Japanese ladies walk outside Tofukuji temple in Southern Kyoto.
Say you have a full week to be in Japan. After spending three days in Tokyo — where the main theme is modern Japan — like most other first-time travelers to the country you would naturally want to visit Kyoto, a hub for traditional Japanese culture.
The first time I went to Kyoto, I realized three days were not enough – there are just too many places to see and too bad to miss. And you would want to enjoy the old capital of Japan in a leisurely pace, not as though you had to keep an ambitious count of places to visit. So, if possible, I recommend 4 days in the city. You can keep other places in your next visit list (yes, Japan definitely deserves more than one visit!). It’s no fun visiting too many places in a short amount of time anyway.
Kyoto is roughly divided into five regions: Southern, Western, Central, Eastern and Northern Kyoto. Check out this Japan tourism site for details on sightseeing spots in each region: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html. I found it really helpful. They have maps to access tourist hot spots and everything.
A simple map of most popular Kyoto sites. (From Traverse World)
But of course it’s impossible to visit all the tourist spots. Kyoto has countless temples, shrines, historic and nature sites that you simply have to decide which you want to see the most – and let the rest of your visit flow (somewhat) naturally.
So, here is my itinerary recommendation for a 4-day tour in Kyoto. The list is based on personal experiences/preferences from my two visits there in 2015 and 2016, and taking into account factors such as proximity between places and to near public transport options. If you can afford 3 days only, just scrap the last one.
There & (Never) Back Again 