10 Best Day Trips from Kyoto
Wonderful Day Trips from Kyoto: Osaka, Nara, Koyasan and Hidden Gems
Do you want to master how to enjoy traveling around Kyoto?
Sometimes you might feel it’s too busy to look around the center of Kyoto city or feel like going to more non-touristic places. There are a lot of unknown places to visit in the local area of Kyoto and surrounding prefectures as well. You can feel the beautiful nature and learn the traditional history quietly and personally. Moreover, as Kyoto is located at the center of the Kansai area, it’s easy to extend your journey to Osaka, Nara, Hyogo, Wakayama, and Shiga. Here, I’m going to introduce the 10 best day trips from Kyoto.
When you travel around the Kansai area, it’s highly recommended to purchase “JR West Kansai Area Pass” which allows you to travel around multiple cities by local trains and buses, including the Kansai Airport express “HARUKA”. This ticket is only sold for foreign visitors, so take a benefit to travel comfortably and save money!
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1. Kifune Shrine
Kifune Shrine is known for divine favor for love knots, located in the Sakyo area in Kyoto city. It has become more and more popular in the past few years as a photogenic place because of the beautiful view of nature’s green and vivid red lanterns along the iconic stone stairs approaching the shrine.
In summer, you can enjoy traditional Kyoto cuisine at a place called Kawadoko, which is the riverside terrace along the Kibune River. It’s going to be a very relaxing time to have a decent Japanese dish surrounded by forests and water, away from the noise of the city. In winter, only when it snows the shrine holds a light-up event at night during January and February. Don’t miss the chance to see elegant red lanterns topped with snow.
▶️Check more details: Kifune Shrine: New Travel Destination in Kyoto
2. Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate is one of The Three Views of Japan, which is the canonical list of Japan’s three most celebrated scenic sights including Matsushima and Miyajima. Amanohashidate is the sandbar located in Miyazu Bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture. It forms part of the Tango-Amanohashidate Oeyama Quasi-National Park.
As it lasts as long as 3.6 km of the length from Miyazu Bay to the Aso Ocean, Amanohashidate has been illustrated as a dragon going up to the sky since the ancient period. There are 3 observation spots to see its different figures: Sometimes it looks straight but others winding.
Kasamatsu Park is an observation spot called “Rising Dragon View Place (昇龍観)”. It is also known as an original place of Matanozoki, which means if you peek Amanohashidate through your legs you perceive as if the sky and earth turned upside down. In spring about 100 of the cherry blossom trees bloom dramatically along with the cable car.
3. Ine no Funaya
Ine no Funaya is a coastal settlement that extends along the shores of Ine Bay and is situated in Ine Town, Yoza District in Kyoto. Funaya is a local traditional building that has the roles of a ship warehouse on the 1st floor and of a living house on the 2nd floor, standing just above the water.
Unfortunately you can’t get inside Funaya as most of them are owned privately, however, you can have a closer look at them walking around Ineura Park. There are some cafes and restaurants that renovated Funaya. Moreover, if you want to experience the life of a fishman, you can ride a sea taxi or Ina Bay cruise ferry. A sea taxi is a small boat and comes on call so it’s good for family use. Ina Bay cruise ferry regularly departs every 30 minutes and is capable of 150 people. The price for both is ¥1,000 per person.
▶️Check more details: Ine no Funaya: Kyoto’s Hidden “The Venice of Japan”
4. Wazuka Town
Wazuka Town is located in the south part of Kyoto Prefecture and is well-known as one of the best Japanese tea fields in Japan. Because of the good weather and soil for growing tea, they have been growing fragrant high-quality Wazuka tea for ages. Wazuka tea now makes up for about 40% of Uji tea produced in Japan. The popular attraction called “Chakabuki” is a game to distinguish each character of various teas. Chakabuki originally started as an aristocratic game in the early medieval times and now is enjoyed by a lot of people as a tasting game to expand tea communities and to learn tea differences.
As for outdoor activity, cycling and hiking around the famous tea farm “Tea Farm of Ishidera” are very popular. Picking up tea leaves also shouldn’t be missed. If you want to try authentic tea and Japanese sweets, Wazukacha Cafe is the best place to try them. Tea farmers would serve you the best tea time. Yubune Forest Park is a lovely location to enjoy camping, BBQ, and water activities.
▶️Check more details: Wazuka Tea Farm: Kyoto’s Hidden Teatopia
5. Miyama
Miyama is located at the center of Kyoto Prefecture and is surrounded by lots of beautiful mountains. The most iconic spot is Miyama Kayabukino Sato. Kayabukino Sato is a village that has a lot of traditional Japanese buildings using Kayabuki-roof. Due to the traditional architectural technique and the well-preserved condition, Kayabukino Sato was designated as a national important traditional building preservation district in 1993. The private tour guide must be the best activity to learn about further details about the Kayabuki building method.
Small Indigo Museum exhibits various indigo-dyed artworks including work uniforms at that time and folk costumes from Indonesia, Nigeria, and China. The Odo district has a lot of waterfalls. Local people arranged the pathway a couple of years ago so tourists could walk and get to close the basin under a waterfall. If you want to join the local guided tour, don’t forget to make a reservation.