Kyoto Travel Guide
First Time in Kyoto
Getting to Kyoto, money and IC cards, the 2026 accommodation tax, the Gion alley ban, no eating while walking, temple etiquette and how to beat the crowds — everything a first-timer needs to know before arriving.
Kyoto is a joy to visit: safe, walkable, endlessly beautiful and packed with more history per square kilometer than almost anywhere in Asia. It is also a city of about one and a half million people that receives tens of millions of visitors a year, and the strain shows. Recent years have brought new rules, new taxes and new expectations of visitors. Knowing them before you arrive will make your trip smoother and your welcome warmer.
Getting there. Most visitors arrive by Shinkansen from Tokyo, a little over two hours to Kyoto Station on the fastest trains. From Kansai International Airport, the JR Haruka express runs directly to Kyoto Station in around eighty minutes; from Osaka's Itami airport, airport limousine buses take about an hour. Kyoto Station is the hub for JR lines, the Kintetsu line to Nara, the Karasuma subway and the main city bus terminal, and has hands-free luggage counters that will deliver bags to your hotel. Japan's departure tax rose to 3,000 yen per person on 1 July 2026 and is included in air fares, and the Japan Rail Pass rose in price on 1 October 2026, so a simple Tokyo-Kyoto return is usually cheaper with individual tickets.
The 2026 accommodation tax. On 1 March 2026 Kyoto raised its accommodation tax sharply, making it the highest in Japan. It is charged per person per night on a sliding scale according to the room rate per person: 200 yen below 6,000 yen, 400 yen from 6,000 to 19,999 yen, 1,000 yen from 20,000 to 49,999 yen, 4,000 yen from 50,000 to 99,999 yen, and 10,000 yen at 100,000 yen and above. For most mid-range travelers that means a few hundred to a thousand yen per person per night; at luxury hotels it can add a substantial sum. Some hotels include it in their rates, while others collect it at check-in, so check the small print.
Money and payments. Cards are widely accepted at hotels, department stores and larger restaurants, and IC transport cards such as ICOCA, Suica or PASMO work on trains, buses and at convenience stores. But many small shops, market stalls, temple ticket booths and traditional restaurants are still cash only, so carry yen. Convenience-store ATMs accept foreign cards. Tipping is not customary. Many temples and small restaurants close early, so plan dinner reservations and evening activities with that in mind.
The new rules of Gion. Kyoto's geisha district has had enough of bad behavior. Designated private alleys off Hanamikoji Street are closed to tourists, with signs warning of a 10,000-yen fine for entering or photographing there without permission. Hanamikoji itself remains a public road, but do not walk in the middle of it. Never stop, follow or photograph geiko or maiko without their consent; Kyoto's official tourism body describes this as prohibited, and posting identifiable photos online can violate their portrait rights.
Eating, smoking and litter. Eating while walking is frowned upon across Japan and explicitly prohibited in Nishiki Market: eat at the stall where you bought the food and use its bin. Public bins are rare, so carry a small bag for your trash. Smoking on the street is banned in much of central Kyoto, including Gion, Kiyomizu and Arashiyama, which are among more than forty designated beautification areas where fines can reach 30,000 yen; use designated smoking areas. Do not carve, touch or lean on bamboo, torii gates or teahouse fences, and never fly a drone over the city without permission.
Temple and shrine etiquette. At shrines, which are marked by torii gates, bow at the gate, rinse your hands at the water basin, and at the offering hall bow twice, clap twice, pray and bow once more. At Buddhist temples, you do not clap; simply put your palms together and bow. Remove shoes where indicated, wear socks, and do not photograph inside halls where signs prohibit it, as at Sanjusangen-do and Nijo Castle's palace. Speak quietly, and dress modestly. Most temples charge a modest admission; many shrines are free.
Beating the crowds. The single most effective tactic in Kyoto is to start early. Fushimi Inari and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove are open at all hours, and at sunrise they are transformed. Kiyomizu-dera opens early; be there at opening. Kinkaku-ji opens at 9am. Midday is the time for downtown, museums, Nishiki Market and lunch; late afternoon and dusk are for Gion and the riverside. Kyoto's official tourism site publishes congestion forecasts for the main areas, worth checking when planning each day. Weekdays are far quieter than weekends and Japanese public holidays.
Getting around. City buses are cheap, at a flat adult fare, but slow and often packed on tourist routes; the city asks visitors not to bring large suitcases aboard. Trains and the subway are faster, and taxis are plentiful, honest and reasonable for groups. A dual-pricing plan that would charge visitors more than residents for city buses has been proposed for 2027 but is not yet in force. Walking is a pleasure in Kyoto, and comfortable shoes are essential.
When to come. Cherry-blossom season in late March and early April and the autumn colors from mid-November into early December are the most beautiful and by far the busiest periods. Early summer brings rain, July the Gion Matsuri and intense heat, and winter is cold, clear and wonderfully quiet, with occasional snow on the temples. Book hotels early for spring and autumn, and plan your days with an early start, and Kyoto will repay you a thousand times over.