2 Day Kyoto Itineary Help
Hi everyone,
We (Four adults and Two 10 year old kids) will be in Osaka / Kyoto from March 28 to April 1, and I’m trying to finalize our travel plan. I’m still deciding whether to:
Stay in Osaka as our base for all the days and do two day trips to Kyoto, or
Check out of Osaka and spend a couple of nights in Kyoto (with luggage in tow and pain of check in and check out with 2 kids and parents with us).
We’d like to cover the following six places in Kyoto over two days:
Nara
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Kiyomizu area
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji Temple
Uji area
As an optional add-on, we’re considering Maruyama Park in the evening — but only if the cherry blossoms are in bloom; otherwise, we’ll skip it.
Would really appreciate guidance on how best to plan and group these locations based on proximity and travel convenience. Any suggestions on the most efficient route or sequence would be super helpful.
Thanks in advance!
In only 5 days might as well use Osaka as base and visit those as day trips for your party.
search for routes, fares in Japan.
https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/route/
Thank you for sharing the link to search for routes, very helpful. Any suggestions on if the below 6 places are doable in 2 days or we are being wishful.
Nara
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Kiyomizu area
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji Temple
Uji area
To visit all those spots in 2 days from Osaka would be too rush. I do not recommend it. Better prioritize and decide.
From Osaka/Namba take Kintetsu rapid service commuter train to Nara in abt 40 min direct. Uji and Nara are served by JR and Kintetsu trains in abt 30 min.
Fushimi Inari + Kiyomizudera - take Keihan rapid service train from Osaka/Yodoyabashi in abt 40+ min.
Arashiyama is served by Hankyu rapid service train from Osaka/Umeda direct. From Tenryu-ji taxi to Kinkaku-ji.
