Kyoto Itinerary 1 Day

A Day in Kyoto - Perfect 24 Hours Guide

An island-city nestled on the island of Honshu, Kyoto was once the capital of Japan. Even today, it shows a deep influence of the Japanese culture and keeps the Japanese legends alive through its vast number of temples, shrines and historically significant structures. Brimming with mountains, covered by lush green forests and tea plantations as well as surrounded by the sea, Kyoto is a nature lover's paradise. Go through this Kyoto 1 Day Itinerary to know about the best ways to explore Kyoto in 24 hours. This itinerary will take you around 8 hours to complete.

How to spend 1 day in Kyoto?

Morning at the Nijo-jo Castle

A world heritage site, Nijo-jo Castle is a magnificent spot to begin your day. The picturesque and elegant Japanese gardens are the highlight of this castle. Strolling through the Showa period landscapes of stones at the Seiryu Garden and admiring the Edo period representation at the Ninomaru Garden are some of the things that you must do upon your visit to this castle.

Afternoon at Kinkakuji

After spending 2 to 3 hours at the Nijo-jo Castle, head to Kinkakuji one of the most magnificent temples in Japan. A World Heritage Site, the best part about this attraction is the beautiful Kyokochi Pond which mirrors the molten gold shrine. The best season to visit this temple is during winters, when the surroundings are coated in a blanket of snow and further highlight the shrine.

Evening at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Fushimi Inari Shrine is a 1,300-year-old inari shrine which now headquarters for 30,000 smaller inari shrines across Japan. A visit to this shrine bequeaths visitors with the fabulous view of the row of 10,000 red torii gates.

Night at Kiyomizu-Dera

Roam around the winding streets and souvenir shops of Kiyomisu-zaka to reach the top of Mt. Kiyomizu. Here, stroll around the historic Kiyomizu-dera, which is a Kannon temple is dedicated to goddess Kannon. This is also a World Heritage Site.