Kyoto | The ultimate travel guide for first-timers

My partner and I visited Kyoto at the tail end of last year and we both learned a ton of dos and don’ts during our five-day stay. So, we thought we’d share everything we learned and the places we chose to visit.
Music credits:
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/matrika/light-study
uppbeat.io/t/wisanga/meteorite
uppbeat.io/t/prigida/dream-ca...
uppbeat.io/t/alexander-plam/w...
uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/hold...
uppbeat.io/t/bakerman/permafrost
uppbeat.io/t/walz/library
uppbeat.io/t/yawnathan/weight...
The places I visited (in order of appearance):
Hotel Resol Shijo Muromachi: maps.app.goo.gl/h6Tnbwhm38BCg...
Fushimi Inari-taisha (Inari shrine): maps.app.goo.gl/tM9CgW91hSmgC...
Kiyomizu-dera Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/3H2dQ8JMpTF7y...
Kinkaku-ji Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/orzTPdpY2dpU3...
Ryōan-ji Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/EiQyemeZ14kEy...
Kyoto Tower: maps.app.goo.gl/mWbSq6TZuLaPi...
Yasaka Shrine: maps.app.goo.gl/3i2s4FDkLC2ob...
Hōkan-ji Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/foz1XwMMGYsrQ...
Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/PFYvpGd5VHBK4...
Kagizen Yoshifusa (Japanese sweet shop in Gion): maps.app.goo.gl/zrRRNVeudo3os...
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: maps.app.goo.gl/AZEpjSCTujBv3...
Tenryu-ji Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/skXgJNoSJBzTK...
Katsura River walk: maps.app.goo.gl/xRoJkzGXF1ucD...
Arashiyama Curry: maps.app.goo.gl/Gchv8jYCyKJ5K...
Saga Torokko Station (for Saga Romantic Train): maps.app.goo.gl/y8BVVqA2E9Z9H...
Kameoka Torokko Station (Saga Romantic Train final station): maps.app.goo.gl/Whmijjv5GecZW...
Kyoto Station: maps.app.goo.gl/gy1StmvdcwB3g...
Kyoto Station light-up staircase: maps.app.goo.gl/tDLcgh2fjugDQ...
Kyoto Station Skyway: maps.app.goo.gl/1zFm6kJG1EVzs...
Jojoen Kyoto Station: maps.app.goo.gl/aEFCbD7QHSbTZ...
Musical Fountain Aqua Fantasy: maps.app.goo.gl/6gF5LiQkRN4UH...
Uji Station: maps.app.goo.gl/XPaWvkfCUCp1y...
Uji Starbucks (the best Starbucks in the world): maps.app.goo.gl/x3BTG6RDheDRA...
Byodo-in Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/K82hEJ8LVmCkA...
Statue of Murasaki Shikibu: maps.app.goo.gl/Cm2UehjDeKGiH...
Uji Bridge: maps.app.goo.gl/twbjfkcFDRRTi...
Horii Schichimeien (matcha shop in Uji): maps.app.goo.gl/GnXtsT95UpSjY...
Nakamura Tokichi Honten (matcha shop in Uji): maps.app.goo.gl/Mm76M4uJdSarM...
Nara Station: maps.app.goo.gl/n2TVtPdDD1ijc...
Nara Park: maps.app.goo.gl/zfhW8CW7SRUTv...
Tōdai-ji Temple: maps.app.goo.gl/Q3KNzbSBCgYbE...
Todai-ji Shoro (Bell Tower): maps.app.goo.gl/BXMgLqNS8Ms5A...
Todai-ji Nigatsudo Hall: maps.app.goo.gl/SrztuFpVRCHcU...
#kyoto #japan #uji #nara #japantravel #japaneseculture #japanvlog #japanesefood #travelvlog #traveltips #travelhacks
Video chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Where is Kyoto?
01:06 - Where to stay and key locations
01:30 - Hotel Resol Shijo
01:53 - How to get around in Kyoto
02:17 - Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
03:38 - Kiyomizu-dera Temple
04:17 - Kinkaku-ji Temple
05:06 - Ryoanji Temple
05:40 - Kyoto Tower
06:12 - Yasaka Shrine
06:30 - Hōkan-ji Temple
06:42 - Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
07:02 - Food in Gion
07:17 - Kagizen Yoshifusa sweet shop
07:58 - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
08:28 - Tenryū-ji Temple
09:02 - Katsura River
09:48 - Arashiyama Curry restaurant
09:55 - Sagano Romantic Train
11:40 - Kyoto Station
11:53 - Light-up stairs
12:11 - Skyway
12:50 - Sky garden
13:13 - Jojoen restaurant
14:16 - Musical fountain
14:26 - Metro art exhibition
14:40 - Uji introduction
14:54 - Uji Starbucks
15:27 - Byodo-in Temple
16:17 - Murasaki-Shikibu statue
16:32 - Uji River & Uji Bridge
16:43 - Horii Shichimeien matcha shop
17:14 - Nakamura Tokichi Honten matcha shop
18:23 - Nara introduction
19:15 - Nara Park
19:40 - Tōdai-ji Temple
20:40 - Todai-ji Shoro bell tower
20:58 - Nigatsudo Hall
21:10 - Hiroshima video next!

[@AmirSharifnia]

I have also never seen a tour and guide filmed this beautifully, truly a treat to watch with a cup of tea/coffee

[@AmirSharifnia]

I’m very lucky to have found this video as I needed some guidance on a holiday to Japan, this 20 minute insight and extremely chilled and informative commentary, has given me the urge to book my tickets and also has given me not only an idea to book for Kyoto, but also Osaka. Thank you so much!!

[@liamwhite3]

Absolutely mesmerizing glimpse into the timeless beauty of Kyoto! I need to book a flight ASAP

[@kookaburra24]

Thanks for all the itinerary ideas - great links, can’t wait

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Thank you for watching! Hope it helps you plan your visit!

[@migawkizpolski]

Cool trip, very interesting video, great film editing. Nice to watch it. Greetings

[@MajorAddiction]

Nice guide 👍🏼 that accommodation looked great too

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Thank you! It was a great hotel and super affordable, too. When we went we paid around £50-60 per night but just checking now it looks like prices for this year have gone up to around £70-£80. Still pretty reasonable for what you get, though!

[@yvonnebarnes9972]

Very interesting 😊

[@JapanMediaTour]

Great video, very thorough. Now I'm craving some warabi mochi!

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Thank you! And yes, it's so good!

[@jaymeez]

What kind of camera are you using to film? Looks Beautiful :)

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Thank you! We’re using the Sony A7 IV with a couple different lenses: - FE 28-70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (kit lens that comes with the camera - used for most of the footage you see) - E 70-350 mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS (used to film with a greater zoom)

[@wingsphysio]

Hi @sweet ketchup I have a question 🙋🏻‍♀️ where are some less crowded places please 🙏

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

We were asking ourselves the same question when we were there! There's been a huge surge in tourism in Japan in general, especially in all the hotspots like Kyoto and Tokyo, ever since the country opened up again. Generally, all the well known tourist spots are absolutely packed from morning to evening - but we did manage to get plenty of more quiet moments going off the beaten path during our stay, so all hope is not lost!

[@nateshf9303]

Hope you've planned a trip to see cherry blossom in March/April and be in the gion matsuri in July.

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Ah, we’d love to go back for both of those! Perhaps we might do one of them next year. However, we will be in Taiwan in March/April so we’ll have videos on that, hopefully with cherry blossoms included!

[@nateshf9303]

@@SweetSweetKetchup Check out Keage Incline in Kyoto. Enjoy Taiwan!

[@ColdCoffeePhotography]

Hi, great video! Did you book a package holiday or just built each bit yourself please? trying to work out the best way as a family of 3

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Hey, thanks for watching and great question! We just booked flights and hotels for the cities we were staying in (Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo) ourselves. A package might be okay if you’re just visiting one city, but if you’re going to move around a bit I’d recommend booking yourself. We booked all our hotels through Expedia after checking reviews. To be honest, I think as long as there’s decent reviews it’ll probably be great - we found the cleanliness and service in Japanese hotels to be excellent (far better than you’d get on average in London where we’re from!) And in terms of travelling we found it super easy. Neither of us knew a word of Japanese but Google Maps always did a great job directing us about. And for booking things like the Shinkansen (bullet train) all the ticket machines have an English option which is super easy to navigate. And don’t worry about booking the fast trains far in advance either - if you’re on the machine you can get tickets for one in as soon as 20 mins. Hope all that’s helpful and let us know if you have any other questions! Thanks again for watching!

[@ColdCoffeePhotography]

@@SweetSweetKetchup Thanks ever so much for such a detailed reply - helps an awful lot :)

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

@@ColdCoffeePhotographyno worries at all! You’ll have an incredible time whenever you decide to go!

[@mariondavia8178]

What would you please do some videos on Kyoto and Osaka reasonable cheap hotels for families and families of two is it because a lot of people make videos a lot of people don't have a lot of money to spend😊😅😂❤

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Haha! We'd love to make a video on hotels in Japan but we're unfortunately not based there (although I wish I was). What I will say is that, from our experience, it's hard to go wrong with hotels in Japan you've done your research on - we read a ton of reviews about the hotels we stayed at before booking them. Hotels are also quite affordable in Japan (especially from us coming from London). So yes, there's definitely plenty of good options for you!

[@Harmonikdiskorde]

what is the plush? mascot? at 10:41? station potato friend?

[@SweetSweetKetchup]

Haha, it’s a salamander plush. I believe it’s there because the train has some sort of collaboration with Kyoto Aquarium that has Japanese giant salamanders you can go and see. They’re pretty famous and are one of the largest amphibians in the world

[@towada1066]

hmmm,... I hate Kyoto people, they are so refined, the ones who live within the Heian Era city boundary look down on other Kyoto people. Shimogamo Shrine seems to me more important to Kyoto culture since it's associated with the author of Hojoki. @5:22 ... these dragon paintings are by former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa ... they display the life stages of a dragon ...