Kyoto - So many sites for 4 days!
 

Many of you have provided very helpful info regarding the cruise portion of my first visit to Japan and now I’m asking for your help about my 4 days in Kyoto. I’ve done lots of research on this site, japan-guide, other web sites and paper guide books. My interests are gardens/nature, temples and old houses so I’ve identified the sites below; I have minimal interest in shopping and am not a foodie. I typically plan a fairly full day, knowing that once I’m there, I may enjoy one site so much that I spend more time there and eliminate some other place from my list. But, I also have a history of underestimating how long it takes to get from point A to point B so I’d appreciate help organizing my list into a reasonable order based on location/transportation between them. I think I’ll need to devote two separate days to the Arashiyama and Sagano sites. If my “to do” list seems crazily ambitious or would only allow for a quick jog through, please let me know – that’s not my travel style! Or, of course if I’m missing a “must see”, please let me know that too.

I will arrive Kyoto on Monday, April 15 via Nozumi from Tokyo at 11:22 am and will need to check into my hotel. I will leave Kyoto on Friday, 4/19 around noon to Yokohama to board the ship, so will have 3 full days and 2 half days in Kyoto.

1. Miyako Odori: at Minamiza Theater; only Premium seat tickets left are at the 12:30 performance on 4/16, 4/17 and 4/18. Which one will fit into a day’s plan best? (one hour perf)
2. Daitokuji Temple & Garden Complex
3. Tenryu-ji Temple (do 3,4 & 5 together)
4. Bamboo Grove
5. Okochi Sanso Villa & Garden
6. Tofuku-ji Temple Honbo garden
7. Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple (do 7 & 8 together)
8. Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
9. Nijo Castle
10. Giō-ji moss garden (I didn’t make a reservation for the Kokedera Temple so this is in place of that)
11. Daiso in AEON Mall
12. Chicago Store, 258 Rokkaku Kudaru Shikibuchō, Teramachi Street, Nakagyo Ward
13. Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka (historic preservation district)

Hotel: I made a reservation for four nights (checking out on Friday, 4/19) at The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Shijo, 668Nijohanjikicho, Bukkoji-agaru Karasuma-dori, Shimogyo-ku. It is $207 per night which is higher than I wanted to spend (was hoping for around $150) but many of the hotels I checked had no rooms available for my dates. I thought a hotel in the more western side of the city would make getting to/from the sites I want to see easier, but it’s refundable, so if anyone has suggestions for a different/better location, please let me know! Thank you for all any input.

I don't know how to estimate YOUR visit times and so would simply encourage you to think through your priorities, with an eye to opening and closing times, so that you can adjust your plans as necessary. To estimate travel times, have you tried google maps? IME, it's surprisingly accurate (though I always add 20 or 25 percent just to give myself a bit of latitude for getting lost).

I'm glad I stayed in the Kawaramachi district, just blocks from the Royal Park. You'll have good access to several public transportation lines there, and its an interesting area with a wide array of restaurants.

For me, that location would be fine. If you're arriving at 11.22 am, I assume you're taking the 9.10 am Nozomi # 19 from Tokyo? The easiest way to get to the hotel would be to take the subway (use your Suica card...) two stops (north) from Kyoto Station to Shijo. That station shares an underground concourse with Karasuma Station on the Hankyu line (which runs east/west) and has numerous exits. Japanese stations usually have signs telling you what's at each exit (and various signs pointing you to the exits). Look at the station map (ground floor) on this site: head for exits 5 and 6; exit 6 is nearer the hotel. Note that both those exits appear to be stairs (of which there are a lot in Japan...). Exit 4 - round the corner and up the street from the hotel - appears to have an elevator, so use that if carrying luggage up the stairs is an issue. As for checking in, check-in times in Japan are strict - 3 pm means 3 pm, not "a couple of hours earlier because that's when you happen to get there". They'll hold the bags for you so check-in when you get back later.

One thing you don't have on your list is the Nishiki Market. It gets crowded but worth wandering along (even if you're "not a foodie") - it's a long covered alley that runs east/west just to the northeast of the hotel. After you drop off your bag(s), re-trace your steps to Shijo station, go back underground and head towards the concourse and then head for exit 17 (you'll be going north and then east). Turn left, up the short escalator and you'll find yourself in the basement food hall of the Daimaru department store. Amazing stuff, all beautifully presented so worth a look. Head to the back of the food hall, out the doors and up the steps. If you need a coffee, there's a Starbucks about 50 metres to your left, the entrance to the Nishiki Market is about 100 metres to the right. Find something to snack on for lunch in the market (though note that walking and eating is not polite in Japan so just stand to the side as you eat).

I would try to do these on the same day, rather than doing two trips. I haven't been to Otagi Nenbutsuji or Adashino Nenbutsuji (shame on me, though they're now on the list for next time...). It appears you get there either by a 40+ minute walk from Arashiyama or on a bus (# 62, 72, 92 or 94). Those buses appear to stop at Otagi Nenbutsuji and get you to within a short walk of Adashino Nenbutsuji. The 62 and 72 buses seem to go from Kyoto Station via Arashiyama whereas the 92 and 94 appear to be more 'local' Arashiyama buses and may be more frequent.

If it was me (... and it's not...), I would get the train (about 8 am or so) from Kyoto Station to Saga Arashiyama (takes about 15 minutes). Walk to the Bamboo Grove and, once at the top of the Grove, visit Okochi-Sanso (the entrance gate is ahead and to the right when you get to the top of the Grove). I haven't looked them up again but I think Tenryu-ji opens at 8.30 and Okochi-Sanso at 9 am. From Saga Arashiyama train station to the Grove and up to the Okochi-Sanso gate takes maybe 30 minutes. If you visit Okochi-Sanso when it opens at 9 am (so I would be trying to time my arrival for that), chances are you'll have it more or less to yourself. Spend 45 - 60 minutes there - don't lose your entrance ticket, because it gets you a cup of green tea and a very nice green biscuity thingy in the tea house at the end of your tour of the gardens. Walk back down through the Grove and enter Tenryu-ji by the north gate. Once done there, find the bus stop for the 92 or 94 (or the 62 or 72 if there's one coming) and go and visit Otagi Nenbutsuji and Adashino Nenbutsuji. Once done, head back to Saga Arashiyama and get the train back.

That will probably take most of the day. You'd be finished at Tenryu-ji by maybe 11.30 or thereabouts and then head to Otagi Nenbutsuji and Adashino Nenbutsuji for the afternoon. Should be a nice day out .....

When you get to the (eastern) end of the Nishiki Market, just before the very end (where the Nishiki Tenmangu shrine is in front of you), turn left up Terimachi-dori. There are two streets/shopping arcades that run parallel (and fairly close) to each other - Terimachi-dori is the first one you come to and, immediately after it and slightly to the east, right in front of the shrine, is that-other-one-whose-name-I-can't remember. Turn left (north) up Termachi-dori to ....

12. Chicago Store, 258 Rokkaku Kudaru Shikibuchō, Teramachi Street, Nakagyo Ward .... it should be about 200+ metres up Terimachi-dori, on the left.

If, after your buying spree at Chicago, you need a coffee, if you cross over to the other street (where there's a little triangular shaped area on the map) and continue north, there's a Starbucks that will be on your left. After coffee, carry on and the street will dead-end at Sanjo-dori - there should be a JTB travel store directly in front of you. If you have any interest in (or need of...) sewing needles, turn right and along on the right (maybe 50 - 75 metres?) you'll see a store called 'Tanaka' (brown sign with gold lettering). Opposite that should be a sign for a palm reader and next to that, a small alleyway. Go down the alleyway and you'll find yourself in an exquisite little garden courtyard - the needle store is tucked away in the small building at the back of the courtyard. If you don’t know it’s there, you would never stumble across it – you wouldn’t even notice the alleyway, let alone have any reason to go down it. It took us three visits to Kyoto before we finally figured out where it was. They’ve been in business for a long, long time so one can only suppose they have a loyal clientele who return again and again (as we have…). Last time we were there, Mrs. tt7 acquired some needles for sashiko (which just looked like any other needles to me but then what do I know?). It does seem to show up in google maps - at least, the picture appears correct and you can just see a glimpse of the garden courtyard at the end of the alleyway.

[Edited to add: if you have no need of needles, they also make various pins, with small resin heads in various shapes - flowers, animals etc.]

After your shopping spree at Chicago and a visit to the needle store, carry on along Sanjo-dori another 50 metres or so until you emerge on to Kawaramachi-dori. Turn left and walk up to the corner of Oike-dori. The massive building on the left across the street is Kyoto City Hall. On the corner you should find an entrance to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae subway station. Take the subway two stops west to Nijojo-mae. The entrance to Nijo Castle is on the east side of the Castle, just north of the subway station. Be sure to visit the Ninomaru Palace to see the interiors and to experience the ‘nightingale’ floors. If the Waraku-an tea house is open, sit outside (if you can) on one of the red-covered benches and enjoy the view of this part of the garden while enjoying a matcha tea and Japanese sweet.

To fit all this into your arrival day -- drop the bags at the hotel, visit the Daimaru basement food hall and the Nishiki Market, Terimachi-dori and Chicago and on to the needle store (if it's of any interest) and then on to Nijo Castle -- will take some doing but it would get a couple of items on your list taken care of ....

Whoops - forgot this one for a busy Arashiyama day. Even harder to get to than Otagi Nenbutsuji and Adashino Nenbutsuji. Maybe walk there from Adashino Nenbutsuji and then walk back to Saga Arashiyama?

The AEON Mall is on the south side of Kyoto Station and Tofokuji is one stop south-east of Kyoto Station so these two would logically go together. Perhaps on the morning of the day you leave for Tokyo?

Vickeybypass: Have a great time in Kyoto. I also had a room at the Royal Park Hotel, but the Sanjo one (two blocks from the river). One day a taxi driver accidentally took me to the Royal Park-Shijo and I had to inform him that he had gone to the wrong one. So, if you're in a taxi make sure that the driver understands which one to go to.

I was in Kyoto both last summer, the the previous summer, and have booked to go back again this summer. I stayed at 3-4 different hotels, on each visit, while there as I'm one to hotel hop. LOL!

And speaking of the Chicago boutique, it's really nice to browse there. I found a really beautiful, pre-owned, polyester kimono jacket for the equivalent of US$18.00 and which was in mint condition.

After exhausting oneself at the Chicago store, if you want to just sit, relax, take it easy, and have a healthy light meal, then the below restaurant is very good. I eat there regulalry. It's in the same arcade as Chicago and very near. You'll need to walk through a boutique, to the back, and then up a flight of stairs and there is a hidden delight of a restaurant.

https://www.insidekyoto.com/mumokute...downtown-kyoto

Kyoto is a great place to visit. :):tu:

Happy Travels!

In the interests of making sure you're totally exhausted by the time you leave Kyoto, here's a suggestion .....

Take the subway to Keage, turn right on the main road and after about 50 metres, turn right through a small tunnel. Follow the road up to Nanzen-ji (don't miss the Tenjuan Garden) and then Eikan-do, visiting both on the way. From Eikan-do, turn right on Reisen-dori and walk up to the beginning of the Path of Philosophy. Turn left and walk all the way up the Path (alongside the canal). At the top, turn right up the approach road to Ginkaku-ji. After visiting Ginkaku-ji, go back to where you turned right at the end of the Path and go straight over - the bus stop for the #100 bus is about 50 metres on the left. The bus heads towards Kyoto Station but you can get off at Heian-jingu (by the massive torii gate) opposite the Museum of Modern Art (worth a visit) before walking back up to Heian-jingu. Don’t miss the Heian-jingu gardens, which wrap around the sides and back - the entrance is on the left if you’re facing Heian-jingu. Continue on the #100 bus further south and visit the Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka areas, from where you can walk to Kiyomizadera. Walk back down to the main road through the cemetery and catch a bus back to Kyoto Station.

Thank you all! I've traveled to many places but I have to admit that Japan has overwhelmed me, so I'm very appreciative of your help.

tt7 - thank you, thank you...your detailed directions are what I need to feel comfortable getting around. Each trip, I think "I'll plan relaxed days with time to meander and watch the world go by" but there are always so many places I want to visit, that I end up going from 8:00 am - dark. And Kyoto is no different, so I agree that I'll be exhausted by the time I leave Kyoto but I board a cruise ship in Yokohama so will be able to relax a bit. This may be a dumb question, but since you mentioned buses, is there a web site for bus lines? (with maps, etc.) I could ask the concierge but i like to have the info myself in case i change plans during the day.

Guenmai - those quilted, pre-owned jackets are what I'm looking for (and maybe a yakuta). Glad to hear you found a gem at Chicago....and good to know about a restaurant since I think I'll be ready for a sit-down after a full but satisfying 1st day in Kyoto.

And Nishiki is on my list now, along with Daimaru dept store.

>>along with Daimaru dept store.<<

An anecdote meaning next to nothing in the overall scheme of things :) but buying a single mascara at Daimaru made me feel like a queen . . . two young ladies neither speaking English and me knowing about 3 words of Japanese. They pulled up a chair for me to sit at the counter and through their and my pantomimes we took about 10 minutes to sort though several brands and pick the the best one for my needs, wrapped it in a small packet and thanked me profusely - the whole transaction was so refined and elegant.

. . . and the food halls put Harrods to shame.

Not to imply this was the actual highlight of Kyoto for me -- the whole city/temples/gardens etc were wonderful. It was just such a pleasant interlude.

Vickeybypass: Daimaru is one of my favorite department stores in Japan. I bought my yukata at the Daimaru in Kyoto on the summer 2017 trip. I had looked high and low to find the right one, but was looking for the perfect one to wear to a parent's 90th birthday celebration here in L.A. So, I wanted a dark-colored one and found a gorgeous, heavier, polyester-fabric one and in dark, navy blue with tiny, lavender-colored flowers. I selected all the accessories and then the two, salewomen wrapped me up in it as I hollered in pain a few time. :) They went into laughing hysteria along with shoppers who were passing by.

I travel with that yukata and wear it even to breakfast at some of my hotels in Japan. I take along my MacBook Air and prop it up, in my hotel room, and go to my Youtube links on how to put on a yukata. Now, it only takes me around 20 minutes to do it alone as I've done it so much. :)

I'm going to try to upload my photo of the kimono-style jacket that I bought at Chicago. It's not a padded one, just a light-weight, polyester one. But, for the equivalent of US$18.00 that's all I needed. Plus, I live in L.A. where it's hot and don't really need anything heavy.

Happy Travels!

Vickeybypass: Sorry, but my photo wouldn't upload as I received a Fodor's message that it's 2.38 MB and the limit is 1.91MB.

Happy Travels!

Love it. You can never be sure which of the 20 or so Daitoku-ji temples/gardens will be open - some are always open, some never open, some open only for short periods at certain times of the year etc. so it's a bit of crap shoot but it's great to just wander around and go in whichever ones are open. Last visit we enjoyed Koto-in (love the bamboo-lined entrance path), Korin-in and Zuiho-in (where one of the monks took it upon himself to correct my bad posture...)

Take the subway from Shijo 5 stops north to Kita-oji Station. From the bus terminal there, take a bus (probably a 101, 102 or 204 but there should be some signs) about 3 stops west along Kitaoji-dori. Alternatively, just walk. It's probably about 15-20 minutes more or less due west of Kita-oji Station so just meander the backstreets and you'll get there. The entrance is on the east side, opposite Cafe Du Mon (which shows up on both Apple and Google maps).

One of the things I love about travel -- and I know it isn't something everyone treasures -- is the sense of mastery I gain from laying out my own plan and following it, or modifying it, as necessary. If that is something that you enjoy, I think that you will find Japan surprisingly easy to navigate and extremely rewarding.

Enjoy!

Well, there's this and this. I've always found it pretty much incomprehensible .....

Using 'directions' in either Apple Maps or Google Maps may help. What I usually do is look on Apple Maps for bus stops close to where we want to go, so we can figure out likely bus numbers. The map will show you the bus route for each bus from that stop ... so does it go anywhere close to where we are? Figure out where on the bus route is the best place to get it from and then go from there.

One thing to note about Kyoto buses is you get on in the middle, get off at the front and pay when you get off. There's a fare box and an IC card reader next to the driver - just use your Suica card. It's usually flat fare, so you don't have to worry about figuring out how much it is.

The kind of yukata that I bought is not the type that I would use as a bathrobe as it's quite elegant. Shop around as there are so many choices. It took some real looking around to find the right one for what I wanted and also for what and where I wanted to wear it in the future. I wish I could wear yukatas/kimonos every day while in Japan as they're so beautiful and easy to wear and also provide great support for my lower back.

Below are some of my favorite bookmarked Yukata videos and other links. Intersting that in one video it's said that yukatas are made of cotton and kimonos of silk and in the other video, it's said that yukatas are made of either cotton or linen and kimonos are made of either silk or polyester.

When I bought mine, I first thought casual kimono, but since it wasn't silk, I thought that maybe it fell into the yukata category although it's made of polyester that looks like silk.

As for the lengths in both arm-length and hem length, well...that's out of my control as I know that my yukata/kimono is too short in the sleeves and that the hem length could be longer. But, my height is my height and my arm length is what it is.





https://japanobjects.com/features/kyoto-kimono


https://nextshark.com/wafrica-africa...h-african-art/



Adorable

Incredibly beautiful kimonos. I went to the boutique in the Ginza 6 building (Tokyo) on the main street in Ginza across the street from the huge Uniqo store. https://ginza6.tokyo/welcome-to-gsix

https://furifu.com/kimono/ My absolute favorite kimonos. I forgot to look for them last summer while in Tokyo. I need to make a new shopping list fot this summer.

Speaking of shopping, if you want a really cool handbag, then it's Hanaa-fu . Although they're Japanese, I bought mine in Bangkok, three months ago, as they're popular there. It's the origami handbag that changes into different shapes. The one that I bought is white with black polka dots. Cool. :tu:

Hanaa-fu | waza shop


Have fun shopping in Japan. :)

Happy Travels!

tt7 - It's funny, I added Daitokuji Temple & Garden to my list at the last minute but now your recommendation moved it up. I love the idea of 20 gardens, some open, some not. Very cool. And, again, thank you for the detailed directions.

Guenmai - The Hanaa-fu handbags are great - such fun shapes, patterns & colors. I'm only in Tokyo on Sundays (at the beginning and end of my trip) - do you know if Hanaa-fu bags are sold in Kyoto (maybe in department stores?) I googled their site but couldn't find mentions of Kyoto.

This trip is really starting to excite me now!! :)

.... though I guess if you blow it up a bit it's a bit easier....


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0d3954215e.png

Vickeybypass: I know you don't have a lot of time in Tokyo, but there's a Hanna-fu boutique inside of the Main Marui 0101 store in Shinjuku. The address is:
3,Chrome-30-1 3 Shinjuku City Tokyo 160-0022 . They're open, 7 days a week, from 11AM-9PM.

There's also a Marui Building across the street from Tokyo Station as I've walked past it. So, maybe that location carries Hanna-fu.

I figure that if Tokyo Marui 0101 store carries Hanna-fu, then maybe the same store in Kyoto also carries it. I've walked past the Marui 0101 store in Kyoto as it's in the middle of downtown at Shijo-dori Kawaramachi 68.

Also, while in Kyoto, another interesting shopping building to check out is Bal on the main street, about a 5-minute walk around the corner from the Royal Park Hotel-Sanjo. Last summer I booked a room there in order to do laundry, as there' s a laundry room, and also to go out and shop and take packages back to the hotel, rest up, rest the bad/painful knee, take a nap, and then go out again. Then, in the evening, I would just take a taxi back across town to either the Four Seasons or the Hyatt where I was staying. I got a room for really cheap at the Royal Park-Sanjo and it was worth having it for 2 days.

Kyoto BAL | The Kyoto Project

https://sharing-kyoto.com/shop_Kyoto_BAL

https://matcha-jp.com/en/1098

Bal is a great, upscale department store and nice place to get a meal at Muji after shopping at Muji and all of the other boutiques inside and all under one roof. It's a very relaxing place. And I was shocked to see the gorgeous Ron Herman store there. Ron Herman and Fred Segal are long-time icon names here in L.A. and have been California life-style specialists since the early 70s. So, there's all kinds of great stuff in Bal, from Japanese items to Western items to food to a great bookstore and stationery store.

At Bal, from the Dressterior boutique, I bought a gorgeous, long, black, flowing linen summer coat trimmed in gorgeous lace from neck to bottom. I got it for at least 50% off as I'm in Japan during summer when the sales are off the hook. At that time, I can stock up on clothing that I can wear here at home in L.A. I tried to post the Instagram link to the coat, but it wouldn't post here although I posted the link below. I have it bookmarked, on my Macbook Air, although I'm not on Instagram and it pops up fine. Go figure.


Also, Bal is only about a 10-15 minute walk from the Chicago boutique as I walk back and forth to both.

Oh, speaking of food, if you end up at the basement level of the major department stores, the take-out food there is great. Both in Tokyo and Kyoto, I basically eat from the basement of the department stores and my favorite take-out deli, by far, is R1-F Sozai. It's a chain so I can find it in the department store, basement, food marts in a lot of places in Japan. The small, fried shrimp are amazing as well as the huge salad selection. I would go there and have them pack my items and then taxi back to the Four Seasons and eat in my room with all my food items spread out on my desk while watching my huge, flat screen TV. Priceless and my definition of a vacation and true R&R. :)

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/20.../#.XKcDc6eZOT8

https://www.citysuper.com.hk/en/city.../June-2015/RF1 I got food from RF-1 Sozai so much until they remembered me from one year to the next. LOL!

Have fun eating and shopping.

Happy Travels!

Below are some Hanna-fu bags on Pinterest. My white one, with the black polks dots, is in the left picture.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/300263500149918917

Happy Travels!

Looks like there is a large WAZU shop in New York; they sell the folding bags. Cute gifts.....what is the price range, in general terms?

I realize that they're sold in NYC. They're probably also sold somewhere here in L.A. I bought my Hanna-fu, in Jan 2019, for 7,100 Thai Baht at Isetan department store at Central World Mall in Bangkok. It's the same style as the one in the youtube video. www.xe.com. Plus, there was a very wide range of choices of Hanaa-fu bags in Bangkok. Siam Paragon

Happy Travels!

I can't disagree with the sentiment .... the problem is, Kyoto has so many sites worth seeing, it's hard to pick and choose.

In a very early visit to Japan (maybe 15 - 20 years ago), we were staying at KIX (because I was en route on a business trip to Busan) and did a day trip to Kyoto. Not having a clue about anything or where anywhere was, we went on a bus tour (in Japanese), one stop on which was Kinkaku-ji. Despite quite a few visits since to Kyoto, we've never been back. Similarly, until our next-to-last-visit to Kyoto a year or so ago, we'd never been to Fushimi-Inari.

There are so many places to go.... how to choose? Despite having been to Kyoto probably half a dozen times in the last few years, I still feel we've barely scratched the surface. The fact that Kinkaku-ji and Fushimi-Inari are perhaps on every tourist's must-do list and are usually in the top few "most visited" sites in Kyoto make some of us want to go in the opposite direction .... but that's just me...

The usual advice is go to Fushimi-Inari 'early' to try and avoid the crowds. In this case, if vickiebypass decides she would like to go there, perhaps the best time would be on the morning she leaves for Tokyo. Take the JR Nara local line two stops from Kyoto Station to Inari Station (not Fushimi-Inari). Afterwards, take the local line train one stop back to Tofuku-ji and then back to Kyoto Station for the AEON Mall. Make sure to get the JR Nara Line Local train and not the Rapid Service (and beware the 8.09 local line train which apparently doesn't stop at Inari).

Kinkaku-ji is to the west of Daitoku-ji and perhaps therefore could be combined with that visit (just take the bus further west).

I know it's bad when you start replying to your own posts but .... In a different forum (on Japan-guide.com), someone asked a question about their proposed Kyoto itinerary, which covered a lot of sites, most of which I must admit I haven't heard of. Amongst others, it elicited this response:-

To me, the great thing about Kyoto is that there is such richness in the so-called secondary sites (those not on the "top ten" lists). I have had such exquisite moments at many of these "lesser-known" places. It is kind of a kick to see an ambitious five-day Kyoto itinerary that doesn't include Kiyomizudera, Fushimi Inari Jinja, and the "bamboo forest" in Arashiyama! At the same time, I am incredibly grateful for the tourist magnet sites and the fact that essentially all of the foreign tourists feel strongly compelled to visit them. It leaves countless other magical places for the rest of us to enjoy in peace and quiet. So much profound beauty in Kyoto...

I'd have to say I couldn't agree more....

OTOH, Fushimi Inari is open 24/7, and so can be visited after everything else is closed, at least during times of the year when sunset is later than temple closings.

KJA, thank you for getting this thread back on track!

I would also like to have more sightseeing information, as I have booked a GoodWill guide for one day, during the week.

Thank you all.

I couldn't agree more with tt7 regarding those top ten sites on most visitors lists. Not that they aren't worth visiting, just if you go around mid day be aware you will be joined with immense crowds, all seeking that tranquil experience depicted in those beautiful tourist book photos. Arashiyama, Nanzenji, places like that have individuals and tour groups by the busloads. If you do visit these places, try and go first thing in the morning or later in the day as has been suggested. Those secondary sites are just as magnificent and worthwhile as tt7 has mentioned, just my 2 cents.

When vickiebypass is in Kyoto in 10 days time, sunrise is around 5.30 am, sunset around 6.30 pm.

Right. I believe that's a bit later than many temples close, and since it isn't fully dark at sunset, IMO, Fushimi Inari would be an option if the OP wants to visit it.

Perhaps you would like to start a separate thread? What is it you would like sightseeing information about?

There is so much to see in Kyoto. We had 6 full days there, and used every moment. One of the ways we maximized our time was by using taxis. Public transportation was packed - it was the height of the koyo - and we wouldn't have seen half as much if we insisted on public transport. So think about any things you can do to maximize what time you do have in Kyoto.

TT7: Yes, I will probably begin a new thread. I have about 9 days in Kyoto and had engaged a guide for one day and he asked me where I wanted him to take us......that was the reason for my posting that here. Hope I did not barge in...

There are good places to visit all over Kyoto.
By "train" I take it you would also include the subway. Ultimately it's all up to where you plan to go, but unlike many other Japanese cities, rail is only of limited value. You can of course take the bus, or rent a bicycle if you're not carrying a lot, or even a taxi if you have the money to burn.

There are often several other good places around someplace you choose to go, so it makes more sense to get there however you want and then walk around the rest of the way. Avoid zig-zagging all over the city to use your time better.