PLAN DEPARTMENT
Plan your trip
Visas, IC cards, getting around, money, and how many days you actually need.
17 guides live in this department — more added weekly
All plan your trip guides
First Time in Kyoto: What to Know Before You Go
A first-timer's orientation to Kyoto — how many days to budget, how the city is laid out, and the basics worth sorting before you land.
Getting Around Kyoto: Buses, Trains, Bicycles and IC Cards
How to actually move around Kyoto — the bus network, subway and rail lines, IC cards, and when cycling beats both.
Best Time to Visit Kyoto: A Season-by-Season Breakdown
How Kyoto's four seasons actually compare for a visit — weather, crowds, and the trade-offs of each, plus the two weeks to avoid.
Kyoto on a Budget: What Things Actually Cost
A realistic, non-fabricated look at Kyoto's cost structure — where the real spend goes, and where it's easy to save.
Suggested Kyoto Itineraries: 2, 4 and 7 Days
A realistic day-by-day shape for a 2-day, 4-day or 7-day Kyoto trip — built around how the city is actually laid out.
Day Trip to Nara: What to Expect
Japan's earlier capital, its free-roaming deer, and the Great Buddha — how to do Nara well in a single day from Kyoto.
Day Trip to Osaka: What to Expect
Kyoto's high-energy neighbour — street food, neon, and a completely different pace, under 30 minutes away.
Safety, Health and Emergencies in Kyoto: A Practical Guide
Emergency numbers, pharmacy basics, and practical health and safety notes for a Kyoto trip.
Kyoto with Kids: A Practical Guide
What actually works for a family trip to Kyoto — stroller reality, kid-friendly sights, and realistic pacing.
Accessibility in Kyoto: What to Know
An honest look at accessibility in a city built centuries before wheelchair access was a design consideration.
Money, Payments and Tipping in Kyoto
Why tipping isn't part of the culture in Kyoto, and the practical basics of paying your way around the city.
Wi-Fi & Staying Connected in Kyoto
eSIM, pocket wifi, or free public wifi — how to actually stay connected on a Kyoto trip.
Luggage Forwarding in Japan: How Takkyūbin Works
How Japan's courier luggage-forwarding service works, and why it's worth using on a multi-city or train-heavy itinerary.
Tax-Free Shopping in Kyoto: How It Works
How consumption tax exemption works for visitors shopping in Kyoto, and what to keep in mind at checkout.
Day Trip to Kobe: What to Expect
Kobe beef, a working port city, and a genuinely different mood from Kyoto — under an hour and a half away.
Day Trip to Lake Biwa: What to Expect
Japan's largest lake, a historic castle town, and an easy escape from Kyoto's temple-and-crowd circuit.
Solo Travel in Kyoto: What to Know
Kyoto is one of the easier cities in the world to travel alone — here's what actually makes that true.
Looking for something specific?
Search the whole index, or browse by district instead.