Kyoto itinerary: 3 days for a first visit

Three days is the right amount of time for a first visit to Kyoto. It is long enough to see the great temples in the eastern hills, walk through the bamboo at Arashiyama, climb the shrine gates at Fushimi Inari, and still spend an evening in the lanes of Gion. Fewer than three and you spend it in queues; more than three and you will want to go to Nara or Osaka, which are a short train ride away.

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over a thousand years, and it shows: there are well over a thousand temples across the city and more shrines than anyone counts. The trick is to choose. This plan keeps each day in one part of town and starts early at the busiest places, because the best hours are before the tour groups arrive.

Before you go: the short version

• How long: three full days, plus a fourth for Nara or Osaka.
• Where to stay: near Kyoto Station for rail links; Gion or Higashiyama for atmosphere; the area around Kawaramachi and Karasuma for restaurants and shopping.
• From the airport: from Kansai Airport, the Haruka express runs direct to Kyoto Station in about 75 minutes. From Tokyo, the shinkansen takes a little over two hours.
• Getting around: buses, two subway lines, local trains and your own feet. A transit card works on all of them. More in the Japan travel guide.
• Book ahead: any tea ceremony or kaiseki dinner, and check times and book ahead for temples that need a reservation or have timed entry. Cherry blossom and autumn leaf weeks fill every room in the city.

Day 1: Higashiyama and Gion

Morning. Begin at Kiyomizu-dera, the wooden temple on stilts on the hillside above the city, as close to opening time as you can. The terrace looks out over the valley, and the water that gives the temple its name still runs down below it. Then walk down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, the stone-paved lanes of wooden shops and teahouses, before the day's crowds fill them.

Afternoon. Continue north through the park to Yasaka Shrine, which sits at the end of Shijo Street where the hills meet the town. Then go to Chion-in and its great gate, one of the biggest wooden gates in Japan. If your legs allow, walk on along the Philosopher's Path, a quiet canal-side path lined with cherry trees, to Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, at its northern end. It takes about 30 minutes, and the gardens at the end are a calm place to sit.

Evening. Come back to Gion for dinner and a walk. The lanes around Hanamikoji are the old geisha district, with wooden teahouses and lanterns. You may see a maiko, an apprentice geisha, on her way to an appointment. Do not follow or photograph her at close range; there are signs in the district asking visitors to respect private lanes and the people who work here. A short walk along the Kamo River, with its stepping stones and the summer terraces, is a good way to end the day.

Day 2: Arashiyama and the north-west

Morning. Take the JR line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama, about 15 minutes. Walk into the bamboo grove early, as it fills quickly, and carry on to Tenryu-ji, a Zen temple with a garden that has hardly changed in centuries. Walk to Togetsukyo, the long wooden bridge across the river, and follow the path along the water.

Afternoon. Take the little Randen tram line east towards the north-west temples; from its last stop it is a short walk to Ryoan-ji and about 15 to 20 minutes on foot or by bus to Kinkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is a gold-leaf-covered temple that sits beside a mirror pond, and is better in early light than late. Close by is Ryoan-ji, a rock garden of fifteen stones on raked gravel, where the idea is to sit and look until something changes. Both are popular, so check times and book ahead if a ticket or slot is needed.

Evening. Come back toward the centre for dinner. Kyoto is known for kaiseki, a multi-course meal of small seasonal dishes, and for tofu and vegetable cooking that grew out of temple cuisine. If a kaiseki meal is beyond your plans, a casual place for obanzai, home-style Kyoto side dishes, is easier to find and easier to share.

Day 3: Fushimi Inari and the centre

Morning. Fushimi Inari Taisha is five minutes by JR train from Kyoto Station. Go as early as you can. Thousands of vermilion torii gates run up the mountain behind the shrine in tunnels of orange, and the higher you walk the thinner the crowds get. You can go all the way to the summit in about two hours or turn round at any of the viewpoints. Wear shoes you can walk in.

Afternoon. Take the train back to the centre and walk through Nishiki Market, a covered lane of pickles, tofu, sweets, skewers and dried fish. Eat as you go, though as in much of Japan, it is polite to finish the snack at the stall rather than walking while you eat. Then visit Nijo Castle, the shogun's residence, famous for its "nightingale floors" that squeak when you walk. Check times and book ahead for the interior.

Evening. Spend your last evening along Pontocho, a narrow lane of restaurants beside the Kamo River, then cross to Kawaramachi for a last wander through the arcades. In summer, riverside terraces open over the water, and the whole street becomes a long dinner table.

With more time

• A fourth day: Nara is under an hour from Kyoto by train, with the giant Buddha of Todai-ji and the park of free-roaming deer. Osaka is about 30 minutes and is the place to eat.
• A slow day in the north: Kurama and Kibune, a mountain temple and a riverside village, make a gentler day out, about 30 minutes from the centre by the Eizan line.
• Further on: Tokyo is a shinkansen ride away; the Tokyo itinerary covers four days there. The Japan travel guide has a 12-day route.

Where to stay

• Near Kyoto Station: the most practical base. Trains to Nara, Osaka, Fushimi Inari and the airport all leave from here, though the area is modern and less atmospheric.
• Gion and Higashiyama: the most beautiful part of town to wake up in, quiet at night, but some way from the train.
• Kawaramachi, Karasuma and Pontocho: the centre, with restaurants, shops and the main bus routes at your door.
• Arashiyama: peaceful once the day trippers leave, but far from everything else.

Kyoto has many small machiya, traditional wooden townhouses, that rent as a whole house and suit a group. See where to stay with a group.

Getting around

Kyoto's subway has only two lines, so buses do much of the work and are the way to reach many temples. They are crowded at peak times, so allow extra time. Use a transit card, and check your map app for the stop and the bus number. Trains cover Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama and Nara. Taxis are easy to find and handy for four people sharing a short, hilly ride. Many of the best streets are close together, and the easiest way to see them is on foot or by bicycle on the flat ground in the centre.

Temple etiquette is simple. Speak quietly, take your shoes off where asked, follow the signs about photography, and do not touch the monks' belongings or the shrine items. At shrines it is usual to bow slightly at the gate before entering.

Planning Kyoto as a group

Kyoto rewards a plan, because the best places are small and some need a booking. Reserve the tea ceremony or kaiseki dinner for everyone at one time, and agree early which temples you will see together and which you will skip, since groups drift apart in a city this large. Keep the shared costs, like the machiya, the taxis and the group dinners, in one place so nobody has to remember who paid for what.

What to pack

Slip-on shoes are worth packing, as you will take them off many times a day at temples, restaurants and traditional inns, and clean socks without holes are the polite accompaniment. Bring comfortable walking shoes for the stone paths and steps, a compact umbrella for sudden rain and a light layer for the evenings, even in spring and autumn. Carry some cash for small stalls and shrines. The packing list for a city break covers the rest.