Our 4 Days in Kyoto Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

First off, Kyoto is popular (understatement alert). And by popular, we mean ridonkeylous levels of busy in some places. Before our trip, we read about overtourism in Kyoto and thought,
Yeah-nah, it can’t be that bad.
Turns out, it is.

Take Fushimi Inari Taisha, for example. We went expecting a peaceful walk through the red torii gates. What we got felt more like a Black Friday sale at Walmart.

After that, we quickly scrapped our plans to visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest the next day. The red torii gates and bamboo forest are on everyone’s Kyoto bucket list, so don’t expect a zen experience when visiting them.

Kyoto may be known as the City of 10,000 Shrines, but that doesn’t mean you need to see all of them. FOMO is real and’ll tempt you to cram in every temple and garden.

Our advice? Don’t. Slow down. Pick two or three places and enjoy them properly. You can thank us later.

Ultimately, your time in Kyoto will ride a seesaw between immense crowds and moments of utter zen. That is what I’ll tell you when you ask what to expect from a trip to Kyoto

A great Kyoto itinerary isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about soaking up the atmosphere, choosing quality over quantity, and dodging crowds wherever possible.

Our 4-day Kyoto itinerary is made for first-time visitors who want to experience the best of the city without zigzagging through Kyoto like Mario on a Rainbow Road speed run.

Tonkatsu Katsuda is one of the top-rated restaurants in Kyoto on Tripadvisor, but luckily, we got a seat at the bar right away. Perhaps because we came here after the lunch hour.

After ordering, we got a little plate of sesame seeds, which we had to crush to mix with the katsu sauce. So we crushed it while sipping beer and watching our cutlets get fried right in front of us.

I ordered the Wagyu Beef Cutlet Galore set (￥3,500), which comes with wagyu, pork, and chicken cutlet, and vegetable tempura. Jin had the regular pork katsu set. All sets come with an ultimate egg, a jammy egg that you can mix with your rice and curry sauce.   

The food was INCREDIBLE!
Menu
Location
Hours: 11:30-21:45

While strolling along, you’ll pass quirky souvenir stores, fashion boutiques, bookshops, arcades, and the Samurai Ninja Museum.

It’s touristy, but also a great spot to pick up fun gifts, sample local snacks, or simply soak in the atmosphere. Shinkyogoku Street runs parallel to Teramachi Street, so it’s easy to explore both.

You’ll find a diverse array of offerings, including grilled sparrow, yuba (tofu skin), fresh seafood, skewered snacks, and mochi. However, we found the market somewhat disappointing and overly touristy, with many shops displaying wax food models instead of real dishes, which took away from the experience.

Despite this, the variety of flavours and connection to Kyoto’s culinary culture made it an interesting stop—just manage your expectations. We preferred the more authentic experience at Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka.

Menus and signs are in English, making it easy to explore independently without the need for a tour.

The place was packed with local businessmen and travellers during our visit.

We skipped breakfast as we planned to have a nice local brunch after arriving in Nara. Arriving in Nara, we headed straight to Kanoko (location) for a fantastic meal of grilled eel, noodles and rice with mountain vegetables. It was damn fine.

After brunch, a short walk leads us to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, set in a beautiful forested area. The approach to the shrine is lined with thousands of moss-covered stone lanterns and adorable deer that appear every few steps, begging for a snack or posing for a photo.

Next, we visited Todai-ji Temple, the largest wooden building in the world, which houses an equally enormous Buddha statue. No photo can truly capture the immense size of this temple.

The temple grounds are expansive and beautifully maintained, offering more than just the main hall; there are peaceful paths, secondary halls, and panoramic views to explore.

From there, we strolled into Nara Park, with hundreds of freely roaming deer. These sacred animals are regarded as messengers of the gods, and they’ve learned to bow in exchange for special deer crackers sold throughout the park.

While it’s fun to feed them, watch out as they will even start chewing on your trousers looking for a snack.

Kyotofu Fujino is all about tofu. We were amazed at how many textures and flavours they coaxed out of tofu—silky smooth, creamy, crisp, chewy—all in one sitting. Even the tofu-based desserts were amazing.

The naysayers dissing tofu as boring must visit this place ASAP to start their reeducation.

Menu

The variety of convenience store (konbini) food presents a true dilemma when choosing. We just couldn’t decide, so we didn’t. We grabbed a bit of everything: an onigiri, a katsu sandwich, a fruit and cream sandwich, udon noodles, inari sushi (soft skin tofu stuffed with rice) and, of course, an Ohayo milk pudding.

We stand by this: a day without Ohayo milk pudding is a day wasted.

The thousands of gates create a striking tunnel-like path that winds through the forested slopes of Mount Inari. The full trail to the summit stretches around 4 kilometres and takes about two hours to complete.

Along the way, you’ll spot numerous fox statues. These foxes are the messengers of Inari, often depicted holding keys or scrolls in their mouths, symbolising protection and wisdom.

While it’s an incredibly atmospheric and scenic place, it’s busy.
OMG it’s BUSY!
It’s no secret Fushimi Inari is incredibly popular, so expect serious crowds.

Perched on a hillside, the main hall’s massive wooden stage—built without nails—juts out over the valley, offering sweeping views of Kyoto.

The temple grounds feature smaller shrines, including the popular Jishu Shrine dedicated to love and matchmaking, as well as stone paths that wind through gardens and pagodas. Although it gets busy, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.

Despite the crowds, we found the atmosphere surprisingly peaceful, likely because we had already dealt with the torii crowds at Fushimi Inari Taisha before arriving here.

Entrance: ¥500 / 200 adults/children
Hours: 6:00-18:00

We ordered udon noodles, soba noodles, and tofu, which were simple, delicious, and exactly what we needed after a morning on our feet.

What made the experience special was the outdoor seating platform, where we sat at a low table surrounded by trees. It felt like we were eating in a forest.

The whole experience was peaceful and unpretentious, proving that even in a heavily visited spot like Kiyomizu-dera, you can still find a quiet, quality meal that doesn’t break the bank. Definitely worth a stop if you’re hungry and want something authentic while staying within the temple grounds.

But don’t let the charm fool you. This area is crowded, often shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists, all trying to snap the perfect photo or grab a bite.

It was one of the most crowded places we visited. Even so, it was an enjoyable walk, and things quiet down once you’re off the two famous streets.

On Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets, you’ll find plenty to eat. Mitarashi dango (rice dumplings in a sweet-savoury soy sauce glaze), matcha soft serve, and skewered rice cakes are among the highlights.

One of the quirkiest stops is the famous Starbucks, set inside a 100-year-old townhouse with tatami mat seating. We went in for coffee, but it was PACKED, so we decided to move on.

We continued to Yasaka Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most important shrines, and then entered the Gion district.

The wooden houses lining the narrow streets were picture-perfect, but the vibe felt a little underwhelming. We arrived late afternoon, and the place felt almost too quiet. Somehow, I was expecting a buzz with geishas dodging tourists. Maybe it’s more lively after dark.

Signs warning against photography (and threatening a ¥10,000 fine) were posted throughout the area. This is understandable; the rules are in place to protect the privacy and dignity of geishas and maiko, who tourists have often harassed.

We passed Kenninji Temple, home to an incredible dragon ceiling painting and peaceful gardens, before crossing the Kamo River, and then strolled along the Philosopher’s Path for a while. Eventually, we wandered into the covered Teramachi-dori shopping arcade and found our way back to the hostel.

We ended the walk as all good walks should by collapsing on our beds and doom scrolled until dinner.

We each ordered the Prime Wagyu Set for ¥6,200, which features top-grade A5 Japanese Black Beef, the highest possible ranking for wagyu.

The set included a mouthwatering selection of cuts, from cheek, tongue, and liver to sirloin, chuck roll, skirt steak, and short ribs, all sliced to perfection. It also included kimchi and dessert. During our visit, we had the option to choose between orange and strawberry sorbet.

You grill each piece at your own pace and to your own doneness. When you’re ready, Chika brings out the next course, always with a warm smile and helpful tip on how to grill the cut just right.

The meat was unbelievably tender and rich, with just the right amount of marbling. Each bite melted like butter in the mouth.

With a classy but relaxed vibe, top-tier beef, and Chika’s genuine hospitality, Yakiniku Asuka will definitely see us again.

Location
Reservations

➜ Also read: Our two-day Osaka itinerary

It’s especially popular with the older crowd, and we were definitely the youngest ones there. But that just added to the charm. Watching Kyoto’s seniors sip coffee and read newspapers felt like a scene from a different era.

I ordered the classic Arabian Pearl breakfast set, which included a croissant, soft scrambled eggs, salad, and ham, accompanied by a cup of their signature strong, slightly sweetened coffee. Jin had the spaghetti bolognese, and we shared a slice of apple pie for a morning dessert. It’s never too early in the day for pie.

A friendly elderly lady sitting alone at the table next to us struck up a conversation, and we had a nice little chat. She said she comes here a few times a week.

She asked about our plans for the day, and when we told her we were unsure about visiting the bamboo grove due to the crowds, she confirmed that it’s beautiful but overcrowded. She suggested we visit Nijo Castle, which was not part of our initial plan.

Nijo Castle turned out to be one of the highlights in Kyoto, so thank you, old lady, for dropping your pearls of wisdom.

Location
Hours: 7:00-18:00 daily

The surrounding garden and park are equally impressive, featuring meticulously landscaped paths, pine trees, and mossy groves that create a peaceful atmosphere, even amidst the crowds. It’s a short, scenic walk around the temple grounds, with photo opportunities at every turn.

Entrance: ¥500
Hours: 9:00-17:00

Birdsong aside, you’ll find lavishly decorated rooms with gold-leaf screen paintings. Themes range from majestic tigers and leopards (symbols of strength and protection) to tranquil pine trees and seasonal flowers meant to impress and calm visiting dignitaries. It’s absolutely stunning!

Unfortunately, photography isn’t allowed inside. This is actually a blessing in disguise, as you don’t get people hogging up the place while taking 250 duckface selfies.

The entire complex is surrounded by massive stone walls, moats, and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Entrance: ¥1,300
Hours: 8:45 to 17:00, with last entry at 4:00 PM. Closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August, and December.

It started raining just as we arrived, so we ducked into a bar. We thought we might stay for one drink until the rain gives up, but, as you know, no one ever stays for only one drink.

We sat at the bar, ordered whisky and sake highballs, and nibbled on olives while chatting with the bartender about his impressive whisky collection and listening to jazz playing from the stereo.

The whole scene felt strangely familiar, like something out of a Haruki Murakami novel. It was the perfect Kyoto moment.

The area around the Gion Tatsumi Bridge (location) is particularly pretty. We were also very lucky to spot a maiko in one of the alleys in the area, the only one we saw on our Kyoto trip.

We ordered drinks and then started working our way down the menu. Portions are small and prices are affordable, making it perfect for trying a bit of everything while keeping the drinks flowing.

The cucumber salad, grilled onigiri with cheese, grilled tofu, and eggplant come highly recommended.

Location
Hours: 16:00-23:00
Closed: Wed & Thurs

And that’s exactly how we spent four days in Kyoto. Hope you have a great trip to Kyoto, and let us know in the comments below if you have any questions
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