Miyama Kayabuki no Sato at a glance
Miyama Kyoto usually means Kayabuki no Sato, the Kita settlement in the Miyama area of the city of Nantan in Kyoto Prefecture. The village has 39 thatched-roof houses and is protected as a historic ensemble. It is not an open-air museum: people live and work in these houses, and visitors are asked to treat them as homes.
Miyama lies well outside the city of Kyoto. By train and local bus the trip takes about 2 hours each way, by car about 90 minutes from the city centre. That is why many visitors combine it with the coast in one long day: day tours to Amanohashidate and Ine often add Miyama as a third stop, so you do not have to plan the rural connections yourself.
A village where people live
The houses with their tall thatched roofs sit along the slope and the lanes between rice fields. Walking through the village is the main thing to do. Keep to the public lanes, do not step into gardens, yards or entrances, and only go inside a building where it is open to visitors. Be quiet in the early morning and towards evening, and do not point a camera into windows or at residents without asking.
Because the houses are private, there is no single ticket that opens them. Plan your visit as a walk through a rural settlement, with time to look at the roofs, the surrounding hills and the river valley, rather than as a sight with a fixed route.
Our pick: a day trip that includes Miyama
It combines Miyama with Amanohashidate and Ine in one day, with a start from Kyoto or Osaka.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. 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.
Day tours to Miyama, Amanohashidate and Ine
Long bus days from Kyoto or Osaka that combine the thatched village with the sandbar of Amanohashidate and the boat houses of Ine.
Day tours that include Miyama
What the coach tours to the north of the prefecture cover.
Three stops in about 10 hours
The common format is a full-day bus tour of about 10 hours that visits Amanohashidate, the boat houses of Ine and Miyama. You join at a meeting point in Kyoto or in Osaka, depending on the option you book. There is no pickup from hotels.
What is included
The tours include an air-conditioned vehicle, a guide and the road costs such as tolls, fuel and parking. Meals and drinks are not included, so bring snacks or plan a lunch stop. One tour runs with a bilingual guide in English and Chinese.
Boat and cable car only with an option
The Ine Bay cruise and the cable car at Amanohashidate are included only if you choose the option that covers them. The basic option takes you to the places, but you pay for the boat or the lift yourself or skip them.
Amanohashidate and Ine guide →Shorter variants
There are also tours of about 8 hours that combine only Amanohashidate and Miyama. With three stops in one day, time in Miyama is limited to a walk through the village. If you want a slow afternoon there, go on your own.
How to get to Miyama from Kyoto
Three ways, with very different planning effort.
| Option | Time from Kyoto | Planning | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JR train and Nantan city bus | About 2 hours | Check the bus timetable from Hiyoshi | Travellers who want time in the village |
| Rental car | About 90 minutes from central Kyoto | ETC card needed, parking fee | Combining Miyama with the coast at your own pace |
| Day tour by bus | Full day of about 8 to 10 hours | Meeting point in Kyoto or Osaka | Seeing Miyama, Amanohashidate and Ine in one day |
For most first-time visitors without a car, a day tour is the simplest way to see Miyama together with the coast. If Miyama is your main goal, the train and bus give you more time there.
By train and bus
Take the JR Sagano Line, which continues as the San'in Line, from Kyoto via Sonobe to Hiyoshi. From Hiyoshi Station, the Nantan city bus runs to Kita, the stop for the thatched village. The whole trip takes about 2 hours. Buses on this rural route are not frequent, so check the current timetable for both directions before you set off. On the way out of the city the line passes Arashiyama.
Rental car to Miyama
Drive on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway to Sonobe IC, where an ETC card is required. From there follow prefectural road 19, national route 162 and prefectural road 38. Allow about 90 minutes from central Kyoto or about 45 minutes from Sonobe IC, and more when traffic is heavy. A car makes most sense if you also want to drive on to Amanohashidate and Ine.
Getting to Kyoto →Parking and opening hours
Rates as of 2026.
| Vehicle | Parking fee 2026 | From 1 April 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Car | ¥500 | ¥1,000 on weekends, holidays and selected days, ¥500 on weekdays |
| Motorbike | ¥200 | – |
| Microbus | ¥2,000 | – |
| Coach | ¥3,000, reservation required | – |
Parking is generally open from 9:00 to 17:00 from April to November and from 10:00 to 16:00 from December to March. Rules differ over the year-end holidays and during events, so check before a winter trip.
The snow lantern festival
In winter, Miyama holds a snow lantern festival, the Yuki Toro, in January or February. The lanterns are lit from 17:00 to 19:00. All parking spaces for the festival must be reserved in advance, so you cannot simply drive up on the evening. Snow is not guaranteed.
If you drive in winter, check the road conditions and your car's winter equipment before you leave the city. On the train and bus, plan your return around the last bus from Kita, since the lighting ends in the evening. For the seasons in the city itself, see the best time to visit Kyoto.
Combine Miyama with the rest of the prefecture
Other trips out of Kyoto.
Miyama: frequently asked questions
How do I get to Miyama from Kyoto?
Take the JR Sagano and San'in Line via Sonobe to Hiyoshi and then the Nantan city bus to Kita. The trip takes about 2 hours. By car it is about 90 minutes from central Kyoto via Sonobe IC.
Can I visit Miyama on a day tour?
Yes. Bus tours of about 10 hours from Kyoto or Osaka combine Miyama with Amanohashidate and Ine, and shorter tours of about 8 hours combine it with Amanohashidate only. Check whether the boat and cable car are part of the option you book.
Can I go inside the thatched houses?
The 39 houses are homes, not a museum. Stay on the public lanes and only enter buildings that are open to visitors.
When is the snow lantern festival?
It takes place in winter, in January or February, with lighting from 17:00 to 19:00. Parking must be reserved in advance, and snow is not guaranteed.
How much is parking in Miyama?
In 2026 a car pays ¥500, a motorbike ¥200, a microbus ¥2,000 and a coach ¥3,000. From 1 April 2027, cars pay ¥1,000 on weekends, holidays and selected days and ¥500 on weekdays.