The capital of Japan for over 1,000 years, Kyoto is among the most popular stops in Japan for those going beyond Tokyo itself. It’s a much smaller city, and it largely escaped the WWII bombing so there is more original architecture in place.
| Population | 1,500,000 |
| Area | 1,500,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+9 |
| Currency | Japan Yen |
| Airports | Kansai International Airport (KIX) |
Only a bit over 2 hours by high-speed train from Tokyo, Kyoto is known for its temples and more traditional nature. Hotels here are noticeably cheaper than those in Tokyo, so adding days here will bring down the average per-day cost of a Japan visit.
Kyoto has festivals throughout the year with some drawing large international crowds. Because of this, it is sometimes difficult to book a hotel and thus makes planning early a great idea. Holidays also see higher hotel rates.
Winter can be cold and due to this, you’ll tend to find less visitors to the area. This helps to keep both hotel and flight prices down.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 14.26 - 22.03 |
| 13.58 - 68.33 |
| 25.92 - 238.90 |
| 50.76 - 321.91 |
| 390.07 - 390.07 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 10.37 - 14.26 |
| Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funaoka Onsen Public Bath | Funaoka Onsen is the oldest public bath house in Kyoto where both locals and visitors enjoy an hour or two of the day. | all ages | 0.97 |
| Kiyomizu-dera Temple | One of the nicest temples in Japan, many state that this is a must visit. | all ages | 2.59 |
Food and drinks are also a bit cheaper here than in the current capital. As long as the Yen doesn’t get unreasonably strong again, Kyoto will feel like a pretty solid travel bargain compared to what you might expect.
| Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | For the first meal of the day, you'll find light pastries coupled with teas. You'll also have a section of coffees to choose from. | 2.33 - 4.67 |
| Budget lunch | If you're not looking for a full lunch, try one of the local snacks. A favorite is the Yatsuhashi which comes in different flavors, macha and strawberry. | 3.56 - 6.48 |
| Budget dinner | Sushi, tofu, vegetarian dishes and more are offered around town at affordable prices. | 5.83 - 9.72 |
| Beer ( large bottle) | If you're not into the wild nightclub scene, you'll still be able to purchase beers at local restaurants. | 2.59 - 3.89 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Subway ride in Kyoto | 1.36 - 2.14 |
| Subway day-pass | 3.89 |
| Bus ride in Kyoto | 1.49 |
| Bus day-pass | 3.89 |
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48 | 34 | 1.9 |
| February | 50 | 35 | 2.7 |
| March | 56 | 39 | 4.5 |
| April | 68 | 48 | 4.6 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 6.3 |
| June | 82 | 66 | 8.4 |
| July | 89 | 74 | 8.7 |
| August | 92 | 76 | 5.2 |
| September | 84 | 69 | 6.9 |
| October | 73 | 57 | 4.7 |
| November | 62 | 46 | 2.8 |
| December | 53 | 38 | 1.9 |
Fall is arguably the best time of the year to visit with nature performing its grand show of changing leaves. Generally the leaves start to change toward the end of October through into mid November. Temperatures stay in the 50s to 70s during this time of year.
Summertime is usually referenced with the rainy season where temperatures soar and humidity reigns king.
| 21 Mar | 6:00am | 6:09pm |
| 21 Jun | 4:43am | 7:14pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:44am | 5:56pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:01am | 4:49pm |