How Many Days in Kyoto for First-Timers? Practical Guide & Itinerary
I’m Japanese living in Kyoto and I’m sharing how many days you really need for a trip here, along with a simple itinerary. #japantravel #kyoto
0:26 “Highlights” for tight schedules (2-Day Plan)
2:21 Central Kyoto & Slower pace (3-Day Plan)
4:07 The “Real” Kyoto Experience (4-Day Plan)
7:05 How to spend Day 4+
18 Comments
Planning to visit Kyoto first and then Osaka.
This was very helpful and we are spending 5 nights in Kyoto this time. We will be mindful of your traditions while enjoying Japan.
Thank you for the video. I am planning a trip for early April. Do you have any recommendations for Kawadoko near Enkou-ji?
Keep up the good work!
Thank you for the helpful information.
Malaysian here! Thank you for your suggestions. Glad to see you enjoyed our food (and Village Park Nasi Lemak)!
In a previous video, you mentioned Miyama was one of your favourite places, but you didn't recommend it here, why? :O
Thankyou and very valuable information for Travelers. Keep up the great content. One suggestion I would make is consider doing separate Videos of each important Kyoto site, such as the History and Importance of each site. In that way people can get a great view of the specific cultural, historical and importance of each site. That would not only get you more views due to its ongoing relevance, it would allow Travelers to select sites based on personal tastes and Interests. I don't know of any Youtuber who provides lasting content such as this. Again, great Videos and thank-you.
Thank you for some new ideas! I really enjoy the calm Kyoto vibe – it will be my 4th time in Kyoto next month and I am happy to stay for 4 weeks.
I can stay 15 days in Kyoto without getting bored!
I love these videos. I am travelling solo in Feb to Kyoto and can’t wait 🙂
Your videos are amazing! I am glad I discovered you right before I visit Kyoto. We'll be staying there for six days and are looking forward to exploring the area. 💜
This is such a well shot and edited video! Me and my boyfriend visited Japan in November 2025, and we spent 4 days in Kyoto. We liked it so much we regretted not staying a day or two longer 😭 I’ll use your recommendations for my next trip for sure!
We did 5 days in Kyoto including a half-day trip to Himeji for castle and garden. Then came back for a show in Gion and dinner after. Next time I will add one more day even just so I can have a slower pace at all these wonderful places.
If you like trains I highly recommend putting aside some time for the Kyoto Railway Museum. Very big museum with lots of trains and also very calm compared to the rest of Kyoto.
Thank you very much for this video, really helpful for planning my trip to Japan. Currently I have an 11 day booking at a hotel in Osaka and plan to take day trips to Kyoto to see the sights by train, so I'll be sure to visit some of these
Going to the Kansai region in just a few weeks for the first time, staying in Kyoto, and I agree that – from what I've seen – it seems like Kyoto has cooler things to see and do over Osaka. How does our Kansai itinerary look to you?
Day one – Arashiyama area and central Kyoto / Teramachi shopping (Nonomiya, Tenryu-ji, Monkey park, Umenomiya, Pokemon Center, Nintendo store, Teramachi)
Day two – Nara (Kofuku-ji, Kasugataisha, Todai-ji)
Day three – Fushimi Inari Taisha + kimono rental (I hope I don't die from a tight kimono fitting while trying to climb the steps up the mountain heh. Inari-sama is one of my favorite deities in the world and I want to be respectful there and spend a full day really absorbing it)
Day four – Wakayama (For the three Tama stations – Wakayama, Idakiso, Kinokawa. Tama Daimyoujin is also really important to me)
Day five – Nishinomiya and central Osaka (Anime pilgrimage (Haruhi Suzumiya), Osaka Castle, Namba Walk, Dotonbori, Shinsekai)
Day six – Kiyomizu-dera area (+ Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka, Gion, Yasaka)
Then we go all the way to Kansai International to fly to Sapporo for two days lol
Finally, the video that mentions off the beaten path sights in Kyoto. I've followed the "3 day" itinerary (with minor differences) at my first trip and was looking for the ideas to spend few more days in Kyoto in less crowded sights as I'm starting to plan my second trip to Japan. I've also considered to visit the Mount Hiei. This video gave me a lot of valuable insights and perhaps a desire to reconsider the whole itinerary.
Was thinking about exploring Kansai-Hiroshima-Kyushu route originally, but perhaps this is too much to cover withing a 3 week trip.
Thank you for your tips. I enjoyed your (gentle) ribbing of Osaka. I'm planning my trip fir May and only have 3 days in Kyoto. It's packed and I won't get to go to a few places. It just means I'll have to come back…and spend less time in Osaka 😂