Which card for Kyoto?

Hi,
I'm planning to dedicate one whole day to exploring Kyoto. What pass should I use? The pass that covers both buses and subways is pretty pricey considering how little area the subway covers. Would love to hear your thoughts and thanks in advance!

That totally depends on how many times you need to use transport. I suggest working out what you want to see, looking at all the locations on a map and then developing an itinerary. You may find you only need to use public transport a couple of times, and you're able to walk between some destinations (especially within the Higashiyama district).

There's also the day bus pass for 500 yen - this pays off if you catch the bus three or more times.

You should decide which places you want to visit in Kyoto and then map out how you want to get there. Some locations in Kyoto are spread out so you may need to take the bus but subway will take you close enough that you may need to walk 15 minutes to the destination.

Each time you ride the bus it will cost you 230 yen flat fare.
The unlimited bus pass will be 500 yen.

If you are traveling in Kyoto and Osaka, you can get the ICOCA refillable fare card so you don't have to mess around with exact fare for the bus or subway.

Here's a good website with detailed information about the unlimited bus pass. http://www.insidekyoto.com/special-kyoto-bus-train-subway-passes
If you want to research about places to go visit, this site will give you some idea on how to get there. http://planbookexplore.com/Japan/OsakaKyotoTokyo/osakakyototokyo.php