Kyoto has historic temples and shrines, cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, and a food culture that runs from sweets to kaiseki dining.
There is plenty to do as well, from kimono rental to hands-on workshops, so most people planning a trip already have a rough idea of how they want to spend their time.
But Kyoto also has customs and conditions that are easy to run into unprepared — restaurants that only accept introduced guests, and a transport network that can be awkward to use.
This article covers eleven things worth knowing before a trip to Kyoto.
Most of them concern getting around the city, and eating and sleeping while you are there.
Contents
Transport Tips for Kyoto
We start with transport, which affects almost everything else.
City Buses Are Complicated, Crowded and Often Delayed
The bus is the main way to move around central Kyoto.
Trains are useful too, but Kyoto has fewer rail lines than Tokyo or Osaka, and residents use the bus constantly.
Together with the recent rise in visitor numbers, that makes city buses very crowded. During the cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons, and around the major festivals, buses can be too full to board.
Several operators run across the city — Kyoto City Bus, Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus and West JR Bus among them — which makes the network harder to read.
A single stop may be served by buses heading in different directions, so it is worth checking your route in advance to avoid boarding the wrong one.
During city-wide festivals such as Gion Matsuri, roads are closed or rerouted while the floats and processions pass, and journeys take longer than usual.
What to do
The practical approach is to take the train as close to your destination as possible, and use the bus only for the last stretch when walking is not realistic.
The Subway and Bus One-Day Pass saves paying each time you board and lets you get on and off freely for a day.
Cycling is another good option. The city has many bicycle parking areas and rental points, and the roads are set up for cycling, so you can get around without worrying about timetables or crowds.
The taxi ranks at Kyoto Station and at the Hachijo exit are large, so outside peak seasons and weekends you can usually find a taxi without much trouble.
Alongside the large taxi companies there are many owner-operated taxis, and service quality varies more among them.
An owner-operated taxi is run as a sole proprietorship by a driver licensed by the regional transport bureau under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Drivers qualify by meeting conditions such as experience at a taxi company and a clean traffic record, and by passing an examination.
Most are therefore experienced drivers, but because each runs an independent business, the level of service is not uniform.
What to do
If you would rather not take the chance, look for MK Taxi or Yasaka Taxi, the two large operators in Kyoto.
MK Taxi trains its drivers thoroughly and offers sightseeing guidance in foreign languages. If you want to be sure of communicating easily, their foreign-language guide service is worth considering.
Yasaka Taxi is long established and has a large fleet, so you will see their cars often on the street.
Their roof sign carries a three-leaf clover, and a small number of cars carry a four-leaf one. Catching a four-leaf car is said to bring good luck, so it is worth looking out for.
For a smoother ride, ask your hotel front desk to call a taxi, or use a booking app such as Go, Uber Taxi or DiDi.
A booking app also shows an estimated fare to your destination in advance, and both MK Taxi and Yasaka Taxi are available through them.
Roads Get Congested and Parking Takes Time to Find
Some people drive to Kyoto from Osaka or Nagoya, in a rental car or their own, and want to sightsee by car once they arrive.
Traffic builds up around the main sights — Arashiyama, Nishiki Market, Heian Jingu, To-ji and Kiyomizu-dera — and the parking lots fill, so finding a space can take a while.
What to do
If you are driving in from Osaka, Nagoya or elsewhere nearby, use Park and Ride.
Park and Ride means leaving the car in a designated lot near a suburban station or bus stop and continuing to the sights by train or bus.
The lots available for Park and Ride, both from the Osaka direction and from the Nagoya direction, are listed here.
Addresses in Japan normally use block and lot numbers, but Kyoto addresses are built on street names, with directional words: agaru (north), sagaru (south), higashi-iru (east) and nishi-iru (west).
This comes from the grid layout of Heian-kyo, the old capital: agaru means going north, sagaru south, higashi-iru east and nishi-iru west.
The system applies to the central wards — Kamigyo, Nakagyo, Shimogyo and parts of Sakyo — rather than to the whole city.
Take the address of Kyoto Pleasant Hotel, a convenient base for sightseeing, as an example.
MATSUMURA
Writer at JAPANOPIA Editorial Team
I am a writer with six years of experience. Born in Hyogo, I traveled to the U.S., India, Thailand, and Taiwan during my student years, experiencing and enjoying cultural differences between Japan and other countries.
Inspired by Kyoto’s tea caddy maker Kaikado and paper-cutting artist Teppei Hayakawa, whose work helps preserve traditional techniques, I developed a deep interest in Japanese craftsmanship.
Now, I focus on uncovering lesser-known attractions and locally loved establishments in Japan, driven by a passion to share them with more people. My goal is to provide detailed, authentic information through research and interviews.
I believe history, traditional culture, and uniquely Japanese customs become even more fascinating when you understand their background. Every day, I write articles with the hope that readers will feel inspired to visit and experience these places for themselves.
