Personal input: If you are going to Japan, don't go for a weekend trip - reserve more time (and money unfortunately). And if you are really trying to know any place, do not rush through photography tourist-y spots and whatnot. You are gonna feel empty afterwards. This is particularly and specially true for people who like me, are living on the other side of the planet. You gotta make that day inside a plane worth it. Bus tours and day trips are fine to give you an extremely rough idea of the place, so it might be fine on the first of multiple days - just so you know spots to visit with more time. But going with these tours not only will not give you chance for contact with locals and an idea of how people live there, it's all curated and kinda artificial... for tourists only as you will. From that to just watching John, documentaries, UA-cam videos, or seeing photos on a book it... well, it does make a difference, but not all that much. You wanna derail. If you are always strapped on time to hit multiple tourist attractions a day you might end up enjoying none. I had relatives who went on a week trip to Japan that ended up not liking the experience because they rushed all over the place only getting more stressed and tired. It should be obvious that if you go on a trip and strap yourself on time to hit as many places as possible and as fast as possible, it's not vacation, it's work. It's a chore. You can't enjoy anything like that. And don't listen to bucket list crap or listicles of places you have to visit before dying or crap like that. It's way better for you to go to a few places in your life and fully enjoy them, than having a full list of places you rushed through that no one will care after you are gone. At least personally, the stuff I'll always remember about trips to Japan are not the touristic spots or the places crowded with people, but it's more likely the random spots, the japanese people I talked to, and the more everyday life stuff like kombinis, markets, food stalls, how people behave, what they wear, etc. If there was no other way though, the trip is short and you wanna "know Japan"... honestly, I'd recommend just chosing a city, forget the JR Pass, and just visit places close to where you are staying. Walk around with time, contemplate what's happening around you, take time to absorb places and see details. Reserve moments to just walk around freely without a given timeframe or target. I think this is what will give you the Japan people are most passionate about. I bet this is the case for John, it is for me too, and it's one of the reasons why I hope one day I'll be able to live there. The tourist spots are impressive and they won't disappoint, but rushing through them without time to take all in is kind of an empty experience. Also, worry less about taking photos and more about being there in the moment. I'd recommend Kyoto for more historical Japan, and Tokyo if you wanna see multiple faces of Japan in a short period (like modern, historical, big city, smaller neighborhoods, night life, fancy, etc). But you know, you could just go somewhere else and avoid the crowds completely. I feel that the magic of Japan isn't only in big cities, it's there on small towns too. Next time I visit Japan I'm inclined to either go on very off season, or somewhere lesser known, because I really didn't like the crowded tourist spots this time. At least for me personally, the best places we went where the emptiest. The Shinkansen might make your trips shorter and might be convenient, but you are still wasting time on trips if you are going all over, and if you are making the trip thinking of maxing out the JR Pass just because it was expensive, then you shouldn't have gotten it in the first place. Unless you are trying to set a record or something instead of actually visiting Japan I guess. xD Even more now that it's so convenient to get and use a Suica card... on my first trip 12 years ago we got a JR Pass simply because it was way more convenient for tourists. We got this time too, but we were staying 20 days there, so plenty of time to make good use of it. But this is only my point of view and what I personally want to see in Japan, plus my experience in trips. I went twice to the US (east and west coast), once to Europe, and twice to Japan. The trips I remember the least are the ones on tour buses. The most memorable trips are the ones we went by ourselves. Getting a bit lost, ending up in the wrong places, having to walk around, talk a bit with people, end up in places that are completely empty... it's not a situation you wanna be all the time, but it really enriches the experience. And another thing I'd recommend... if you have the time, do try to learn something(s) about the culture of the country you are going before actually going. Not only basic words, how to manage there, dos and don'ts, and stuff like that. I mean culture, what's the significance of things, what's the history of it, why you should care about the places you are visiting, why is there a landmark, temple, statue or whatever there. This is perhaps as important as just going there. Because without context, you risk not understanding anything, not adding anything worthwhile in your baggage, just taking photos of superficially pretty stuff. And there's no weight in that. This is perhaps the only redeeming part of bus tours... at least there's someone there to tell you something about what you are looking at. But it's the cliffnotes, not the whole story. But anyways, I wholeheartedly agree with John... do not make a one day trip to Kyoto. Either make a full trip there, or just stay where you are and spend more time there. You could spend a year (or 20) in Tokyo or Kyoto and you would not see everything there is to see...
XSportSeeker staying overnight isnt enough :/ You need to stay 3 days 2 nights with the 3rd night as the exiting trip to go to other prefectures. Way too cramped to do everything overnight :'(
I spent 5 or 6 days in Kyoto several years ago, and I still feel like that I really did not see much at all in terms of what there is to see in the city. I also spent 1 of the days going to Osaka Castle. I certainly saw quite a bit, and I had some amazing experiences, but even that was just a tiny bit of what there was. Some of my experiences included getting lost while trying to walk to Nijo Castle my first day there, drinking matcha in the garden at Kinkakuji, eating yudofu in Ryoanji, going to watch the Miyako Odori of maiko and geiko in Gion, among many others. I would like to spend more time there and see much more of Kyoto, as well as Osaka and Nara (I wanted to get to Nara while I was there but time limited that). I can understand though people who have limited time, especially traveling from abroad, wanting to at least see some of it. Hopefully it might wet their appetites to desire to go back some day and see more of it in more depth. Which is something I would say for all areas of Japan really, even though I have not been to a lot of places. I did a number of day trips from Tokyo, but I also knew that in those day trips I was missing out on a lot of things that the areas I went to had to offer.
I spent a week in Kyoto visiting the city, Nara and Otsu...and I didn't manage to see all that I wanted to see. Yes, I love shrines and temples! I highly recommend using the volunteer guide service to maximize your time and to get context to what you're seeing!
Magnifique ballade, merci John pour le lien aussi! And I totally agree with you to stay minimum three nights to contemplated this beautiful city and chill around 👍🏻😉
I spent only one day in Kyoto (and one night but I left Kyoto the next morning) during my last trip to Japan. I totally enjoyed my day and was able to see many (but definitely not everything) places without rushing. I enjoyed it because I knew that I'd not be able to see everything. I can't wait to go back to Kyoto and see what I missed.
John I totally agree with you! I had been to Japan in the May of 2018 and I had kept Osaka as my hub to cover the neighboring cities of Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Nagoya / Nagakute (after which I moved on to Tokyo). I was having the Japan Rail Pass, and thus I took a Shinkansen from the Shin Osaka station and reached Kyoto in around 15 minutes. From there I went first to the Kyoto Railway Museum. I was there for around 2 - 3 hours in the museum and I absolutely loved it. From there I went to the Kyoto station from where I boarded the bus for the Kiyomizu Dera Temple. The temple along with it's precincts are just awesome! I loved the nature /greenery along with the small roads / alleyways and those gift shops. Therefore I completely agree with you that, covering Kyoto as a part of a day tour is simply not recommended. Rather one needs to stay in Kyoto for at least a week to soak in all of the cultural nuances of that city. Yes! Kyoto has become a crowded place due to the over tourism but having said that, anyone who is really interested in knowing Japan should see (or rather experience) Kyoto, at least for a few days (ideally for at least a week). And thanks for the marvelous video! 😊
I visited Japan in 2013, staying in Osaka, with trips to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. Spent a total of 3 days in Kyoto, taking my time enjoying everything I saw. I never even came close to doing everything there was to do there. If you ask me, you need at least a week to truly enjoy Kyoto.
Very nice stream, makes me want to stay in Kyoto longer some day when i go to Japan. Nice pitching for Peter as well and yes, he deserves to be monetized!
I was 3,5 days in Kyoto and it stil was not enough. I want to go back. Your tip about going early to the famous tourist spot was the best tip for Kyoto.
If I could visit Japan, I'd try my best to stay in traditional places in Japan and soak in the atmosphere. Take it all in. Possibly wander the streets and alleyways, appreciating the architecture, gardens. Slices of life.
Thanks for this. I'm looking to go to japan during the month of September. Starting from either Osaka/kyoto or tokyo is it possible to; Visit and scale both fuji and hakone over three days?
Great video as usual John...just wondering if I can ask for some advice, me and my girlfriend are flying to Osaka in October and staying in Japan for a week and a half. Was planning to do Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara but she wants to visit Tokyo as well, do you think a week and a half is enough to see all those paces I mentioned? I know Tokyo well but not the others. Im thinking we might to sacrifice the smaller cities and see the “big three”. Cheers
3 days are a good start in Kyoto. Take yourself enough time to enjoy every single place you go to. Even in 3 days you'll just get a glimpse of Kyoto though. Like all places in Japan you always want to come back and see more. Oh, and thanks a lot for making me crave some super yummy 抹茶アイスクリーム again now, John. lol ;)
Just as John says, trying to do it in a day requires you to rush everywhere, just take pictures, and then run off again. That's why I say you can't do it in a day. And even rushing like he did, he still missed To-ji, Tofuku-ji, Nishiki Market, the manga museum, the Heian Shrine, and Fushimi Inari, just to name a few places. So don't try to do it in a day. A couple year back my group spent most of our trip in Kyoto and only did Tokyo in a day trip. Yes, we missed a lot. But I still think we got the better end of the deal than if we had been staying in Tokyo and tried to see all of Kyoto in a day. Kyoto is too relaxed a place to be frantically rushing all over the place.
I spent a week in Kyoto -- with a day trip to Hiroshima, a half-day trip to Nara, a half-day trip to Himeji castle, a trip out to the whiskey distillery -- and I still felt like there was a lot more for me to see and do.
That’s just why I returned to Kyoto a year later and stayed in a ryokan and enjoyed Kyoto in the full. ....And saw just a fraction of the places I planned to see. But in total ease, sucking up all the beauty of the spots I did actually see. No way you can ‘do’ Kyoto in a mere day! Next time I will spend half of my time in Kyoto and the other half in Tokyo, ‘cause there is no chance I can loosen myself completely from Tokyo, the vivid city I became so familiar with.
If you have kids you need at least 4 days to enjoy Kyoto. 3 days if they can walk more than 5 km per day or for more than 10 hours :) Fushimi alone will drain your kids and they need to rest between intervals. Ride a taxi to save time. You won't enjoy Kyoto if you don't stop, relax and immerse yourself with the place. Some places are perfect like the Higashiyama district. The road, bricks, wood, roof, plants all looked like computer generated and you seem to be in a middle of a simulation. Been there at around late afternoon and it rained several hours before so it might just be the lighting. Personal favorite is Kyomizu / Higashiyama, Fushimi, Nijo Castle / Nishiki and Arashiyama area. I wish we skipped the golden pavilion and spent more time at Ninanji, went to Kurama or even just hangout in front of the Kamo river which is featured in the other live stream watching ducks in the afternoon. Will definitely go back there again since the kids also love the place hopefully within next year or two. Thanks for sharing the Kyoto series stream. It's the next best thing to being there :)
To me, Kyoto had lots more to see than Tokyo. Been there twice, and there’s still more to see yet. I always made it a point to at least stop by the Yamazaki distillery, and, my favourite cafe: Kurasu, near Kyoto station.
I had 2 days in Kyoto and still missed some of the stuff I wanted to do. Public transportation isn't as English friendly as Tokyo. I still had a blast.
25 or so years ago the Japanese had the same reputation for going around in huge tour groups that the Chinese have today. I remember a trip to France and Spain, we'd encounter large groups of Japanese - there'd be a tour leader with a flag, usually, and the group would stop every so often so everyone could get a photo (what we'd call a "selfie" today, except with film cameras, so usually you had someone else take your photo for you with your camera). They weren't known for being loud and boisterous, however. I remember showing some photos I took to a couple of Japanese women when I got back, and they immediately made remarks about the large groups of Japanese tourists in some of the photos. I was quite amused when a Spanish lady said "sumimasen" to me when trying to squeeze by. There was also a large group of Spanish schoolgirls in uniform I encountered on the street, and I could hear speculating about where I was from, and "Japan" was the most popular guess. I suppose back then all Asians were Japanese!
Thanks for this! I'm thinking of spending 5 days in Kyoto in August during Obon. Will the trains be full of people leaving Kyoto in the 17th of August?
I think it's as you said - for a lot of people they visit Kyoto quickly just to see a few main things to say they have "been there", to tick it off the list (which applies to not only Kyoto, and not only Japan for that matter). For others who are genuinely interested in the history, culture etc. in Kyoto there is never enough time to see it all.
Dude , its possible If u take the bullittrain the most early as possible run run run and see 2 things closest by the station or etc But its a waste of money and time to my opinion Spend ur train money on a way cheaper night bus Book a airb room and Do the visit better and way cooler! And i think way cheaper!!!! Kioto is one of the places in Japan u need to stay langer because its huge and iT has lots of things to visit and see I stayed 7 days and still crying bout why i didnt stay longer Ill go back my next trip to visit all i can and go deeper into the prefacture! But thank you John for showing in Some kind of way its possible but its a shame !!!! Thx John u rock!! I mite even update my Patreon jejejeej to get more inside !!!
I spend one day in kyoto, and guess what I only visited 2 place, arashiyama and inariyama. So I agree, you needed to take leaves for more than 3 days to explore Kyoto
Hey John, do you think it makes sense to go to Kyomizudera despite the reconstruction or should we leave this one for the next trip? We are going to Kyoto in october.
U been in japan for so many years have you been to all japan places or half of japan? Can u make a video the lists of places of japan that you have not been to and wanted to go..
YES IT CAN! We have proof that it can be done, because we did a video about it. Look, you won't be able to see everything in Kyoto, but you will be able to get a taste for the history, food, and its people. We actually spent 12 hours in Kyoto this past November. We took the very first shinkansen from Tokyo station, went to Fushimi Inari shrine, Nishiki Market, Gion district, Yasaka shrine, Maruyama Park, dinner (green tea soba noodles and green tea parfait - yum!), and went back to Tokyo via shinkansen the same day. We did not reserve seats at the shinkansen. We had the JR pass so we just waited for the first shinkansen and went onto the non-reserved car. It was barely a quarter full that early in the morning! IF YOU WANT to check out our video (John!!! or any other person reading this!), please do. It is on our channel, and it is the video titled "How to Spend 12 Hours in Kyoto, Japan". THANK YALL!!!
Well, you can make your base in Osaka and commute there since it's only a 30 min express train ride (shin-kaisoku) which would be the same as Ueno to Shibuya inside Tokyo. But getting AROUND Kyoto is painful - there's the bus which takes forever. Remember, there is no subway like in Tokyo and Osaka. It's very limited which is another reason you have to take your time. Even if you know the city and the buses, it takes time to get around as all the attractions are quite spread out.
Right, I think Nara is a day trip or 2 days :) an awesome side trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Hyogo (where Kobe is) is also where the most popular place for Japanese sake and wagyu (Tajima) as well as so many other things.
Personal input: If you are going to Japan, don't go for a weekend trip - reserve more time (and money unfortunately). And if you are really trying to know any place, do not rush through photography tourist-y spots and whatnot. You are gonna feel empty afterwards.
This is particularly and specially true for people who like me, are living on the other side of the planet. You gotta make that day inside a plane worth it.
Bus tours and day trips are fine to give you an extremely rough idea of the place, so it might be fine on the first of multiple days - just so you know spots to visit with more time. But going with these tours not only will not give you chance for contact with locals and an idea of how people live there, it's all curated and kinda artificial... for tourists only as you will. From that to just watching John, documentaries, UA-cam videos, or seeing photos on a book it... well, it does make a difference, but not all that much. You wanna derail.
If you are always strapped on time to hit multiple tourist attractions a day you might end up enjoying none. I had relatives who went on a week trip to Japan that ended up not liking the experience because they rushed all over the place only getting more stressed and tired. It should be obvious that if you go on a trip and strap yourself on time to hit as many places as possible and as fast as possible, it's not vacation, it's work. It's a chore. You can't enjoy anything like that. And don't listen to bucket list crap or listicles of places you have to visit before dying or crap like that. It's way better for you to go to a few places in your life and fully enjoy them, than having a full list of places you rushed through that no one will care after you are gone.
At least personally, the stuff I'll always remember about trips to Japan are not the touristic spots or the places crowded with people, but it's more likely the random spots, the japanese people I talked to, and the more everyday life stuff like kombinis, markets, food stalls, how people behave, what they wear, etc.
If there was no other way though, the trip is short and you wanna "know Japan"... honestly, I'd recommend just chosing a city, forget the JR Pass, and just visit places close to where you are staying. Walk around with time, contemplate what's happening around you, take time to absorb places and see details. Reserve moments to just walk around freely without a given timeframe or target. I think this is what will give you the Japan people are most passionate about. I bet this is the case for John, it is for me too, and it's one of the reasons why I hope one day I'll be able to live there. The tourist spots are impressive and they won't disappoint, but rushing through them without time to take all in is kind of an empty experience. Also, worry less about taking photos and more about being there in the moment.
I'd recommend Kyoto for more historical Japan, and Tokyo if you wanna see multiple faces of Japan in a short period (like modern, historical, big city, smaller neighborhoods, night life, fancy, etc). But you know, you could just go somewhere else and avoid the crowds completely. I feel that the magic of Japan isn't only in big cities, it's there on small towns too.
Next time I visit Japan I'm inclined to either go on very off season, or somewhere lesser known, because I really didn't like the crowded tourist spots this time. At least for me personally, the best places we went where the emptiest.
The Shinkansen might make your trips shorter and might be convenient, but you are still wasting time on trips if you are going all over, and if you are making the trip thinking of maxing out the JR Pass just because it was expensive, then you shouldn't have gotten it in the first place. Unless you are trying to set a record or something instead of actually visiting Japan I guess. xD
Even more now that it's so convenient to get and use a Suica card... on my first trip 12 years ago we got a JR Pass simply because it was way more convenient for tourists. We got this time too, but we were staying 20 days there, so plenty of time to make good use of it.
But this is only my point of view and what I personally want to see in Japan, plus my experience in trips. I went twice to the US (east and west coast), once to Europe, and twice to Japan. The trips I remember the least are the ones on tour buses. The most memorable trips are the ones we went by ourselves. Getting a bit lost, ending up in the wrong places, having to walk around, talk a bit with people, end up in places that are completely empty... it's not a situation you wanna be all the time, but it really enriches the experience.
And another thing I'd recommend... if you have the time, do try to learn something(s) about the culture of the country you are going before actually going. Not only basic words, how to manage there, dos and don'ts, and stuff like that. I mean culture, what's the significance of things, what's the history of it, why you should care about the places you are visiting, why is there a landmark, temple, statue or whatever there. This is perhaps as important as just going there. Because without context, you risk not understanding anything, not adding anything worthwhile in your baggage, just taking photos of superficially pretty stuff. And there's no weight in that.
This is perhaps the only redeeming part of bus tours... at least there's someone there to tell you something about what you are looking at. But it's the cliffnotes, not the whole story.
But anyways, I wholeheartedly agree with John... do not make a one day trip to Kyoto. Either make a full trip there, or just stay where you are and spend more time there. You could spend a year (or 20) in Tokyo or Kyoto and you would not see everything there is to see...
XSportSeeker staying overnight isnt enough :/
You need to stay 3 days 2 nights with the 3rd night as the exiting trip to go to other prefectures. Way too cramped to do everything overnight :'(
Thanks....going in October but staying 1 night in Kyoto. This was helpful
I spent 5 or 6 days in Kyoto several years ago, and I still feel like that I really did not see much at all in terms of what there is to see in the city. I also spent 1 of the days going to Osaka Castle. I certainly saw quite a bit, and I had some amazing experiences, but even that was just a tiny bit of what there was. Some of my experiences included getting lost while trying to walk to Nijo Castle my first day there, drinking matcha in the garden at Kinkakuji, eating yudofu in Ryoanji, going to watch the Miyako Odori of maiko and geiko in Gion, among many others. I would like to spend more time there and see much more of Kyoto, as well as Osaka and Nara (I wanted to get to Nara while I was there but time limited that). I can understand though people who have limited time, especially traveling from abroad, wanting to at least see some of it. Hopefully it might wet their appetites to desire to go back some day and see more of it in more depth. Which is something I would say for all areas of Japan really, even though I have not been to a lot of places. I did a number of day trips from Tokyo, but I also knew that in those day trips I was missing out on a lot of things that the areas I went to had to offer.
Visited Kyoto last year. AMAZING. I want to go back.
I spent a week in Kyoto visiting the city, Nara and Otsu...and I didn't manage to see all that I wanted to see. Yes, I love shrines and temples! I highly recommend using the volunteer guide service to maximize your time and to get context to what you're seeing!
Good IDEA! The volunteer guides are really nice and can enhance a trip with the info giving what you see more meaning.
How do you get a volunteer guide?
John, when my father played for the Lions in Fukuoka, I lived in a byoin in Kyoto.
Thank you, for showing me, my city again!
Wow! Always great to hear from you John! Thanks for joining me on this walk around Kyoto :)
Love your videos and you’re funny and full of energy. Planning a Japan trip in the near future. Keep up the good work.
Magnifique ballade, merci John pour le lien aussi!
And I totally agree with you to stay minimum three nights to contemplated this beautiful city and chill around 👍🏻😉
I tried like every food stall there, and I love the view from the entrance on to the street, especially at night
I spent only one day in Kyoto (and one night but I left Kyoto the next morning) during my last trip to Japan. I totally enjoyed my day and was able to see many (but definitely not everything) places without rushing. I enjoyed it because I knew that I'd not be able to see everything. I can't wait to go back to Kyoto and see what I missed.
Thank you for showing us.
It's been a great day, i spent a funny time in Kyoto...ciao from Italy I follow your channel!
John I totally agree with you!
I had been to Japan in the May of 2018 and I had kept Osaka as my hub to cover the neighboring cities of Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Nagoya / Nagakute (after which I moved on to Tokyo).
I was having the Japan Rail Pass, and thus I took a Shinkansen from the Shin Osaka station and reached Kyoto in around 15 minutes. From there I went first to the Kyoto Railway Museum. I was there for around 2 - 3 hours in the museum and I absolutely loved it.
From there I went to the Kyoto station from where I boarded the bus for the Kiyomizu Dera Temple. The temple along with it's precincts are just awesome! I loved the nature /greenery along with the small roads / alleyways and those gift shops.
Therefore I completely agree with you that, covering Kyoto as a part of a day tour is simply not recommended. Rather one needs to stay in Kyoto for at least a week to soak in all of the cultural nuances of that city.
Yes! Kyoto has become a crowded place due to the over tourism but having said that, anyone who is really interested in knowing Japan should see (or rather experience) Kyoto, at least for a few days (ideally for at least a week).
And thanks for the marvelous video! 😊
I visited Japan in 2013, staying in Osaka, with trips to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. Spent a total of 3 days in Kyoto, taking my time enjoying everything I saw. I never even came close to doing everything there was to do there. If you ask me, you need at least a week to truly enjoy Kyoto.
Very nice stream, makes me want to stay in Kyoto longer some day when i go to Japan. Nice pitching for Peter as well and yes, he deserves to be monetized!
I was 3,5 days in Kyoto and it stil was not enough. I want to go back. Your tip about going early to the famous tourist spot was the best tip for Kyoto.
Kyoto is one of the most famous trip in the world.
If I could visit Japan, I'd try my best to stay in traditional places in Japan and soak in the atmosphere. Take it all in. Possibly wander the streets and alleyways, appreciating the architecture, gardens. Slices of life.
Thanks for this. I'm looking to go to japan during the month of September.
Starting from either Osaka/kyoto or tokyo is it possible to;
Visit and scale both fuji and hakone over three days?
I wish that I had your gift. God bless.
Hello John. Sunny beautiful day.
Great video as usual John...just wondering if I can ask for some advice, me and my girlfriend are flying to Osaka in October and staying in Japan for a week and a half. Was planning to do Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara but she wants to visit Tokyo as well, do you think a week and a half is enough to see all those paces I mentioned? I know Tokyo well but not the others. Im thinking we might to sacrifice the smaller cities and see the “big three”. Cheers
3 days are a good start in Kyoto. Take yourself enough time to enjoy every single place you go to. Even in 3 days you'll just get a glimpse of Kyoto though. Like all places in Japan you always want to come back and see more. Oh, and thanks a lot for making me crave some super yummy 抹茶アイスクリーム again now, John. lol ;)
Just as John says, trying to do it in a day requires you to rush everywhere, just take pictures, and then run off again. That's why I say you can't do it in a day. And even rushing like he did, he still missed To-ji, Tofuku-ji, Nishiki Market, the manga museum, the Heian Shrine, and Fushimi Inari, just to name a few places. So don't try to do it in a day.
A couple year back my group spent most of our trip in Kyoto and only did Tokyo in a day trip. Yes, we missed a lot. But I still think we got the better end of the deal than if we had been staying in Tokyo and tried to see all of Kyoto in a day. Kyoto is too relaxed a place to be frantically rushing all over the place.
I spent a week in Kyoto -- with a day trip to Hiroshima, a half-day trip to Nara, a half-day trip to Himeji castle, a trip out to the whiskey distillery -- and I still felt like there was a lot more for me to see and do.
Beautiful place
That’s just why I returned to Kyoto a year later and stayed in a ryokan and enjoyed Kyoto in the full.
....And saw just a fraction of the places I planned to see. But in total ease, sucking up all the beauty of the spots I did actually see.
No way you can ‘do’ Kyoto in a mere day! Next time I will spend half of my time in Kyoto and the other half in Tokyo, ‘cause there is no chance I can loosen myself completely from Tokyo, the vivid city I became so familiar with.
If you have kids you need at least 4 days to enjoy Kyoto. 3 days if they can walk more than 5 km per day or for more than 10 hours :) Fushimi alone will drain your kids and they need to rest between intervals. Ride a taxi to save time. You won't enjoy Kyoto if you don't stop, relax and immerse yourself with the place. Some places are perfect like the Higashiyama district. The road, bricks, wood, roof, plants all looked like computer generated and you seem to be in a middle of a simulation. Been there at around late afternoon and it rained several hours before so it might just be the lighting.
Personal favorite is Kyomizu / Higashiyama, Fushimi, Nijo Castle / Nishiki and Arashiyama area. I wish we skipped the golden pavilion and spent more time at Ninanji, went to Kurama or even just hangout in front of the Kamo river which is featured in the other live stream watching ducks in the afternoon. Will definitely go back there again since the kids also love the place hopefully within next year or two.
Thanks for sharing the Kyoto series stream. It's the next best thing to being there :)
To me, Kyoto had lots more to see than Tokyo. Been there twice, and there’s still more to see yet. I always made it a point to at least stop by the Yamazaki distillery, and, my favourite cafe: Kurasu, near Kyoto station.
I love Kyoto! So much to do!
I had 2 days in Kyoto and still missed some of the stuff I wanted to do. Public transportation isn't as English friendly as Tokyo. I still had a blast.
25 or so years ago the Japanese had the same reputation for going around in huge tour groups that the Chinese have today. I remember a trip to France and Spain, we'd encounter large groups of Japanese - there'd be a tour leader with a flag, usually, and the group would stop every so often so everyone could get a photo (what we'd call a "selfie" today, except with film cameras, so usually you had someone else take your photo for you with your camera). They weren't known for being loud and boisterous, however. I remember showing some photos I took to a couple of Japanese women when I got back, and they immediately made remarks about the large groups of Japanese tourists in some of the photos. I was quite amused when a Spanish lady said "sumimasen" to me when trying to squeeze by. There was also a large group of Spanish schoolgirls in uniform I encountered on the street, and I could hear speculating about where I was from, and "Japan" was the most popular guess. I suppose back then all Asians were Japanese!
I did this and next time we will go to Kyoto and base ourselves there.
Thanks for this! I'm thinking of spending 5 days in Kyoto in August during Obon. Will the trains be full of people leaving Kyoto in the 17th of August?
nice and beautiful
I think it's as you said - for a lot of people they visit Kyoto quickly just to see a few main things to say they have "been there", to tick it off the list (which applies to not only Kyoto, and not only Japan for that matter). For others who are genuinely interested in the history, culture etc. in Kyoto there is never enough time to see it all.
Dude , its possible
If u take the bullittrain the most early as possible run run run and see 2 things closest by the station or etc
But its a waste of money and time to my opinion
Spend ur train money on a way cheaper night bus
Book a airb room and Do the visit better and way cooler!
And i think way cheaper!!!!
Kioto is one of the places in Japan u need to stay langer because its huge and iT has lots of things to visit and see
I stayed 7 days and still crying bout why i didnt stay longer
Ill go back my next trip to visit all i can and go deeper into the prefacture!
But thank you John for showing in Some kind of way its possible but its a shame !!!!
Thx John u rock!!
I mite even update my Patreon jejejeej to get more inside !!!
I spend one day in kyoto, and guess what I only visited 2 place, arashiyama and inariyama.
So I agree, you needed to take leaves for more than 3 days to explore Kyoto
Hey John, do you think it makes sense to go to Kyomizudera despite the reconstruction or should we leave this one for the next trip?
We are going to Kyoto in october.
i missed you live but still enjoy
Have you been to takayama,they have the best sake
John, Now is May and you say it's HOT.
I am going July, How HOT will it be ? Oh...My !!!!
Hart TakAda it’s like standing on the surface of the sun ☀️ !! - well, it’s super humid and about 35C. (Oh MY!)
ONLY in JAPAN * GO Hahahha.... I am dead. I tell my wife it's only like 32. Hahaha...
It's like in the Tropics with the high probability of rain and typhoon.
QIESTI VIDEO SONO MOLTO BELLI DAVVERO COMPLIMENTI..DAVVERO.OK GRAZIE MILLE PER QUESTI VIDEO BUONA GIORNATA SARA SORU
Kyoto is a great place that one will come back again and again .... thanks for these nice streams john.
U been in japan for so many years have you been to all japan places or half of japan? Can u make a video the lists of places of japan that you have not been to and wanted to go..
I believe that depending on what you do, Kyoto can be even more vibrant and fun than Tokyo!
I Like Japan so much
I spent a day just to go see Arashiyama! Kyoto deserves 3 nights at least
What place would be like Kyoto, but without so many tourists?
Yes since I have done it.
Pls make a video about how to settle in japan for a non-Japanese
Easily
I've done it. Just have to leave early as possible from Tokyo.
Right! It’s possible with the JR RAIL Pass - but you simply can’t see Kyoto. It’s like a small taste and oh - that main course is with an extra day!
With out even watching this I say no way that's way too rushed!!!!
YES IT CAN! We have proof that it can be done, because we did a video about it. Look, you won't be able to see everything in Kyoto, but you will be able to get a taste for the history, food, and its people. We actually spent 12 hours in Kyoto this past November. We took the very first shinkansen from Tokyo station, went to Fushimi Inari shrine, Nishiki Market, Gion district, Yasaka shrine, Maruyama Park, dinner (green tea soba noodles and green tea parfait - yum!), and went back to Tokyo via shinkansen the same day. We did not reserve seats at the shinkansen. We had the JR pass so we just waited for the first shinkansen and went onto the non-reserved car. It was barely a quarter full that early in the morning! IF YOU WANT to check out our video (John!!! or any other person reading this!), please do. It is on our channel, and it is the video titled "How to Spend 12 Hours in Kyoto, Japan". THANK YALL!!!
And how many days to spend for enjoy Tokyo??
46GamingCuber 3-5 days is the introduction course :)
Kyoto is a day trip in most of Japan! :-)
❤❤❤❤🇯🇵
Isn't that Anichan and his wife in the thumbnail?!
2 crowded 2 many tourists
Hotels in Kyoto are just as expensive as the ones in Tokyo.
Offcourse it can....writing your notes wher to go. Before you go^^ google Maps helps me
Yes, John, you definitely do gab on. Still, I'm quite share that is what is required for a live stream UA-camr.
So can kyoto be a day trip if you are based in osaka?
I guess you can
YES
Well, you can make your base in Osaka and commute there since it's only a 30 min express train ride (shin-kaisoku) which would be the same as Ueno to Shibuya inside Tokyo.
But getting AROUND Kyoto is painful - there's the bus which takes forever. Remember, there is no subway like in Tokyo and Osaka. It's very limited which is another reason you have to take your time. Even if you know the city and the buses, it takes time to get around as all the attractions are quite spread out.
Hi John🇭🇺
Kyoto in 1 day????????
No way John! I do not agree! I have been there 3 day and that was to short
Edo
Quit my job to travel Japan? What do I look like? A JVlogger?! 😛
You can but it's a pity. Spend a week in Kyoto and wander around Nara, Hyogo!
Right, I think Nara is a day trip or 2 days :) an awesome side trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Hyogo (where Kobe is) is also where the most popular place for Japanese sake and wagyu (Tajima) as well as so many other things.
A vlog in how to visit Kyoto in 12 hours and why not to do it 😂😂😂
m g a 😆 because you don’t see anything is such a short time.
很多中國大陸和台灣韓國遊客都來日本 京都 大阪 東京 ！
Gonzalo map
is not because you had married to a local, because you love japan too much.
That is 100% true Richard! :)
I was joking a lot at the end of the stream, mostly sarcasm for those who didn't get it.
Not worth it for one day .