Another Kyoto Itinerary (4 Days)

Hi All,

I am planning the Kyoto stage of my trip now which will consist of 4 days and once again I seek your advice and guidance. Below is my planned itinerary which I would appreciate any comments on:

Day 1
Tofukuji
Kyoto Station
Sento Imperial Villa / Gardens (if we get tour places)
Shimogamo
Downtown Kyoto

Day 2
Ginkakuji
Philosophers Path
Honenin
Philosophers Path
Eikando Temple
Nanzenji Temple
Maruyama Park
Yasaka Shrine
Gion

Day 3
Daitokuji
Kinkakuji
Ryoanji
Ninnaji

Day 4
Kodaji
Kiyomizudera
Sanjusangendo
Nijo Castle

We tried to split the days up in to North, East, West and some South. I appreciate that day 2 looks very busy, do you think this is doable in one day?

Please let me know if there is anything that you think I have completely missed off too!! I've not got round to planning the evening's yet so any suggestions would be great, although I imagine we will be tired from all the sightseeing.

Thanks again, and I look forward to reading your responses.

G

It looks good to me. Day 2 is not too busy. Actually I think that day 1 is busier, if you have to go and try to make tour reservations on the day itself. Also, may I ask why Sento Palace? I think it is the least interesting of the four Imperial properties in Kyoto, although it is also interesting.

Thanks Uji,

We initially chose Sento over the others as the tour appears to be more based around gardens than buildings and I had read that the gardens were worth seeing.

However, having read your post I have done a bit more searching and considering how many temples and gardens we will actually see during our 4 days in tokyo, I may give the Sento Imperial Palace a miss to view some other sights in Kyoto.

If we do visit the Sento Palace or the Kyoto Imperial Palace we were going to apply for tour tickets online 3 months before our visit as stated on the website.

Do you recommend any alternatives to the palace visit that are not on the current 4 day plan?

Many Thanks again Uji

G

Do you recommend any alternatives to the palace visit that are not on the current 4 day plan?

I would not miss Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is my personal favorite:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html

Thanks Uji,

We were actually looking at going here as it is close to Tofukuji and would tie in nicely for the first morning. I think we'll take this option as we should be able to spend some good time walking through the torri gates.

Your help is much appreciated as ever,

G

Day 1 is already quite a busy day. Adding Fushimi Inari would make it even busier. Especially if you prefer a slower pace of travel, you might want to consider replacing it with something else rather than just adding it.

Sorry, not sure I made myself too clear in my last post. I plan to remove the imperial visit therefore day 1 would look something like this...

AM / Early Afternoon
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Tofukuji

PM
Shimogamo (+Kamigamo if we have time)
Downtown Kyoto (inc Kyoto Station)

Thanks

Sorry, I was inattentive. Your plan for day 1 looks good.