What to do in Kyoto in 3 hours

4 self-guided 3-hour routes through Kyoto — every stop timed, mapped and in the order that works on the ground.

3h Budget

Arashiyama in three hours

The bamboo grove, the Zen garden behind it and the bridge over the Katsura.

Togetsukyo Bridge · Tenryu-ji · Arashiyama Bamboo Grove · Okochi Sanso Garden

0.8 km on foot 4 stops 2h 31m total

3h Mid-range

Nishiki, Pontochō and the Kamo River in three hours

Kyoto's kitchen, a shrine whose gate runs into the walls, the covered arcades, the riverbank at dusk and the lantern-lit lane of tea houses.

Nishiki Market · Nishiki Tenmangū · Shinkyōgoku · Kamo River · Pontochō

1.3 km on foot 5 stops 2h 37m total

3h Budget

The Philosopher's Path in three hours

The Silver Pavilion, the canal path a philosopher walked every day, a temple behind a moss-thatched gate, the Buddha who looks back, and the brick aqueduct at Nanzen-ji.

Ginkaku-ji · Philosopher's Path · Hōnen-in · Eikan-dō · Nanzen-ji

2.2 km on foot 5 stops 2h 55m total

3h Budget

Tō-ji and the temples by Kyoto Station in three hours

The tallest wooden pagoda in Japan, the halls of the two Hongan-ji temples, a rope made of women's hair, a hidden pond garden and the tower over the station.

Tō-ji · Nishi Hongan-ji · Higashi Hongan-ji · Shōsei-en · Kyoto Tower

2.8 km on foot 5 stops 2h 52m total

Planning the rest of the trip

These routes cover the walking. The Kyoto guide has where to stay, what a day costs at each tier, and what to book before you go.