17 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Visiting Kyoto ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต

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CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
0:24 Wake Up Early to Beat The Crowds
1:54 Kyoto is Bigger than People Expect
3:29 Get an IC Card from Kyoto Station
4:58 Getting Around Kyoto Can Be Frustrating
7:24 Donโ€™t Visit Kyoto Without an eSIM
10:10 Where is the Best place to Stay in Kyoto?
12:25 Book Your Hotels in Kyoto in Advance
14:30 How to Get to Kyoto from Tokyo or Osaka?
15:38 Peopleโ€™s Biggest Kyoto Regret
17:05 Use Tabelog to Find The Best Food Spots
18:42 Our Top Food Recommendations In Kyoto
20:13 Visit Kyotoโ€™s 100-Year-Old Starbucks
21:24 Donโ€™t Take Photos of Geishas
22:26 Temples that are NOT Overrun With Tourists
24:40 Best Day Trips from Kyoto
28:15 Kyoto Station Comes to Life at Nighttime
29:06 Visit Kyotoโ€™s 100-Year-Old Traditional Sweet Shop

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13 Comments

  1. We stayed on Gion last year and it was amazing! So many hidden gem food places โ˜บ๏ธ I'd 100% recommend it. Especially as it's a short walk to the city centre and people HAVE to visit the riverside at night, the buskers singing along there are so good ๐Ÿ™ chilling by the river was one of my top 3 memories of visiting Japan ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Such an amazing city.

  2. If you prioritise quieter spaces and aren't concerned about entering into shops, then just go to these major sites at night if it's possible. Obviously some do have closing hours. If that's the case, go later once the tour groups are about to leave.

  3. I've been to Kyoto a few times, and I've come up with a few my own "best practices" when visiting there.
    Buses really are a headache in Kyoto. Just finding the proper bus stop location can be a challenge. I stick to rail travel (even though it's more limited in Kyoto), walking, and taxi.
    Locations I've visited that had far fewer tourists (if you want to avoid getting up at the crack of dawn): Seimei Jinja, Shimabara-Omon Gate, Sumiya Museum, Mibudera Temple, Nishi Honganji Temple, and even Pontocho during daylight hours.
    To get to Arashiyama, there is also a street cat/tram starting from Shinjo-Omiya station, which gives you a nice view of the city on your way.
    You should by all means try traditional Japanese cuisine in Kyoto, but you should also try non-trational and non-Japanese cuisine while you are there, since Kyoto has top world-class restaurants.
    By the way, if you see "geisha" walking around in early dayalight hours, in full make-up, having their photos taken, those aren't real geisha. Those are tourists (even Japanese toursits from outside Kyoto) who have gone to one of the "Dress up like a geisha" services.

  4. may need to do a video on Kyoto and the surrounding areas :
    nara , uji , Ine & Amanohashidate ( klook trip on coach) , ikoma , osaka , kobe , Shiga etc .
    i hope you get the funds to do kansai area

  5. Great tip to get up early. Sadly only booked two nights, so may try to get down from Tokyo earlier and spend the first afternoon as well as my whole day visiting what I can. Was thinking of Go Taxi and you've confirmed that this may be a good idea. Many thanks. ๐Ÿ‘

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