Things to do in Kyoto
Coffee, kanji, craft beer, and two dinners that earn their place.
This is Kyoto for people who want to eat well without performing tourism: morning markets, a rock garden you actually sit with, a tempura counter that holds a star without requiring a tie. The budget stays honest across three days, with one proper splurge each evening and enough breathing room to get genuinely lost.
Day 1: Nishiki, Gion, craft beer
Graze the market, read some kanji, then follow a bowl of noodles into an evening anchored by Wabiya Korekido.
- 9:30 AM
Ichikawaya Coffee
Coffee and thick toast in an old Higashiyama house before the walk to Nishiki.
Map - 10:30 AM
Nishiki Market 錦市場
Nishiki Market, Kyoto's 'Kitchen', great for grazing on local street food and soaking up the neighbourhood energy.
Map - 12:30 PM
Kunton Akutagawa
Top-rated ramen spot locals love, casual, affordable, and a satisfying midday bowl.
Map - 2:00 PM
Kanji Museum & Library 漢検 漢字博物館・図書館 漢字ミュージアム
Kanji Museum in Gion, hands-on and quirky, a fun window into Japanese written culture.
Map - 7:30 PM
Wabiya Korekido
Wabiya Korekido, the heart of the trip, top-rated Japanese dining; the one memorable dinner of the day.
Map
Day 2: Rock garden, tempura counter
Ryoan-ji's rock garden, lunch at Senda, Ninna-ji's temple grounds, then the tempura counter at Tenjaku.
- 10:30 AM
Ryōan-ji 龍安寺
Fifteen rocks in raked gravel; sit on the veranda and try to see all fifteen at once.
Map - 12:30 PM
Senda
Japanese cooking near Kitano Tenmangu, an easy sit-down lunch between temples; book ahead.
Map - 2:15 PM
Ninna temple 仁和寺
Ninna-ji's five-storey pagoda and the Goten palace rooms, a short walk from Ryōan-ji.
Map - 7:30 PM
Tenjaku
Tempura kaiseki at an eight-seat counter, fried piece by piece; the chef's grandfather started it.
Map
Day 3: Arashiyama at your own pace
Skip the bamboo crowds and spend the day between Tenryu-ji's pond garden, a local sushi lunch at Naritaya and dinner at Okina.
- 9:30 AM
Diorama Kyoto JAPAN ジオラマ京都JAPAN
A huge scale model of Kyoto beside Torokko Saga station, a fun opener before Arashiyama fills up.
Map - 11:00 AM
Tenryu-ji
UNESCO 14th-century garden, locals say skip the bamboo grove crowds and come here instead; the pond and mountain backdrop are the real Arashiyama.
Map - 12:30 PM
Sushi Naritaya
Solid mid-range Japanese lunch beloved by locals, Sushi Naritaya is a short walk from Tenryu-ji and won't blow the budget.
Map - 7:30 PM
Okina
Father-and-son kappo next to Seiryo-ji in Saga, built around fish at dinner; book far ahead.
Map
Where to stay
Kyomachiya Hotel Shiki Juraku
A converted Kyoto townhouse close to Nishiki and Day 1's main table, with the character you want at a price that keeps the dinner budget intact.
MOGANA
MOGANA sits just south of Nijo at a fair $$ rate, well-placed for all three days and a notch above a business hotel without tipping into flash.
Make Kyoto your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Monk: a few days ahead
- Kikunoi Honten: months ahead
- Hozugawa Kudari River Boat Ride: weeks ahead
- Sagano Romantic Train: weeks ahead
- Kyoto Bike Tour Arashiyama: a few days ahead
- Seta Golf Course North Course: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Peak seasons (cherry blossom late Mar-Apr, autumn foliage Nov-Dec) require dawn starts and advance bookings
- Spontaneity does not work in Kyoto in peak season; plan and book weeks ahead
- Many restaurants close Wed/Sun or on set days; verify hours before visiting
- New Year Dec 29-Jan 3 many places close entirely; markets remain shut through Jan 4
The full Kyoto travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around