Photogenic Kyoto: a Photographer's One-Day Plan

PLAN

Photogenic Kyoto:
a Photographer's One-Day Plan

PLAN LENGTH：1 day

LOCATION：Kinkakuji area, Arashiyama, Gion

HIGHLIGHTS：Kinkaku-ji Temple, Chikurin no Michi Bamboo Grove

COST PER PERSON：7,400 YEN

(Excludes transportation fees)

Get your cameras ready! This one-day plan takes you around some of Kyoto's most beautiful spots using the convenient City Bus One-Day Pass.

Kyoto Station

Purchase a City Bus One-Day Pass for 500 yen at the bus station area. This will cover the price of all transportation by bus for the day.

Approx. 45 min

Kyoto Eki-mae bus stop → 38 min. ride on the City Bus Route 205 or the 101 bound for Kinkaku-ji Temple/Kitaoji Bus Terminal → Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop → 5 min. walk

Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji) Temple

TIME NEEDED：1 hour
COST：400 YEN

A must see when visiting Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji is a three-story temple covered in pure gold leaf.

Approx. 45 min

5 min. walk → Kinkakuji-mae bus stop → 40 min. on the City Bus Route 59 bound for Utano and Yamagoe → Ryoanji-mae bus stop → brief walk

135.729228181583 35.039448889663 Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji) Temple bus 1

Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji) Temple(View spot details)
HOURS	9:00am-5:00pm
ACCESS	Near Kinkakuji-michi bus stop. 35 min. ride on City Bus #205 bound for Nishinokyo Enmachi/Kinkakuji-michi from JR Kyoto Station.
WEBSITE	http://www.shokoku-ji.jp/

Ryoan-ji Temple

TIME NEEDED：45 min
COST：500 YEN

This temple is famous for its stone garden where 15 large rocks sit peacefully among raked white pebbles.

adjacent

135.718324590367 35.0345522785067 Ryoan-ji Temple walk 1

Ryoan-ji Temple(View spot details)
EVENT/OPEN PERIOD	Mid-Nov. to early Dec.
HOURS	8:00am-5:00pm (Dec.-Feb. 8:30am-4:30pm)
ACCESS	Near Ryoanji-mae bus stop. 35 min. ride on Kyoto City Bus #59 bound for Yamagoe from Sanjo Station on Keihan Main Line.; Or 7 min. walk from Ryoanji Station on Randen Kitano-Line.
WEBSITE	http://www.ryoanji.jp/

Seigenin

TIME NEEDED：45 min
COST：1,500 YEN

Enjoy lunch in a Japanese-style house turned restaurant on the grounds of Ryoan-ji Temple. We recommend the yu-dofu (boiled tofu) for 1,500 yen. Enjoy your food while gazing out at the Japanese garden.

Approx. 50 min

Ryoanji-mae bus stop → 12 min. ride on the City Bus Route 59 bound for Utano/Yamagoe → Yamagoe Nakacho bus stop → transfer to the City Bus Route 11 bound for Shijo Kawaramachi/Sanjo Keihan* → Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae bus stop → 10 min. walk
*Anticipated wait time between buses during the day: 10-20 min

Togetsukyo bridge

TIME NEEDED：15 min
COST：0 YEN

This is a popular photo spot for the beautiful scenery of Arashiyama Park and the Katsura River.

Approx. 10 min

Togetsukyo bridge(View spot details)
HOURS	Always open
ACCESS	3 min. walk from Arashiyama Station on Randen Arashiyama Main Line

Tenryu-ji Temple

TIME NEEDED：30 min
COST：500 YEN

This temple is registered as a world heritage site. The garden is a must see! Entry to the temple is free. Entry to the gardens is 500 yen / person

5 min

135.673714426438 35.0160176484292 Tenryu-ji Temple walk 1

Tenryu-ji Temple(View spot details)
EVENT/OPEN PERIOD	Mid-Nov. to early Dec.
HOURS	8:30am-5:00pm (morning visiting hours start from 7:30am on Nov. 1, 3, 7-29 , north gate open from 9:00am-4:30pm)
ACCESS	Just outside of Arashiyama Station on Randen Arashiyama-Line
WEBSITE	http://www.tenryuji.com/

Chikurin-no-Michi

TIME NEEDED：15 min
COST：0 YEN

The gorgeous scenery of this area is often used as a location for movies or as the cover for guidebooks.

Approx. 1 hour 5 min

15 min. walk → Saga-Arashiyama Station → 16 min. ride on the JR Sanin Main Line bound for Kyoto (240 yen) → Kyoto Station → Kyoto Eki-mae bus stop → 16 min. ride on the City Bus Route 100 bound for Kiyomizu Temple/Gion, Ginkaku-ji or the Route 206 bound for Gion/Kitaoji Bus Terminals → Gion bus stop → 15 min. walk

Chikurin-no-Michi(View spot details)
ACCESS	5 min. walk from Arashiyama Station on Randen Arashiyama Main Line

Gion Komori

TIME NEEDED：45 min
COST：1,500 YEN

A traditional cafe with the atmosphere of a machiya, or townhouse. This place is popular for parfaits made with matcha, jelly, and soft sweet rice dumplings.

Approx. 10 min

135.77348170000005 35.006046 Gion Komori walk 2

Gion Komori(View spot details)
HOURS	11:00am-9:00pm (L.O. 8:30pm), Sun. until 8:00pm (L.O. 7:30pm)
CLOSED	Wed.
NOTES RE: CLOSINGS	Closed Dec. 29-Jan. 1
ACCESS	7 min. walk from Gion-shijo Station on Keihan Main Line
WEBSITE	http://www.giwon-komori.com

Gion

TIME NEEDED：1 hour

The side streets of this area are lined with restaurants and other delights. Enjoy the beautiful cobblestone streets.

Approx. 15 min

Gion(View spot details)
HOURS	Always open
ACCESS	Near Gion bus stop. 20 min. ride on City Bus #206 bound for Higashiyamadori Kitaoji Bus Terminal from JR Kyoto Station.

Gion Gyuzen

TIME NEEDED：2 hours
COST：3,000 YEN

After working up an appetite with all that traveling, indulge in all-you-can-eat sukiyaki and shabu-shabu starting from 2,139 yen! (Drinks not included.)

Approx. 30 min

10 min. walk → Gion bus stop → 16 min. ride on the City Bus Route 100 bound for Kyoto Station or the Route 206 bound for Kiyomizu Temple/Kyoto Station → Kyoto Eki-mae bus stop

135.777177745322 35.0046698360918 Gion Gyuzen bus 2

Gion Gyuzen(View spot details)
HOURS	5:00 pm-10:40 pm (Close 11:00 pm)
NOTES RE: CLOSINGS	Dec. 31-Jan. 1
ACCESS	From JR Kyoto station, take a City Bus No.206 heading to Gion about 20 minutes, get off at Gion bus stop,　the shop is near the bus stop
WEBSITE	http://www.k-company.net/

Kyoto Station

Notes

It is possible to get from Arashiyama Park to Kyoto Station by bus, but the transfers are complicated. We recommend taking the JR train line instead. Not only is this much simpler, it will also get you there faster! Also, please note that the City Bus One-Day Pass used in this plan is valid only for the City Bus services operated by Kyoto City. If you use a different bus service such as the Kyoto Bus, it will not be covered by your pass.

Bus/Train Route Search System "Arukumachi KYOTO"

THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON INFORMATION FROM 12 01,2015 Author：DiGJAPAN! Editorial Team