Kyoto, one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, is located just 30 minutes away by rapid train from Osaka. Considered the cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto is a must-visit for first-timers traveling to Osaka. Kyoto is home to temples, shrines, palaces, and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
On the third day of our family vacation in Japan after visiting World Heritage sights in Nara and spending some free time biking around Osaka, we went to several top tourist spots in Kyoto, including the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Fushimi Inari Shrine, two of the city’s most photographed attractions. While there are a lot of other places you can visit around Kyoto, if you only have a day to spare, it’s best to pick just a few key spots.
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Kimono rental in Kyoto
While it wasn’t part of our sightseeing tour, my sister and I complicated our scheduled itinerary for the day by asking if we could rent traditional costumes for a few of our stops, which conflicted with our lunch plans.
There are many shops that offer kimono and yukata for rent for tourists, and Kyoto is a great place to try it out because of the classic landmarks. Kimonos are usually made of silk, while yukata refer to the lightweight and more casual robes for summer months that are usually made from cotton or linen. These robes are traditionally worn with a sash (obi), Japanese sandals (zori), and special socks (zobi).
Rental shops usually offer a range of styles and varying accessories like sashes, hairpieces, and bags which come with additional fees, so it’s difficult to choose designs. The more ornate robes can take a while to put on and off and are hard to walk in, so it’s best to keep it casual.
Because of time constraints, there was no time to get our hair styled and we had to go back to the same shop to return the outfits, so our guide Sachi had to move around some parts of the tour so we could make it to our lunch stop.
After getting the rental costumes, we regrouped with the family and briefly stopped at the Kimono Forest, a collection of beautiful cylinder-shaped pillars framing the lane way to Randen tram station on Kyoto’s Keifuku Arashiyama line. This modern installation that showcases textiles dyed in the traditional style, was installed as part of the renovation in the area in 2013.
Togetsukyo Bridge
We also stopped by the Togetsukyo Bridge, a 155-meter bridge built across the Katsura River, leading to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. This area is said to be a popular location for period films, as it looks timeless and free of modern attractions from one area, though many shops line the other side of the road.
While dressed in the kimonos, we proceeded to a traditional Japanese restaurant for a bento-style lunch of beef, tempura, and soba noodles, a specialty in the region. The meals were family-friendly and good for sharing.
For serious foodies who want a more unique and refined (though more expensive) dining experience, Kyoto is the birthplace of kaiseki ryori (kaiseki cuisine), a Japanese multi-course meal that highlights seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and gorgeous presentation.
Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)
After lunch, we made our way to Kinkaku-ji or Temple of the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and one of 17 locations that make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
The top two floors of this temple are completely covered in gold leaf. The structure was said to be built to echo the extravagant Kitayama culture that developed in the wealthy aristocratic circles of Kyoto during Yoshimitsu’s times. Each floor here represents a different style of architecture.
After viewing Kinkakuji from across the pond, we passed by the head priest’s former living quarters (hojo) which are known for their painted sliding doors (fusuma).
The path once again passed by Kinkakuji from behind then leads through the temple’s gardens which have retained their original design from Yoshimitsu’s days.
The gardens hold a few other spots of interest including Anmintaku Pond that is said to never dry up, and statues where visitors can throw coins for luck.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Then we made our way back to the main path of the Bamboo Forest Grove of Arashiyama, a scenic natural forest with giant bamboo trees lined with natural pathways for tourists.
This is one of Kyoto’s top sights for good reason. Standing under these soaring stalks of bamboo is like being transported into another world.
As expected, the main pathway can get very crowded with visitors taking photos, so we just looked for a clear spot to the side of the entrance for photos.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
After returning our kimonos to the rental shop, we headed to the Fushimi Inari-taisha, a traditional Shinto shrine known for its pathway of red gates.
Fushimi Inari is the head shrine of the kami Inari Okami, the Japanese fox deity, and the Shinto god of rice. Most visitors make it a point to walk through the vermillion torri gates to the main shrine.
The shrine sits at the base of a mountain 233 meters above sea level and if you take the trails further up, you can reach Mount Inari. Those who have time can try hiking up to the summit of the mountain and back, which takes about 2-3 hours.
Since we were traveling with seniors and kids, we just took the usual sightseeing route. We stopped for snacks at the food stalls below because kids got hungry walking around.
The stalls here sell everything from Wagyu beef cubes, strawberries on skewers, okonomiyaki, potato twirls, and more. You can also find a lot of souvenirs for sale here, including masks of the fox deity.
It was a fun day of sightseeing with the family capped with sushi dinner in a restaurant at an arcade near our hotel to celebrate Father’s Day.
Other attractions to visit in Kyoto
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple – Buddhist temple
- Tofukuji Temple – Zen garden and temple
- Rengeo-in (Saunjusangen-do Temple) – Buddhist Temple
- Nijo Castle – Castle
- Kyoto Imperial Palace – Historical landmark
- Nishiki Market
- Arashiyama Monkey park – Animal park
- Kurama Temple and Kifune Shrine
- Yasaka Shrine – Shinto shrine
- Samurai and Ninja Museum with experience
- Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Best local food specialties in Kyoto
- Yuba (a tofu-like product made from soybeans)
- Kyoto Sake
- Kyoto Soba (Buckwheat Noodles)
- Kyoto Sushi: Saba-Zushi (Mackerel Sushi)
- Tsukemono (Pickled Vegetables)
- Hamo (Conger Eel)
- Matcha Green Tea Desserts
- Yatsuhashi: Japanese Sweets
How to get to Kyoto from Osaka
For this recent trip, my family chartered a van/sightseeing tour coming from Osaka for the comfort of everyone in the group and to save time from walking in between stops since we had seniors and kids with us. On a previous backpacking trip, we mad use of trains. If you’re taking public transportation, the best way to travel between Osaka Station and Kyoto Station is by the Special Rapid service on the JR Kyoto Line.
The Special Rapid Train will get you to Kyoto Station in 29 minutes for just 560 yen. At Osaka Station, the Special Rapid trains depart from platforms 8, 9 and 10. These trains are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. While in Osaka, you can just make use of buses to get around. If you’re willing to pay extra, you can also take the bullet train from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station. The trip lasts just 15 minutes and costs 1,420 yen each.
The Keihan Main Line is another useful line for commuters traveling between Osaka and central Kyoto. A Limited Express train will get you from Yodoyabashi Station to Sanjo Station in 55 minutes for 410 yen. However, since it’s a private line, it is not covered by the JR Pass.
The Hankyu Kyoto Main Line provides the cheapest route into central Kyoto from Osaka. Limited Express trains run between Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station and Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station in central Kyoto in 44 minutes for just 400 yen. This line also provides easy access to tourist attractions in western Kyoto. It is not covered by the JR Pass.
Read more about the different transportation options here.