Kyoto in 3 Days
Golden Pavilion, bamboo grove, red torii — a route planned to skip the burnout

Start at Kyoto's most famous temple early, before the crowds. A giant wooden veranda juts out from the cliff above green forest — a view that tells you instantly you have arrived in Kyoto. Don't miss the three streams of the sacred Otowa waterfall, which give the temple its name. The temple is open 6.00 am–6.00 pm; come early for soft light and thinner crowds.

Walk down from the temple through the two prettiest sloping stone lanes in Kyoto. The old wooden houses on either side are now sweet shops, tea houses, souvenir stores and cafés. Try grilled mochi, matcha ice cream or dango as you stroll. You will see plenty of people in kimono taking photos here — it feels like stepping back in time, and you can easily spend an hour wandering.

This area has plenty of genuine Kyoto restaurants — udon, soba, various rice bowls and yuba (tofu skin), a local specialty. To know what Kyoto is worth trying, read the Kyoto food guide beforehand.

Continue on from Higashiyama to Yasaka Shrine at the end of the street. The bright vermilion shrine, with its great gate facing Shijo Street, is the guardian shrine of the Gion district and the host of the famous Gion Matsuri festival. Free entry, open 24 hours. Behind it, it connects to Maruyama Park, a popular cherry-blossom spot in spring.

Close the first day with a stroll through Gion at dusk — Hanamikoji Street, lined with wooden ochaya (tea houses), as the lanterns begin to glow. If you are lucky, you may spot a maiko or geiko heading to work down a side lane. Walk on to the quiet Shirakawa canal, peaceful and beautiful in the truest Kyoto way. Read a detailed Gion walking route in the Gion guide.

An early wake-up, but well worth it — Fushimi Inari Shrine is free and open 24 hours. Come around 6.30–8.00 am while the crowds are still thin and you can photograph the red torii tunnel (Senbon Torii) with almost no one in the frame. Hike up Mount Inari through thousands of vermilion gates; reaching the summit and back takes about 2–3 hours, but you can also just walk to the Yotsutsuji viewpoint halfway up and turn back (around 45 minutes). Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station — only 5 minutes (¥150) — and get off at Inari station, right in front of the shrine. Read the Fushimi Inari guide.

After Fushimi Inari, there are two ways to go depending on your style — if you want to meet the deer and see more World Heritage sights, go to Nara for the day · if you would rather take it easy, walk less and tick off the in-city sights, choose central Kyoto. Both are great in their own way — pick whichever you like.

Take the JR train from Kyoto Station, about 45 minutes, to Nara, Japan's first capital. The highlights are Nara Park, where deer roam freely and you can feed them crackers (shika senbei), Todai-ji temple with its colossal Great Buddha (Daibutsu) inside an enormous wooden hall, and Kasuga Shrine, lined with thousands of stone lanterns. Half a day to a full day in Nara is easy. Read the full plan in the Kyoto day-trips guide.

Head back into the city for Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo), the castle of the Tokugawa shoguns, famous for its "nightingale" floors that chirp when you walk on them (an anti-assassination device) and the lovely gardens around it. Entry is ¥800 + ¥500 to enter Ninomaru Palace, open 8.45 am–4.00 pm (closed on some Tuesdays). Then continue to Nishiki Market, a covered arcade over 400 metres long that locals call "Kyoto's kitchen". Graze your way from stall to stall — pickles, sweet tamago egg, grilled fish, Japanese sweets and souvenirs. Open ~9.00 am–6.00 pm (some shops close Wednesday/Sunday).