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Japan
Things to do in Kyoto
8 activity ideas, with how long they take, an indicative price and the best time of day. Best time to visit: in March, April, May, October and November.
Things to do
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The torii of Fushimi Inari
Ten thousand vermilion gates along four kilometers of climb. Before 8 a.m., you have it to yourself. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyMonument3 hrFreebest in the morning
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The Golden Pavilion
Two stories covered in gold leaf, rebuilt in 1955 after the fire Mishima wrote about. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyMonument1 hr 30 min≈ €3best in the morning
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The Arashiyama bamboo grove
Twenty-meter stalks, and a sound of wind Japan counts among its hundred soundscapes. On Wikipedia (in French)
Nature and sceneryPark3 hrFreebest in the morning
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Gion at nightfall
Wooden teahouses along the canal, and sometimes a geiko passing by. Don’t follow her. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyMonument2 hrFreebest in the evening
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Kiyomizu-dera
A wooden terrace on thirteen-meter stilts, built without a single nail, above the city. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyMonument2 hr≈ €3best in the afternoon
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Nishiki Market
Four hundred years, five hundred meters, a hundred and thirty stalls: “Kyoto’s kitchen.” On Wikipedia
FoodMarket2 hr≈ €20best in the afternoon
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A tea ceremony
Forty minutes, a dozen gestures, and matcha drunk in three and a half sips. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyRelaxation1 hr 30 min≈ €35best in the afternoon
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A day trip to Nara
The fifteen-meter Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji, and twelve hundred deer roaming free around it. On Wikipedia (in French)
Culture and historyMonument7 hr≈ €30takes the whole day
When to go
The most pleasant months in Kyoto: in March, April, May, October and November, taking weather and crowds into account.
More ideas for those months: where to go in March, where to go in April, where to go in May, where to go in October, where to go in November.
Averages measured over recent years: mean temperatures and number of rainy days, month by month.
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9 °C / 48 °F | 0 °C / 32 °F | 9 |
| February | 9 °C / 48 °F | 1 °C / 34 °F | 10 |
| March ideal | 14 °C / 57 °F | 4 °C / 39 °F | 12 |
| April ideal | 20 °C / 68 °F | 10 °C / 50 °F | 11 |
| May ideal | 23 °C / 73 °F | 14 °C / 57 °F | 11 |
| June | 27 °C / 81 °F | 18 °C / 64 °F | 15 |
| July | 33 °C / 91 °F | 24 °C / 75 °F | 14 |
| August | 34 °C / 93 °F | 25 °C / 77 °F | 15 |
| September | 31 °C / 88 °F | 22 °C / 72 °F | 14 |
| October ideal | 23 °C / 73 °F | 15 °C / 59 °F | 11 |
| November ideal | 17 °C / 63 °F | 8 °C / 46 °F | 7 |
| December | 11 °C / 52 °F | 2 °C / 36 °F | 5 |
What budget on the ground?
Per person and per day, including accommodation, meals, local transport and visits — excluding the round trip. An estimate calculated the same way as in the app, from the local cost of living.
- Budget
- €65
- Mid-range
- €120
- Comfort
- €220
Getting there from Paris: the carbon footprint
Per person, round trip, in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent — manufacturing, energy and, for flights, contrails included.
- Plane
- 3.4 t
Factors from ADEME (Impact CO₂); outside France, rail uses the European average published by the European Environment Agency.
Book on the ground
Tours and tickets
- Go City Multi-attraction passes for big cities
- KKday Activities and tours, especially in Asia
- Klook Tours, tickets and excursions
- Tiqets Museums and monuments, skip-the-line tickets
- WeGoTrip Self-paced audio tours
Internet on site (eSIM)
- Airalo Data eSIM, by country or region
- Drimsim SIM card that works in almost every country
- Saily Data eSIM
- Yesim Data eSIM
From the airport
- GetTransfer Drivers make an offer for your ride
- Intui Private transfers at a fixed price
- Kiwitaxi Booked transfers, from taxi to minibus
- Welcome Pickups Driver waiting on arrival, price fixed in advance
Rent a car
- Auto Europe Rental comparison
- EconomyBookings Rental comparison
- GetRentacar Cars from rental companies and private owners
- Localrent Local rental companies, often no credit card needed
Partner links: if you book through them, Tripora may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you and without changing the order of these lists, which is alphabetical.
Good to know: Japan
- Plugs
- Type A, B, 100 V
- Emergencies
- 110 (police), 119 (ambulance), 119 (fire)
- Driving
- On the left
Near Kyoto
- Nara Japan, 36 km
- Osaka Japan, 43 km
- Nagoya Japan, 110 km
- Takayama and the Japanese Alps Japan, 180 km
- Kanazawa Japan, 190 km
- Hakone and Mount Fuji Japan, 300 km