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Beyond Kyoto

One extra day can change your trip

Times are estimates, each way from central Kyoto.

Day trips

~35–50 min by Kintetsu or JR

Free-roaming deer and Tōdai-ji’s giant bronze Buddha in a vast wooden hall.

~20–30 min by JR or Keihan

Green-tea town and Byōdō-in’s Phoenix Hall, pictured on the 10-yen coin.

~15 min by shinkansen · ~30 min by JR

Street food, Osaka Castle and neon Dōtonbori; an easy evening out.

~30 min by Eizan train

Kurama & Kibune

Mountain shrines linked by a forest trail, with riverside lanterns in November.

~1 hr by Kyoto Bus

Sanzen-in’s moss garden and Hōsen-in’s framed maples in a farming valley.

~50 min by JR bus

Jingo-ji and riverside maples in a cool gorge; a long flight of steps.

~45 min by shinkansen

Japan’s great white castle, original and vast; climb all six floors.

~1 hr 15 min by train and bus

I. M. Pei’s museum hidden in the Shiga hills, reached through a tunnel.

Check seasonal opening

Good to know

Use rail passes wisely

The Kintetsu and Keihan lines are not covered by the JR Pass; IC cards work on all of them.

Ship your luggage

Hand-free services forward bags from Kyoto Station to your hotel or the airport.

Mountain weather

Kurama and Takao run colder than the city. Wear proper shoes for wet stone steps.

Leave early

Foliage spots fill by mid-morning. Aim for the first train, and plan a late return.

08 Kyoto with children

10 Choose your experience

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