Kansai Airport Itami Airport
Transportation in Osaka Transportation in Nara
Railways Taking trains Shinkansen Night trains
Domestic Air Travel Buses Highway Buses Ferries
Taxis Car Rental Highways
Tohoku Sendai Matsushima Hiraizumi Kakunodate Hirosaki Oirase Dewa Sanzan Aizu
Kanto Tokyo Yokohama Kamakura Nikko Hakone Kawagoe Kusatsu Ikaho Narita
Chubu Nagoya Inuyama Mt.Fuji Fujigoko Izu Peninsula Nagano Matsumoto Kamikochi Kiso Valley Hakuba Yudanaka Sado Island Takayama Shirakawa-go Gujo Gero Onsen Kanazawa
Chugoku Hiroshima Miyajima Okayama Kurashiki Matsue Iwami Ginzan Yamaguchi Hagi
Shikoku Takamatsu Kotohira Matsuyama Uchiko Kochi Tokushima
Kyushu Fukuoka Dazaifu Nagasaki Kumamoto Mount Aso Minamata Beppu Kagoshima Kirishima Yakushima
Okinawa Honto Yaeyama
How to travel between Kyoto and Tokyo
By shinkansen:
Tokyo and Kyoto are connected with each other by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen. Nozomi trains require about 140 minutes to reach Kyoto from Tokyo. Hikari trains are roughly 20 minutes slower than the nozomi, while kodama trains take about four hours.
The regular one way fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 12,710 Yen by non-reserved seat on any train, around 13,200 Yen by reserved seat on kodama or hikari trains and around 13,500 Yen by reserved seat on a nozomi train.
Note that regular tickets for a round trip between Tokyo and Kyoto cost roughly the same as a 7-day Japan Rail Pass. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on hikari and kodama trains, but not on nozomi trains.
With the "Hikari Hayatoku Kippu", you can travel from Tokyo to Kyoto by reserved seat on a hikari train for only 11,500 Yen. You have to purchase the "Hikari Hayatoku Kippu" at least one week in advance of the departure date.
With the "Puratto Kodama Economy Plan", you can travel from Tokyo to Kyoto by reserved seat on a kodama train for only 9,800 Yen and will receive one drink for free. The "Puratto Kodama Economy Plan" has to be purchased at least one day before departure.
JTB's Free Plan Kyoto 2 days packages include a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto by hikari and accommodation in Kyoto starting at the amazing cost of 19,500 Yen. (Note that the shinkansen round trip by regular tickets alone would cost more than 25,000 Yen.)
Foreign tourists visiting Tokyo as a side trip from Kyoto, should consider JTB's Free Plan Tokyo 2 Days tour package, which consists of a round trip from Kyoto to Tokyo by hikari shinkansen and a one night stay at a hotel in Tokyo, starting at the cost of only 21,500 Yen per person.
By local trains:
By local trains, the one way trip from Tokyo to Kyoto takes about nine hours and typically involves about four transfers of trains. The regular fare is a relatively expensive 7980 Yen, however, with a Seishun 18 Kippu you can do the trip for as little as 2300 Yen.
By bus:
The one way trip from Tokyo to Kyoto by highway bus takes about 7-8 hours. There are daytime and overnight buses. The competition between bus companies on the Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka route is fierce and has produced various discount offers.
The lowest one way fares by discount bus operators, such as 123 Bus, start around 5000 Yen. Buses on this price level are usually standard buses which offer little comfort. The one way trip by more comfortable buses costs around 8000 Yen. Please visit our highway bus page for more details.
By airplane:
The closest airport to Kyoto is Osaka's Itami Airport, about one hour by bus from central Kyoto (more details). Most flights connect Itami Airport with Tokyo's domestic Haneda Airport, with just a few serving Tokyo's international Narita Airport.
The flight takes 70 minutes and costs around 22,000 Yen by regular one way fare. Discount tickets are usually available for around 10,000 to 14,000 Yen (one way).
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. For the current Yen exchange rate, click here.
Orientation
Kyoto features a rectangular street system. Unlike the streets in other Japanese cities, most of central Kyoto's streets are named. The main streets running from east to west are numbered in ascending order from north to south, and are about 500 meters apart from each other, with several smaller streets in between. For example, Shijo means "4th Avenue" and Nijo means "2nd Avenue".
Kyoto's city center with the highest concentration of dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities, is located around the junction of Shijo-dori (4th Avenue) and Kawaramachi-dori (Kawaramachi Street). JR Kyoto Station is located south of the city center at the height of Hachijo-dori (8th Avenue).
The most prominent north-south street is Karasuma-dori (Karasuma Street), which runs from Kyoto Station via the city center to Kyoto Imperial Palace. Another north-south axis is Kamo River, about one kilometer east of Karasuma-dori.
Kyoto's has an inadequately developed public transportation system, consisting of two subway lines, a dense bus network and as many as half a dozen railway companies, whose train lines, however, are surprisingly irrelevant to tourists, although not completely. Taxis can be a worthwhile alternative.
Below is a simplified map of the railway and subway lines of Kyoto:
Bus
Few of Kyoto's tourist attractions are located close to subway or train stations. Instead, Kyoto has a dense bus network with direct bus lines from Kyoto Station and/or the city center around Shijo-dori (4th Avenue) and Kawaramachi-dori (Kawaramachi Street) to most major sights.
Kyoto is served by multiple bus companies. For getting around central Kyoto, the green Kyoto City Buses are most numerous and useful. The red buses by Kyoto Bus are second most prominent and convenient to access sights in more outlying areas of the city.
The tourist offices provide a useful English network map for the Kyoto City Buses, which makes it quite easy for foreign visitors to access tourist attractions by bus. Despite the good map and some English displays and announcements, however, getting off at the correct bus stop can still be stressful, especially in crowded buses.
Since buses are small and operate surprisingly infrequently even on some major routes, buses to major tourist sights can often get crowded, especially on weekends and during holidays. In addition, much time can be lost when buses get stuck or only proceed slowly in the busy street traffic.
Consequently, it is recommended to use subways and trains as much as possible, and use buses only for medium and short distances, for example, from the closest subway or train station to the destination.
Buses are entered through the back door and left through the front door. The fare has to be paid when leaving the bus. Inside much of central Kyoto, there is a flat rate of 220 Yen per ride. Outside the flat fare zone, the fare increases with the distance. Click here for more information on riding buses.
Subway
There are two subway lines in Kyoto, the Karasuma Line which runs from south to north along Karasuma-dori (Karasuma Street) and stops at JR Kyoto Station, and the newer Tozai Line which runs from east to west and crosses the Karasuma Line at the intersection of Karasuma-dori and Oike-dori.
Japan Railways
All JR lines including the Tokaido Shinkansen pass through or commence at JR Kyoto Station. JR trains are a good option for accessing the Arashiyama area (Sagano Line) and some attractions in southern Kyoto along the JR Nara Line, e.g. Fushimi Inari Shrine and Byodoin in Uji.
Hankyu Railways
Hankyu Railways connect Kyoto with Osaka. The line initially runs below Shijo Avenue from Kawaramachi westwards in direction of Osaka. It is a good option for accessing the area around Katsura Rikyu.
Keifuku Railways
Keifuku operates two tram like train lines in northwestern Kyoto. For train lovers, a ride on these trains is a small attraction by itself. The lines can be an option for accessing Arashiyama and the area around Ryoanji and Kinkakuji.
Keihan Railways
The Keihan Main Line runs next and parallel to Kamo River, but unfortunately does not connect to Kyoto Station. The line continues to Osaka and is an alternative to the JR Nara Line to access attractions in southern Kyoto.
Eizan Railways
The Eizan train lines commence where the Keihan Line ends, at Demachi Yanagi Station in northern Kyoto. Eizan Railways operates two lines, one to Kurama and one to the base of Hieizan.
Kintetsu Railways
Kintetsu offers good connections from Kyoto Station to Nara. Note that some trains on the Karasuma Subway Line continue to run on the Kintetsu Nara Line, and the other way around.
Taxis
Kyoto is probably the Japanese city with the highest concentration of taxis. Especially in the city center, taxis are found everywhere. Taxis can not only be a more comfortable, but also an economical alternative to buses on short to medium distances for groups of three or more people.
Most taxis accommodate up to four passengers (not including the driver), while larger vehicles are able to accommodate an additional fifth passenger. The rate starts around 600 Yen for the first 2 kilometers and increases by roughly 100 Yen for every additional 500 meters traveled.
Special Tickets
The following one day passes are available for Kyoto:
Prepaid cards don't give you any discounts, but they make the process of taking trains and buses easier, as you do not always need to buy a new ticket for each ride. Prepaid cards can be purchased at vending machines.
Any advice or questions? Voice them in the forum!
