description below awesome see you next time [Music]

*3-DAY KYOTO ITINERARY BELOW* ⬇️ Sponsored by Airalo
Install the Airalo app here: https://try.airalo.com/sunny
Discount code: SUNNY (Limited to new users)
Coupon code expiration date: December 31, 2025
Airalo official YouTube channel: @airalo_ jp
#airalo #esim

==============================================================================

🇯🇵 Join me & K on a jam-packed 3-day Kyoto itinerary! ⛩️

==============================================================================
Tailor the viewing experience to your needs!

You can use the chapters below to watch the video is a *visual itinerary,* or watch each day from start to finish as a *vlog-style adventure,* for an example of what a day exploring magical Kyoto feels and looks like.

We were travelling from Osaka so no hotel recommendations in this one 🙁

If you have any questions about any of the places we went to in this video, chuck them in the comments down below!

We do not do private or group tours, however if you have any areas that you are curious about or want to know more about, we always welcome video ideas!

============================================================================

*Itinerary:*
*Day 1*
(0:00) Kiyomizu-dera
📍 Kyoto-Kawaramachi station → (taxi, walk or City Bus 207) → Kiyomizu-dera
– before 8am, you can take a taxi up to the temple instead of walking up

(1:46) Ninenzaka & the famous pagoda (Hokan-ji)
📍Kiyomizu-dera → (walk through Ninenzaka) → pagoda
– beautiful hilly streets with preserved traiditonal Japanese houses, and a magestic pagoda towering overhead

(3:10) Coffee at Kefu Stand
– Starbucks is famous but very busy and it’s very hard to get a seat
– Kefu stand is nearby and just next to the pagoda and has great coffee

(6:43) Nishiki Market
📍(Ninenzaka → (walk, cross Kamogawa) → Nishiki Market
– Kyoto’s oldest market, full of history, food stalls and souvenirs

(7:57) Ramen Sen-no-Kaze Kyoto
– after Nishiki Market, stop by a super accessible ramen restaurant

(8:56) B-side Label (souvenir idea)
– a great place to buy some very unique souvenirs

(9:41) (THIS IS) SHIZEN
– a fantastic viral store that makes ice cream shaped like bouquets of flowers! 💐

(11:40) Shabu-Shabu Tajima-ya
📍(THIS IS) SHIZEN → (walk 15 mins) → Shijo Kawaramachi

*Day 2*
(13:47) Enkouji Temple
📍Kyoto Station → City Bus 5 → Enkouji Temple
– a stunning temple with unforgettable viewing platform of the traditional Japanese garden

(16:18) Coffee Base NASHINOKI
📍Enkouji Temple → City Bus 3 → Coffee Base NASHINOKI
– a very unique coffee shop, located within a Kyoto temple
– this coffee shop makes its coffee using water from a famous Kyoto spring
– please note: Nashinoki Shrine is FREE (¥5000 fee is for if you want to *pray* there)

(19:09) Tsukemen Yumenchu
📍Coffee Base NASHINOKI → City Bus 205 → Kyoto Staiton → train → Yamashina Station → walk → Tsukemen Yumenchu
– if you haven’t tried tsukemen, you are missing out!
– no English menu

(20:58) Bishamondo Temple
📍Yamashina Station → walk → Bishamondo
– temple with beautiful autumn leaves
– ¥500 to enter the temple but you can explore a lot of the grounds for free
– Baikal Cafe right next to the temple

📍Yamashina Station → train → Kyoto Station → bus → Shijo-Kawaramachi

(23:41) Mandarake Kyoto branch
– super cool store selling second-hand manga and collectors items

(24:25) をにわ 河原町店
📍Shijo-Kawaramachi → walk → Pontocho
– izakaya with great views of the Kyoto cityscape
– however, it does not have an English menu
– here is the Google Maps link (the name is Japanese): https://maps.app.goo.gl/C2PYAtBarhf92hZP7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

*Day 3*
(27:15) Ogawa Coffee – Kyoto Station Central Gate
– Ogawa Coffee provides beans to many cafes and coffee shops throughout Japan
– it also has longer opening hours than many other cafes (7am – 9pm)

(27:48)The Keihan & Eizan train lines
📍Kyoto Station (JR Line) → walk → Shichijo Station (Keihan Line)
– the Keihan line is very useful for accessing tourist attractions in Kyoto
– at the station, you will be able to download a map of the Keihan Line in English

(29:24) Hakuryu-en Garden
📍Shichijo Station → (Keihan Line train) → Demachiyanagi Station → (Eizan Line train) → Ninose Station → Hakuryu-en Garden
– a private garden not usually open to the public, except for special spring and autumn viewings
– viewings are capped at 100 people per day so it is recommended to book ahead

(31:23) Kifune Shrine
📍Hakuryu-en Garden → walk → Kibune-guchi Station → shuttle bus → Kifune Shrine
– a secluded shrine in the mountains of Northern Kyoto that has become very famous in the recent years, because of its beauty and serenity
– there are restaurants around the shrine, but plan ahead as they have irregular hours
(this is where we got stumped)

(34:06) CICON rooftop bar
📍Kibuneguchi Station → train → Mototanaka Station → City Bus 206 → Gojozaka
– rooftop bar serving delicious cocktails with views of Kyoto
– they have heaters and blankets during the colder months