Kyoto with kids
Places that work well with children. 21 places, the most featured first.
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Landmark · Imperial Palace
Kyoto Imperial Palace 京都御所
The residence of the imperial family until 1868, set inside Kyoto Gyoen park.
Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), 7 min walk · Free entry · 1 h
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Landmark · Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station Building 京都駅ビル
The station building opened in 1997 for the 1200th anniversary of Kyoto's founding and was designed by architect Hara Hiroshi.
Kyoto (JR lines, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 1 min walk · Free entry · 45 min
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Food · Kyoto Station
Kyoto Ramen Koji 京都拉麺小路
A corridor of ramen shops on the 10th floor of the Kyoto Station building, south of the grand stairway, with shops serving regional styles of ramen from around Japan.
Kyoto (JR lines, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 45 min
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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
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Museum · Kyoto Station
Kyoto Railway Museum 京都鉄道博物館
Opened by JR West in 2016, the museum displays over 50 retired trains from steam locomotives to shinkansen across three floors, plus a working roundhouse from 1914.
Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 3 min walk · Paid entry · 2 h 30 min
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Museum · Kyoto Station
Kyoto Aquarium 京都水族館
An aquarium opened in 2012 in Umekoji Park, about 1 km west of Kyoto Station.
Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 7 min walk · Paid entry · 2 h
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Nature · Kyoto Station
Umekoji Park 梅小路公園
A 13.7 ha city park west of Kyoto Station with lawns and a children's play area, and the Kyoto Railway Museum and Kyoto Aquarium at its edges.
Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 1 h
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Museum · Shijo-Karasuma
Kyoto International Manga Museum 京都国際マンガミュージアム
Opened in 2006 in a former elementary school, the museum's walls are lined with shelves of manga that visitors can take down and read.
Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 2 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h 30 min
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Shopping · Kawaramachi
Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Arcades 寺町京極・新京極
Two parallel covered shopping streets running between Shijo and Sanjo.
Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 1 h
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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
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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
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Nature · Arashiyama
Iwatayama Monkey Park 嵐山モンキーパークいわたやま
A park on the Arashiyama mountainside where dozens of Japanese macaques roam freely, with views down over the city.
Arashiyama (Hankyu Arashiyama Line), 8 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h
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Landmark · Arashiyama
Sagano Scenic Railway 嵯峨野観光鉄道
A sightseeing train running 7 km from Torokko Saga Station, next to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, to Torokko Kameoka along the Hozu river gorge in about 25 minutes.
Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line), 1 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h 30 min
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Nature · Imperial Palace
Kyoto Gyoen National Garden 京都御苑
A park about 1300 m long and 700 m wide around the Imperial Palace and Sento Palace, with gravel paths, lawns and tree groves.
Marutamachi (Karasuma Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 45 min
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Nature · Imperial Palace
Kamogawa Delta 鴨川デルタ
The point at Demachiyanagi where the Kamo and Takano rivers meet, with turtle-shaped stepping stones across both rivers.
Demachiyanagi (Keihan Oto Line, Eizan Main Line), 2 min walk · Free entry · 30 min
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Garden · Imperial Palace
Kyoto Botanical Gardens 京都府立植物園
The prefectural botanical garden beside the Kamo river in north Kyoto, with outdoor gardens and a large conservatory.
Kitayama (Karasuma Line), 5 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h 30 min
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Shopping · Kyoto Station
Kyoto Tower Sando 京都タワーサンド
A shopping and food complex that opened in April 2017 on the lower three floors of the Kyoto Tower building, facing Kyoto Station.
Kyoto (JR lines, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 2 min walk · Free entry · 45 min
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Museum · Okazaki
Kyoto City Zoo 京都市動物園
A city zoo in a corner of Okazaki Park, opened in 1903 as the second oldest zoo in Japan after Ueno.
Keage (Tozai Line), 12 min walk · Paid entry · 2 h
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Museum · Okazaki
Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design 京都伝統産業ミュージアム
A museum of Kyoto's traditional crafts in the basement of the Miyako Messe exhibition hall, just south of Heian Shrine, with displays and explanations of the city's crafts from textiles to lacquer and ceramics, plus yuzen dyeing workshops and artisan demonstrations.
Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h
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Shopping · Okazaki
Kyoto Handicraft Center 京都ハンディクラフトセンター
A crafts store in two buildings on Marutamachi-dori north of Heian Shrine, open since 1967, selling Kyoto and Japanese crafts such as damascene, woodblock prints, pottery, dolls and kimono.
Jingu-Marutamachi (Keihan Oto Line), 10 min walk · Free entry · 1 h
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Museum · Kinkaku-ji and Kitano
Nishijin Textile Center 西陣織会館
The showroom of the Nishijin weaving industry association at Horikawa and Imadegawa, with daily kimono shows, displays on the history of Nishijin weaving, demonstrations by artisans and a shop.
Horikawa Imadegawa bus stop (Kyoto City Bus 9), 1 min walk · Free entry · 45 min
Other categories
More by season and situation
- Free things to do in Kyoto 58 places
Places with free entry, from temple grounds and shrines to markets and riverside walks.
- Kyoto on a rainy day 70 places
Museums, covered arcades and halls that stay dry when it rains.
- Kyoto early in the morning 28 places
Places at their best early, at opening time or before the day crowds.
- Kyoto at night 30 places
Places to go after dark: lit streets, shrines open at night and evening views.
- Autumn leaves in Kyoto 23 places
Places known for their autumn colour.
- Cherry blossoms in Kyoto 17 places
Places known for their cherry blossom.