Kyoto from First Tea to Last Train

16-20 NOVEMBER 2026 · 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS

Kyoto from First Tea to Last Train

Five days of temple mornings, market lunches and evenings by the river.

READ DOWN EACH DAY, THEN MOVE RIGHT →

ONE BASE, FOUR NIGHTS NOHGA Kiyomizu · Higashiyama

DAY 1 · MON 16 NOV

Arrive & find your feet

Kansai → central Kyoto

MORNING · ARRIVAL

Choose a morning arrival. Allow time for immigration, the rail transfer and a bag drop before starting the city.

AFTERNOON · NISHIKI

Start with lunch near Nishiki, browse the covered shops and carry on into Teramachi. Keep this first walk short after the flight.

EVENING · KAMO RIVER

Choose a casual dinner around Pontocho, then take a short riverside stroll. Return early so tomorrow can start before the crowds.

Lunch: pick two or three market bites; eat at the shop rather than while walking. Dinner: an easy noodle or rice meal around Kawaramachi.

NIGHT 1 · NOHGA Kiyomizu. Airport transfer comes before sightseeing.

DAY 2 · TUE 17 NOV

The eastern hills

Kiyomizu → Yasaka → Gion

MORNING · KIYOMIZU

Make Kiyomizu the first major visit. Take time for the temple, then walk the public lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka downhill.

AFTERNOON · OLD LANES

Have lunch along the way, pause in Maruyama Park and visit Yasaka Shrine. Stay in the same area rather than crossing the city.

EVENING · GION TANTO

Finish with an okonomiyaki dinner idea in Gion. Keep a nearby alternative in case the queue is long, then head back through public streets.

Lunch: a soba or udon stop in Higashiyama. Dinner idea: Gion Tanto.

NIGHT 2 · Same base. Respect signs and residential lanes in Gion.

DAY 3 · WED 18 NOV

A day in Arashiyama

Saga-Arashiyama → riverside

MORNING · BAMBOO

Take rail to the Arashiyama area and visit the bamboo paths first. Keep the morning centered here instead of adding distant temples.

AFTERNOON · GARDEN

Choose Tenryu-ji as the main garden visit, then leave time for lunch and a slow walk toward the river.

EVENING · RIVER TO CITY

Enjoy the riverside before the return train. Have dinner near the hotel rather than planning another long cross-city journey.

Lunch: a tofu or noodle set around Arashiyama. Dinner: a relaxed neighborhood meal near the base.

NIGHT 3 · Same base. Rail out and back; leave the evening flexible.

DAY 4 · THU 19 NOV

Shrine gates & tea

Fushimi Inari → Uji

MORNING · FUSHIMI

Start at Fushimi Inari before the busiest part of the day. Choose a comfortable section of the marked shrine paths, then return to rail.

AFTERNOON · UJI

Continue south to Uji for lunch, the temple area and a tea stop. Give this half-day room; skip extra temples if the morning runs long.

EVENING · BACK TO BASE

Return to Kyoto for dinner close to the hotel. Pack tonight so the final day can stay simple instead of becoming a luggage shuffle.

Lunch and tea: choose an Uji tea-house stop near the river. Dinner: a small local place near Kiyomizu-Gojo.

NIGHT 4 · Same base. Fushimi and Uji share the southern direction.

DAY 5 · FRI 20 NOV

One last look, then rail

Nijo → Kyoto Station → KIX

MORNING · NIJO

Choose Nijo as the final major visit if your departure allows. Keep the morning to one sight and save the rest of the city for another trip.

AFTERNOON · LUNCH & BAGS

Collect luggage and eat near Kyoto Station. Check the current airport rail route before leaving the center; shorten sightseeing if the flight is earlier.

EVENING · DEPARTURE

Treat the Kyoto-to-Kansai rail transfer and airport check-in as the last activity. Leave the buffer required by the airline rather than filling it with another stop.

Lunch: a station-area meal before the transfer.

NO OVERNIGHT · Four nights, five days. Departure plans set today's pace.

BOOK FIRST: hotel and any timed visits. TRAVEL LIGHT: group each day by neighborhood; use rail for Arashiyama and the southern route.