Kyoto at night

Places to go after dark: lit streets, shrines open at night and evening views. 30 places, the most featured first.

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  1. Shrine · Fushimi

    Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社

    The head shrine of Inari, the Shinto deity of rice, known for thousands of vermilion torii gates over trails climbing Mount Inari (233 m).

    Inari (JR Nara Line), 1 min walk · Free entry · 2 h

  2. Temple · Kiyomizu-Gojo

    Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺

    Founded in 780 on the Otowa waterfall in the eastern hills and part of the UNESCO Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

    Kiyomizu-Gojo (Keihan Main Line), 20 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h

  3. Street · Gion

    Hanamikoji-dori 花見小路通

    The main street of the Gion geisha district, running south from Shijo-dori to Kennin-ji.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  4. Shrine · Gion

    Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社

    Founded more than 1350 years ago at the east end of Shijo-dori, between Gion and the Higashiyama district.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 7 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  5. Street · Kawaramachi

    Pontocho 先斗町

    A narrow alley running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori one block west of the Kamo river, packed with restaurants and bars from inexpensive yakitori to exclusive traditional dining.

    Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 45 min

  6. Street · Gion

    Gion Shirakawa 祇園白川

    A stretch of the Shirakawa canal north of Shijo-dori, lined with willows, restaurants and ochaya, around the small Tatsumi bridge.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  7. Temple · Gion

    Kodai-ji 高台寺

    A Rinzai Zen temple founded in the early 1600s by Nene in memory of her husband Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 15 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  8. Temple · Okazaki

    Eikan-do (Zenrin-ji) 永観堂

    A Jodo sect temple north of Nanzen-ji known for its autumn colours, its hillside Tahoto pagoda and a statue of the Amida Buddha with his head turned to the side.

    Keage (Tozai Line), 15 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h

  9. Viewpoint · Kyoto Station

    Kyoto Tower 京都タワー

    A 131 m tower completed in 1964, standing across the road from the north (Karasuma) exit of Kyoto Station.

    Kyoto (JR lines, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 2 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  10. Nightlife · Kawaramachi

    Kiyamachi-dori 木屋町通

    A street following the Takase canal, dug in 1611, between the Kamo river and Kawaramachi-dori.

    Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 45 min

  11. Nature · Kawaramachi

    Kamo River Walk 鴨川

    Paths run along both banks of the Kamo river through central Kyoto.

    Sanjo (Keihan Main Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 45 min

  12. Nature · Gion

    Maruyama Park 円山公園

    A public park directly behind Yasaka Shrine.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 12 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  13. Temple · Okazaki

    Shoren-in 青蓮院

    A Tendai temple at the foot of the Higashiyama hills whose head priests were traditionally members of the imperial family.

    Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 5 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  14. Landmark · Gion

    Minamiza Theatre 南座

    A kabuki theatre at the east end of Shijo bridge, founded in the early Edo period on the same site.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 1 min walk · Paid entry · 30 min

  15. Shrine · Kinkaku-ji and Kitano

    Hirano Shrine 平野神社

    A shrine a few minutes north of Kitano Tenmangu with around 60 varieties of cherry trees that flower in succession over about six weeks.

    Kitano-Hakubaicho (Keifuku Kitano Line), 7 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  16. Street · Kinkaku-ji and Kitano

    Kamishichiken 上七軒

    The oldest of Kyoto's five geisha districts, a short street of teahouses just east of Kitano Tenmangu.

    Kitano-Hakubaicho (Keifuku Kitano Line), 10 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  17. Food · Kyoto Station

    Honke Daiichi Asahi (Takabashi main shop) 本家第一旭 たかばし本店

    A long-established Kyoto ramen shop at the Takabashi corner east of Kyoto Station, serving soy sauce ramen with sliced pork.

    Kyoto (JR lines, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 4 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  18. Cafe · Kawaramachi

    Rokuyosha Coffee 六曜社珈琲店

    A coffee house on Kawaramachi-dori just south of Sanjo, founded in 1950, with two separate rooms: a ground floor cafe and a basement that turns into a bar in the evening.

    Sanjo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 40 min

  19. Cafe · Kawaramachi

    Francois Coffee House フランソア喫茶室

    A coffee house opened in 1934 beside the Takase canal south of Shijo, with an Italian Baroque style interior modelled on the hall of an ocean liner.

    Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 2 min walk · Free entry · 40 min

  20. Nightlife · Kawaramachi

    Bar K6 BAR K6

    A bar on the second floor of a building at Kiyamachi and Nijo, at the quiet northern end of Kiyamachi-dori.

    Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (Tozai Line), 6 min walk · Free entry · 1 h

  21. Nightlife · Kawaramachi

    Taku Taku 磔磔

    A live music venue on Tominokoji-dori south of Bukkoji, in a sake storehouse built in 1917.

    Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk · Paid entry · 2 h 30 min

  22. Landmark · Gion

    Gion Corner ギオンコーナー

    A theatre in the annex of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo on Hanamikoji that stages a short evening show of seven traditional arts, including kyomai dance by maiko, tea ceremony, ikebana, koto music, gagaku, kyogen and bunraku puppetry.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h

  23. Cafe · Gion

    Gion Tsujiri (Gion main store) 祇園辻利 祇園本店

    The Gion store of an Uji tea merchant founded in 1860, on Shijo-dori east of the Kamo river.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 45 min

  24. Landmark · Arashiyama

    Kimono Forest キモノフォレスト

    An installation of about 600 clear pillars wrapped in Kyo-yuzen dyed kimono fabric, set up in 2013 around the platforms and paths of the Randen Arashiyama Station.

    Arashiyama (Keifuku Arashiyama Line), 1 min walk · Free entry · 15 min

  25. Nightlife · Nijo Castle

    Coffee House Jittoku Coffee House 拾得

    A live music venue on Omiya-dori north of Nijo Castle, opened in 1973 in a converted sake storehouse more than a century old, with its original beams and pillars.

    Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 12 min walk · Paid entry · 2 h 30 min

  26. Nightlife · Imperial Palace

    Club Metro CLUB METRO

    A club and live venue in operation since 1990, entered from inside Jingu-Marutamachi Station.

    Jingu-Marutamachi (Keihan Oto Line), 1 min walk · Paid entry · 3 h

  27. Food · Fushimi

    Torisei (main restaurant) 鳥せい 本店

    A chicken restaurant run by Yamamoto Honke, the Fushimi brewer of Shinsei sake founded in 1677, opened in 1976 inside a former sake storehouse.

    Fushimi-Momoyama (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 1 h 15 min

  28. Nightlife · Fushimi

    Fushimi Sakagura Koji 伏水酒蔵小路

    A covered food alley between the Otesuji and Nayamachi shopping streets, with a long sake bar pouring from the 18 breweries of the Fushimi Sake Brewers Association and eight small restaurants.

    Fushimi-Momoyama (Keihan Main Line), 4 min walk · Free entry · 1 h 30 min

  29. Landmark · Kinkaku-ji and Kitano

    Funaoka Onsen 船岡温泉

    A public bathhouse in Murasakino that opened in 1923 as the bath of the Funaoka-ro inn and has been a neighbourhood sento since the early Showa period.

    Senbon-Kuramaguchi bus stop (Kyoto City Bus 206), 7 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h

  30. Cafe · Kinkaku-ji and Kitano

    Sarasa Nishijin さらさ西陣

    A cafe and evening bar in the Fujinomori-yu bathhouse building of 1930, which keeps its coffered ceiling and walls of Japanese majolica tiles.

    Senbon-Kuramaguchi bus stop (Kyoto City Bus 206), 11 min walk · Free entry · 1 h

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