Hi! I’m planning my first-time trip to Japan in early October. I’ll be there for only 8 days and will be flying into and out of Osaka, with the plan to spend the majority of time in Kyoto. I’d love some thoughts on the following questions:

1. Should I stay the entire time in Kyoto, or add a side trip?
2. The side trips that I’m considering are EITHER Naoshima for one night, or Koyasan for one night. Which should I do? Both are extremely appealing to me. Should I try to do both?If so, what is the logical itinerary?
3. Where to stay in Kyoto? Budget is in the $400/ night range.
4. If Naoshima, where to stay? The Benesse lodgings are all booked up.
5. Budget for a once-in-a-lifetime ryokan is higher, if can suggest any in Kyoto or environs. I’m assuming one night in a ryokan is the way to go?
6. Can you suggest a good tour guide for a couple of good day tours in Kyoto? I’m super into the arts and would love someone who could introduce us to traditional crafts. And then maybe another day for temples/shrines/architecture?
7. Or maybe should I consider a trip to an onsen town somewhere near Kyoto? If so, where?
8. Any ideas on itinerary will be much appreciated. We arrive late afternoon on a Sunday in Osaka and depart a week and a day later on the following Monday. Maybe we should just stay in Kyoto? I have plans with friends in Kyoto on the Friday and Saturday nights after our arrival.
9. We won’t be getting to Tokyo this trip, unfortunately.

Thanks in advance!!!!

I trust you've spent lots and lots of time with japan-guide.com? If not, do so!

With about a week, I think you are wise to spend all of your time in the Kyoto area -- or more precisely, the Kyoto / NARA area. So I'm surprised that you don't mention Nara at all! I wanted two full days there; YMMV.

1. Your call based on your tolerance for relocating and backtracking.

2 I didn't go to Naoshima, and so can't comment on it. Koyasan remains, for me, a highlight of a highlight filled trip, but I believe the experience depends largely on the temple you choose and what you choose to do while there. I stayed at Shojoshin-in, which still gets excellent reviews, I visited Okuno-in at both dusk and dawn, and I visited a number of other temples and temple treasure houses while there.

3. consult booking.com
4. ditto

5. sorry can't help with a ryokan in that area, but I would say that one night should be sufficient for a once-in-a-lifetime ryokan experience. You might consult japaneseguesthouses.com

6. Your call about whether to hire a guide / guides or not, but FWIW, I'm also seriously interested in Japanese art and traditional crafts, and thought reading in advance met my needs -- but I read a LOT. The guidebooks that I found particularly useful for information about Japanese art and traditional Japanese crafts included Japan Solo (long out of print, but it was issued by JNTO, so I suspect you can get most of the information it provided, in an even more updated form, on the JNTO website); and the Fodor's and Frommer's guidebooks -- and I learned things from each of them that were not covered in any of the others, or in any other resource I consulted! (And BTW, I think japan-guide.com the best general guide available anywhere for Japan, but I think it's coverage of the arts seriously lacking. JMO.)

Check japan-guide.com for options for learning more about crafts while in Kyoto. And more generally, consider taking advantage of an occasional local “goodwill guide” – The Japanese National Tourism Organization coordinates free volunteer guides – “Goodwill guides” – who are generally knowledgeable and happy to guide you in return for practicing their English – which can be excellent, but it is a bit of a luck-of-the-draw.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/tr...deservice.html
You pay any entrance fees and his/her meal if your time with the guide includes one. Do NOT tip these guides, or anyone else in Japan.

7. no comment for now

8. consider making some time for Nara and the temples in Ikaruga (e.g., Horyu-ji and Chugu-ji).

9. Perfectly reasonable! Honestly, it's nice to see that someone isn't trying to cram Kyoto and Tokyo into a single week.

Hope that helps!

That’s very helpful! Thanks so much. I will look into Nara.

* I would stay in Kyoto the entire week and then do side trips. I'll be back there very soon and will be there for 10 nights although I'll also be doing Tokyo, but I have three times more time than you have. I stayed in Kyoto for 9 nights last summer.

* As for hotels, the Hyatt Regency Hotel is very nice and is in the Higashimaya area of Kyoto. It will fit your budget well. Both for this summer and last summer, my room there cost way less than $400. It was one of my four, Kyoto hotels last summer and will be one of my two, Kyoto hotels this summer.

* As for a guide, are you asking for a guide with a car?

Happy Travels!