Best areas in Kyoto for first-time visitors
Areas ranked from the data: traveller-type tags, the latest hotel price sample and public transport times to the reference points.
01First-time visitors
Ranking
- 1
The blocks around Kyoto Station, the city's main rail and bus hub, from Higashi Hongan-ji in the north to To-ji in the south. It suits first-time visitors on short stays, travellers doing day trips to Nara, Osaka or Hiroshima, and anyone arriving with heavy luggage.
Why
- Tagged as a good fit for first-time visitors
- Median US$293 per night
- 5 min to Kyoto Station
- 11 mapped places in the area
- 2
The geisha district on the east bank of the Kamo river, between the river and Yasaka Shrine, including Hanamikoji and the Shirakawa canal. It suits travellers who want traditional streets on the doorstep and can pay higher room rates.
Why
- Tagged as a good fit for first-time visitors
- Median US$541 per night
- 25 min to Kyoto Station
- 9 mapped places in the area
- 3
Downtown Kyoto around the Shijo-Kawaramachi crossing, with the covered arcades, Nishiki Market, Pontocho and Kiyamachi between Shijo and Sanjo. It suits first-time visitors and travellers who want restaurants and bars at the door and Gion across the river.
Why
- Tagged as a good fit for first-time visitors
- Median US$376 per night
- 20 min to Kyoto Station
- 7 mapped places in the area
- 4
The slopes below Kiyomizu-dera and the streets down to the Kamo river at Gojo, including Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka and the Sanjusangen-do area. It suits first-time visitors who want the preserved lanes nearby and quieter evenings than downtown.
Why
- Tagged as a good fit for first-time visitors
- Median US$397 per night
- 20 min to Kyoto Station
- 6 mapped places in the area
- 5
Kyoto's business district along Karasuma-dori between Shijo and Oike, with the subway and Hankyu lines underneath. It suits first-time visitors and budget travellers who want a central base with direct subway access to Kyoto Station and Nijo Castle.
Why
- Tagged as a good fit for first-time visitors
- Median US$283 per night
- 12 min to Kyoto Station
- 3 mapped places in the area
- 6
The museum and shrine district around Heian Shrine and the temples along the eastern hills from Nanzen-ji to Ginkaku-ji and the Philosopher's Path. It suits travellers who want a calmer, residential base near gardens and museums.
Why
- Median US$534 per night
- 30 min to Kyoto Station
- 10 mapped places in the area
- 7
The streets east of Kyoto Gyoen park up to Demachiyanagi, where the Kamo and Takano rivers meet. It suits travellers who want quiet, green surroundings with subway and Keihan access.
Why
- Median US$375 per night
- 25 min to Kyoto Station
- 7 mapped places in the area
- 8
The area around Fushimi Inari Taisha in southern Kyoto, one JR stop from Kyoto Station on the Nara Line, with the Fushimi sake district about 4 km further south on the Keihan line. It suits budget travellers and those who want to walk the shrine's torii gates at dawn.
Why
- Median US$228 per night
- 15 min to Kyoto Station
- 6 mapped places in the area
- 9
The residential and hotel streets around Nijo Castle, between Horikawa-dori and JR Nijo Station. It suits budget-conscious travellers and families who want a quieter base on the subway.
Why
- Median US$243 per night
- 20 min to Kyoto Station
- 4 mapped places in the area
- 10
The riverside and hillside district on Kyoto's western edge around Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove. It suits travellers who want quiet evenings and early access to Arashiyama's sights, and who accept long trips to the rest of the city.
Why
- Tagged as less suited to first-time visitors
- Median US$239 per night
- 30 min to Kyoto Station
- 9 mapped places in the area
- 11
The north-west of the city around Kitano Tenmangu, the Kamishichiken geisha district and Kinkaku-ji, with Ryoan-ji and Ninna-ji along the Randen line. It suits repeat visitors who want a quiet base near the north-western temples.
Why
- Tagged as less suited to first-time visitors
- Median US$431 per night
- 45 min to Kyoto Station
- 8 mapped places in the area
Method: a tag match counts most, then price (for budget and luxury), average travel time and the number of mapped places. Ties keep the order of the data file.
02