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2 nights, 3 days

Kyoto 3-Day Itinerary (2 Nights)

A 3-day route through Kyoto covering Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Fushimi Inari-taisha, Ryōan-ji Temple and other highlights, grouped so each day stays within a short travel distance.

Distances are straight-line, so actual transit times will differ. Feel free to reorder the stops. · Updated August 3, 2026

The whole route at a glance

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Lines are straight connections, not actual routes.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3
1

DAY 1

Around Kiyomizu-dera Temple · Temples & religious sites·Museums & galleries

Directions in Google Maps
  1. Morning
    Kiyomizu-dera Temple

    Temples & religious sites

    Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera. The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route. Along with Kōryū-ji and Kurama-dera, it is one of the few temples in Kyoto that predates the foundation of the capital to Heian-kyō. It is also one of Japan's leading temples dedicated to the worship of Kannon, along with Ishiyama-dera and Hase-dera. It is a famous tourist destination in Kyoto City,...

  2. After lunch
    Yasaka Shrine

    Temples & religious sites · 1.1 km from the previous stop

    Yasaka Shrine , once called Gion Shrine , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri, the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is dedicated to Susanoo in the tradition of the Gion faith as its chief kami, with his consort Kushinadahime on the east, and eight offspring deities on the west. The yahashira no mikogami include Yashimajinumi no kami, Itakeru no kami, Ōyatsuhime no kami, Tsumatsuhime no kami, Ōtoshi no kami, Ukanomitama no kami, Ōyatsuhiko no kami, and Suseribime no mikoto.

  3. Afternoon
    Kyoto National Museum

    Museums & galleries · 1.6 km from the previous stop

    The Kyoto National Museum is one of the major art museums in Japan. Located in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, the museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art.

  4. Evening
    Gion

    Shopping & districts · 1.5 km from the previous stop

    Gion (祇園) is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan. Gion is the Japanese translation of the Buddhist term Jetavana. Yasaka Shrine, located in this district is the center of the Gion faith.

2

DAY 2

Around Kinkaku-ji Temple · Temples & religious sites

Directions in Google Maps
  1. Morning
    Kinkaku-ji Temple

    Temples & religious sites

    Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf. The current pavilion was rebuilt in 1955 after being destroyed in an arson attack.

  2. After lunch
    Ryōan-ji Temple

    Temples & religious sites · 1.1 km from the previous stop

    Ryōan-ji is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui, a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  3. Afternoon
    Ninna-ji Temple

    Temples & religious sites · 0.5 km from the previous stop

    Ninna-ji is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was first founded in AD 888 by Emperor Uda, and was later reconstructed in the 17th century. It is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  4. Evening
    Kamigamo Shrine

    Temples & religious sites · 4.8 km from the previous stop

    Kamigamo Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678. Its formal name is the Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine .

3

DAY 3

Around Fushimi Inari-taisha · Temples & religious sites·Views & landmarks

Directions in Google Maps
  1. Morning
    Fushimi Inari-taisha

    Temples & religious sites

    Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named Inari, which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up. It is unclear whether the mountain's name, Inariyama, or the shrine's name came first.

  2. After lunch
    Tōfuku-ji Temple

    Temples & religious sites · 0.9 km from the previous stop

    Tōfuku-ji (東福寺) is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. Tōfuku-ji takes its name from two temples in Nara, Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji. It is one of the Kyoto Gozan or "five great Zen temples of Kyoto". Its honorary sangō prefix is Enichi-san (慧日山).

  3. Afternoon
    Sanjūsangen-dō Temple

    Temples & religious sites · 1.4 km from the previous stop

    Sanjūsangen-dō is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan.

  4. Evening
    Kyoto Tower

    Views & landmarks · 1.1 km from the previous stop

    Kyoto Tower , now officially renamed Nidec Kyoto Tower, is an observation tower located in Kyoto, Japan. The steel tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with its observation deck at 100 metres (328 ft) and its spire at 131 metres (430 ft). The 800-ton tower stands atop a 9-story building, which houses a 3-star hotel and several stores. The entire complex stands opposite Kyōto Station.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Around Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the anchor of day one. Staying here keeps your first day's travel shortest.

Locations and names come from OpenStreetMap. Check prices and availability on the booking sites.

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