Day trips from Kyoto at a glance
Kyoto is a good base for day trips. Nara and Uji are close enough for a relaxed half day, Osaka is about 30 minutes away by JR, and the north of Kyoto Prefecture with Amanohashidate, Ine and Miyama fills a whole day. Hiroshima and Miyajima are a long day trip that many people do on a tour.
The travel times below are from station to station. They do not include the time you spend at each place, and they say nothing about walking at the other end. Guided day tours from Kyoto take care of the transport and often start in Kyoto or Osaka, which helps if you are staying in either city.
Our picks: day trips from Kyoto
For Nara you can take the full coach day that adds temples, or the shorter morning tour. The Hiroshima and Miyajima coach tour is there for a longer trip.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Hiroshima and Miyajima by coach
- Shrine and museum entry
- Miyajima ferry ticket
- English guide
A long day trip by coach with entry to Itsukushima Shrine and the Peace Memorial Museum and the Miyajima ferry. Return Shinkansen tickets are included only in the Kyoto and Osaka option.
Check availability →
Early-bird tour of Nara with a guide
- English-speaking guide
- Optional Kyoto or Osaka transport
A four-and-a-half-hour morning in Nara with an English-speaking guide. Transport from Kyoto or Osaka is included only if you select that option.
Check availability →
Nara, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama by coach
- English and Chinese guide
- Air-conditioned coach
- Parking fees and taxes
Nine to ten hours by coach through Nara, Fushimi Inari Taisha and Arashiyama. Entry fees are not listed among the inclusions, so ask before booking whether any are covered.
Check availability →Day tours from Kyoto
Nara, Uji, Amanohashidate with Ine and Miyama, and Hiroshima with Miyajima, as bus tours or guided trips from Kyoto and Osaka.
Which day trip fits your plan
Destinations, travel times and the kind of tour you will find.
| Destination | By public transport from Kyoto | Guided tours | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nara | About 50 min, Kintetsu, ¥760 | Bus tours with Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama, early morning walks | First trip out of Kyoto |
| Uji | About 20 min, JR | Walking tour with Byodo-in and tea, tea museum with matcha grinding | Tea and a half day |
| Amanohashidate, Ine, Miyama | About 2 hours to Amanohashidate | Bus tours of 8 to 10 hours | The coast and countryside without a car |
| Hiroshima and Miyajima | – | Tours of 8 to 12 hours with Shinkansen on the Kyoto option | One long, fully organised day |
| Ohara | About 60 min by Kyoto Bus 17 | – | Temples and gardens on your own |
| Mount Hiei | Cable car from the Shiga side | – | A mountain temple |
| Osaka | About 30 min, JR Special Rapid | – | A city day or an evening |
For most first-time visitors, Nara is the easiest day trip from Kyoto, by train or on a bus tour. A tour saves the most planning for the north of the prefecture and for Hiroshima, where connections are long and the day is tight.
Nara day trip from Kyoto
Kyoto to Nara is the classic short trip. The Kintetsu line takes about 50 minutes from Kyoto to Kintetsu-Nara for a basic fare of ¥760. That is the regular fare, not a limited express. JR also runs to Nara, so compare the current fare and time if you hold a rail pass. For the deer park, the temples and the walk from the station, see getting from Kyoto to Nara Park.
Guided Nara trips come in two forms. Bus tours of about 9 to 10 hours combine Nara with Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama, start in Kyoto or Osaka and include an air-conditioned vehicle and a guide; entrance fees and food are usually not part of the price, so read the inclusions for your option. Some bus tours add Uji or Kyoto sights to Nara instead. The shorter alternative is an early morning Nara tour of about 4.5 hours with an English-speaking guide, with meeting points in Kyoto, Osaka or in Nara itself; the train fare is only included if you choose that option.
Uji: Byodo-in and green tea
Uji is one of the closest day trips, about 20 minutes on the JR Nara Line. The Keihan line from Gion-shijo to Uji costs ¥360. The Byodo-in garden and museum cost ¥700 for adults. The Phoenix Hall inside costs ¥300 extra, in groups of up to 35 people for 20 minutes between 9:30 and 16:10, booked in the garden on the day.
Tours here are about tea. A walking tour of 3 to 3.5 hours starts at Uji Station, includes the Byodo-in entrance and a 30-minute tea ceremony or matcha class. An early tour from Kyoto Station combines Uji with Fushimi Inari and includes the Byodo-in entrance. A tea museum ticket with a matcha grinding session takes about an hour in Uji.
Uji guide →
Amanohashidate, Ine and Miyama in one day
The north of Kyoto Prefecture is far from the city. Amanohashidate is about 2 hours by train, Ine about another hour by bus from there. Bus tours of about 10 hours visit the pine sandbar of Amanohashidate, the boat houses of Ine and in some cases the thatched village of Miyama. You join at a meeting point in Kyoto or Osaka; there is no hotel pickup, and meals are not included.
Check which option you book: the Ine Bay cruise and the cable car at Amanohashidate are only included in the option that names them. On your own, the Ine boat costs ¥1,200 from age 13 for about 25 minutes. Tours of about 8 hours combine just Amanohashidate and Miyama. If you prefer to drive, the north is the one part of the prefecture where a rental car makes sense.
Amanohashidate and Ine guide →
Hiroshima and Miyajima from Kyoto
Hiroshima is the longest day trip on this page. Organised tours last 8 to 12 hours. On the Kyoto option they include a return Shinkansen ticket, the ferry to Miyajima, the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, an English-speaking guide and a bus between the sites. One tour also includes a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki lunch, with vegetarian options.
Planning the same day on your own means fitting Shinkansen, local transport and the ferry into one schedule. Check the current timetables in detail before you decide, and leave a margin for the way back to Kyoto.
Ohara and Sanzen-in
Ohara, home of the temple Sanzen-in, is a trip you make on your own by bus. Kyoto Bus line 17 takes around 60 minutes from Kyoto Station for around ¥630, or around 45 minutes from Shijo-Kawaramachi for around ¥590. Check the timetable for the return.
Sanzen-in costs ¥700 for adults, ¥400 for junior and senior high school students and ¥150 for elementary school pupils. It opens between 8:30 and 9:00 and closes between 16:30 and 17:00, depending on the season, so confirm the hours for your date.
More trips by train
Easy to do without a tour.
Mount Hiei and Enryaku-ji
The temple complex on Mount Hiei lies on the Shiga side. The joint ticket for the Todo, Saito and Yokawa areas costs ¥1,000 for adults; the treasure hall is ¥500 extra. The Todo area is open from 9:00 to 16:00, last entry 15:45. The Sakamoto cable car takes about 11 minutes and costs ¥960 one way or ¥1,830 return for adults.
Lake Biwa
The JR Biwako Line reaches Otsu on Lake Biwa in about 10 minutes from Kyoto. Lake and Enryaku-ji are both in Shiga Prefecture, and other places on the shore take longer.
Osaka
The JR Special Rapid takes about 30 minutes between Kyoto and Osaka, station to station. Many day tours on this page also start in Osaka, so you can join from either city.
Himeji
Himeji is about 44 minutes from Kyoto by Shinkansen or about 1 hour 25 minutes by JR. Check the fare for your train before you go.
Kibune and Kurama
The two valleys in the northern hills make a half or full day by Eizan Railway, with a hike between them.
Kibune and Kurama guide →Plan the rest of your stay
Pages that help with day trips.
Miyama thatched village
Train and bus, car or a tour to the thatched houses.
Kyoto tours compared
Walking tours, day tours and experiences in the city.
Getting to Kyoto
Shinkansen from Tokyo and transfers from Kansai Airport.
Many bus tours to Nara also stop at Fushimi Inari Taisha and in Arashiyama, so you can skip those on another day.
Day trips from Kyoto: frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Kyoto to Nara?
About 50 minutes by Kintetsu from Kyoto to Kintetsu-Nara, for a basic fare of ¥760. Bus tours that combine Nara with other sights last about 9 to 10 hours.
Which day trips from Kyoto are the easiest?
Nara and Uji are the easiest, both less than an hour away. Amanohashidate, Ine and Miyama need a full day, and Hiroshima with Miyajima is a long day that most people do on a tour.
Do day tours include entrance fees?
It depends on the tour. Some include the Byodo-in entrance or the Hiroshima sites, while many bus tours to Nara include only transport and a guide. Read the inclusions for the option you book.
Can I visit Amanohashidate by train?
Yes, it is about 2 hours by train from Kyoto, and Ine is about another hour by bus. A tour or a rental car is easier if you want to see both and Miyama on the same day.
How do I get to Ohara?
Take Kyoto Bus line 17, about 60 minutes from Kyoto Station or about 45 minutes from Shijo-Kawaramachi. Sanzen-in costs ¥700 for adults.