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tight schedule in Kyoto-how to manage free time well

tight schedule in Kyoto-how to manage free time well

Old May 12th, 2013, 08:01 PM
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tight schedule in Kyoto-how to manage free time well

My husband will be working in Kyoto for 5 days and only has 2 of those to sightsee. I am in charge of putting together an itinirary that manages to pack in as much as possible. So far,this is all I have....please help. Also restaurant recommendations appreciated. We prefer to eat away from "touristy",crowded areas. Here it goes-taking the Nozomi train from the Tokyo station and arrieving at Kyoto @12:08. Hotel has a free shuttle to get us. We are staying @ the WestinMiyako near the station. Quick snak and off to the Phylosopher's Trail. Will start at the south end(Nanzenji) and get in to the last temple before it closes at 5. Dinner at the end of this trail at Kisaki Yudofu at 6pm. That is all I have so far;also will the hotel get the permits we need to tour the palace. Any help would be greatly apppreciated.
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Old May 12th, 2013, 09:26 PM
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I could well be wrong, but my recollection is that closing time means the time you must be OUT, not the last entrance. I'm sure that someone else will be able to say whether that's right or not.

You can not see everything that Kyoto offers in 2 days of sightseeing. IMHO, you can't even see all of its highlights. So be selective and savor the places you do visit. My recommendation: For each day, identify the place that you most want to see and allow yourself to spend as much/little time at it as you want. Know what your next priorities are (perhaps ones that are nearby, or are easily reached from your starting point.)

BTW, you might want to select places that feature different things. So, for example, you might try to visit both a Buddhist temple or two and a Shinto shrine or two (note that Fushimi Inari is open 24/7), and you might want to visit Nijo-jo (a moated royal residence).

Be sure to consult japan-guide.com -- an excellent source of information!

Enjoy!
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Old May 13th, 2013, 07:00 AM
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As kja mentions you have little time to see Kyoto so know what you want to see. These sites will help you with some of the more popular venues.

http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/japan/kyoto/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

The Westin is not close to the JR Kyoto station but their infrequent shuttle service should help you out. Ginkakuji and the Philosophers Path are very close by your hotel so visiting that first day will be an advantage. You might consider using a taxi to travel everywhere while in Kyoto to maximize your precious time which is what you don't have a lot of in Kyoto this trip....well your husband anyways. You should have time in the evenings to sight see as well. Kyoto has and abundance of night life as well as day sights.

Aloha!
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Old May 13th, 2013, 10:10 AM
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I tend to enjoy being in a city more than visiting temples. In Kyoto, I particularly enjoying wandering around the Gion quarter and strolling through neighborhoods like Ponto-cho and near the Shimbashi bridge.

As ht says, the Westin isn't at all near the train station, though it is only about 100m from the Keage subway station. I stayed at the Westin for one night, looked for but never found the shuttle from Kyoto station to the hotel, and took a taxi to the hotel from the station. (I was supposed to stay there for 3 nights but really disliked the place -- way too big for my taste -- and moved to the much, much nicer Hyatt for the other 2 nights.)
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Old May 13th, 2013, 02:23 PM
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Thank-You for all the info....will take off running as soon as we get there this saturday....any favorite restaurants?
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Old May 13th, 2013, 08:14 PM
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If you like wagyu beef

http://www.misono.org/en/kyoto.html
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Old May 13th, 2013, 08:48 PM
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Kyoto station is pretty big but the Westin Miyako shuttle isn't that hard to find - if you know where to go. It is on the back side (south side, I think) of the station.

See the map at the bottom of this, and see Hachijo exit from shinkansen:
http://www.miyakohotels.ne.jp/westin...ss/index.html/

Note that there is a concierge counter near the bus stop - if you have a lot of luggage.

You can get around by taxis to save time and it is not that expensive.
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Old May 13th, 2013, 09:41 PM
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If you want a real splurge for dinner, and are interested in French kaiseki:

http://www.misogui.jp/eng/misogigawa/

Truly superb IMHO.
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