5 days itinerary for Kyoto

We'll be arriving to Kyoto on 29th Dec 2017 evening and will leave on 3rd Jan 2018 afternoon or evening for Osaka.
Below is the itinerary currently I planned.
Please let me know whether is it able to do or not.

30th Dec 2017

1.Tainai-Meguri
2.Kiyomizu Temple
3.Jishu Shrine
4.Sanneizaka and Ninenzaka Streets
5.Yasaka Shrine and Pagoda
6.Chion-in Temple
7.Shoren-in Temple
8.Nishiki Market for lunch
9.Tofukuji Temple
10.Fushimi Inari Shrine
11.Dinner and visit Gion District

31st Dec 2017

1.Tenryu-ji Temple
2.Arashiyama Chikurin
3.Okochi Sanso Villa
4.Lunch and visit to Kinkaku-ji Temple
5.Daitokuji
6.Koto-in Temple
7.Explore Pontocho Alley and have dinner there
8.Will visit Nisi Hongan-ji Temple at mid night

1st Jan 2018

1.Kuramadera Temple
2.Walk to Kibune Shrine from Kuramadera Temple
3.Lunch and go to Ginkaku-ji
4.Honen-in Temple
5.Philosopher's path
6.Nanzen-ji Temple
7.Shopping at Shijo-Dori

2nd Jan 2018

1.Shomogamo Shrine
2.Kamigamo-jinga Temple
3.Heian Shrine
4.Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu
5.Ninna-ji Temple
6.Toji Temple

3rd Jan 2018

1.Byodo-in Temple
2.Ujikami-jinji Shrine
3.Koshoji Temple
4.Mampukuji Temple
5.Daigo-ji temple

Probably will try to cover all the places for 3rd Jan 2018 by lunch time. Will have lunch in Kyoto and head for Osaka later.
Even if it cannot be cover by lunch time it'll be still if we can head for Osaka around 4 or 5pm.

WOW, that's a LOT of destinations for each single day. Drop at least half of them and you will still be running around. If it were me, I would plan no more than 3 sightseeing spots per day, plus one evening activity and if you only manage to do two, enjoy those two, and if you manage to squeeze in a 4th, just come prepared what else is there interesting in the area.

New Year season is also a time of the year where some attractions will be closed and others will be very crowded. So check out web pages of those attractions for planned closure prior to going.

Also I hope you already have your hotel, as New Year can get very busy in Kyoto.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Hi,

Yes we already got a place to stay.
I planned this based on below website.
https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-itineraries

So still checking to remove which place from the list.
Already checked the operating hours all the places I wanted to visit and already removed all the locations which will be closed during the time.

Those itineraries have you spending 30-45 minutes per temple, plus you added in some destinations like Tofukuji. ^^; I guess some people only want to spend 30-45 minutes per temple, it's a personal choice, but I think those itineraries are still tight unless you are planning to taxi everywhere and considering the time of year you are visiting getting a taxi might be harder than you think. They also involve you arriving every morning around 8:30 at your starting point, which can get exhausting since depending on where you are staying it means leaving quite a bit earlier than that. The sun is also going to be rising later and setting earlier in Winter, those itineraries are not necessarily geared towards a trip in Winter.

Your lists for the 2nd and 3rd of January I think will be hard without paying for a lot of cabs, on the 2nd. For January 3rd, if you want to see someplace like say Byoudoin in Uji, you're talking 20 minutes from Kyoto Station if you catch a train as soon as you get to the right track with no waiting, then a 5-10 minute walk, then 30-45 minutes at the temple assuming no lines to visit and you want to see everything as fast as possible and don't want to do the special tours, then another 5-10 minute walk back to the station and then another train. I really don't know how you can fit so many places in before lunch!

And maybe I am just cheap, but I wouldn't want to pay admission for a temple to spend 30 minutes there and then pay another 800-1000 yen to hop in a cab to hit the next place on my tight itinerary. You're definitely not going to be using buses with an itinerary like that. I prefer to splurge on nicer accommodations.

I agree with LikeBike that you need to see what will and won't be open on the 1st. This was in '05, but a lot of stores and restaurants outside of Harajuku were closed in Tokyo on the 1st. I remember the Excelsior Cafe near our hotel in Nihombashi/Ningyocho was closed for several days, as was the post office. Open restaurants can also be very crowded and you might need reservations, the same for the 31st. Most department stores are closed 1/1

Good luck!

Defiantly looks pack and rushed! You will need to account for extra time due to busy times and you do not have any breathing room in case things run behind schedule. I would pick out the three to four things you want to do per day and put the rest as if there is time to see.

Hope this helps!

On 1st Jan. , it is called Shogatu, many japanese generally visit 3 shrine or temple.
It is called Sansha mairi.(3 shrines visit)

So the most shrines are crowded from the night of 31 Dec. to the full day of 1st Jan. .

From this point I recommend not to visit shrines and temples on this time.
Philosopher's path Honen-in which you selected are OK,those are a little out of targets.

And the before time of the night of 31 Dec, those are unoccupied.

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for your feedback.
I am planning to dropped some of the places and not sure which one to drop.
Any recommendations about which temple/shrine to go and not to go?
Regarding to 31st dec mid night I'm planning to go to Nisi Hongan-ji Temple since it's near to Kyoto station which is near to the apartment I'll be staying.

Sorry I had never been to Kyoto and this will be first time. So I really can't decide which temple to go and which temple to drop.

You said "Sorry I had never been to Kyoto and this will be first time. So I really can't decide which temple to go and which temple to drop. "

Assume you will go back to Kyoto some day. Then pick a quality and make your choices based on it: perhaps location on the map, or whether the site is a UNESCO world heritage site or something else.

Have a great trip!

I would do something like this based on your itinerary :

30th Dec 2017

0900-1130
1 Fushimi Inari Shrine
2 Tofukuji Temple

1200-1330
3 Nishiki Market

1400-1700
4 Kiyomizudera Temple
5 Tainai-Meguri
6 Jishu Shrine
7 Sanneizaka & Ninenzaka Streets

1730-1800
8 Yasaka Shrine and Pagoda

1830-2030
9 Gion District



31st Dec 2017

1000-1100
1 Tenryu-ji Temple

1130-1300
Lunch in Aryashiyama

1330-1400
2 Arashiyama Chikurin

1500-1630
3 Kinkaku-ji Temple

1730-2100
4 Explore Pontocho Alley and have dinner there

2200-0100
5 Nisi Hongan-ji Temple at midnight



1st Jan 2018

1030-1200
1 Kuramadera Temple
2 Walk to Kibune Shrine from Kuramadera Temple

Lunch
1230-1400

1430-1530
3 Ginkaku-ji

1530-1630
4 Philosopher's path

1730-2030
5 Shopping at Shijo-Dori



2nd Jan 2018

0930-1030
1 Shomogamo Shrine

1100-1200
2 Kamigamo-jinga Temple

1230-1400
Lunch

1430-1530
3 Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu

1600-1700
4 Heian Shrine

1730-1830
5 Toji Temple

1830-2030
Dinner


3rd Jan 2018

1000-1100
Byodo-in Temple

1130-1230
Ujikami-jinji Shrine

1230-1300
Lunch

1330-1430
Koshoji Temple

1500-1600
Mampukuji Temple

1630-1730
Daigo-ji temple

1800-2000 Dinner



But for me it is way too many Temples. You might be temple out. I personally love this places:
-Fushimi Inari Shrine
-Kiyomizudera Temple
-Tainai-Meguri
-Jishu Shrine
-Sanneizaka & Ninenzaka Streets
-Aryashiyama and the bamboo forest
-Kinkaku-ji Temple
-Philosopher's path but mostly for cheery blossoms and fall colours
-Gion
-Heian Shrine

Lots of food and shopping can also be done in Kyoto.

Hope this helps!

Please be aware, unless temples and shrines have special hours for New Years, Toji Temple closes at 16:00 in the Winter, as does Daigoji, so trying to visit them on the 2nd and 3rd after 16:00 is problematic.

Again, please make sure shopping is open on Shijo on 1/1. A lot of places might not be. Using that insidekyoto website you got your itineraries from they mention Takashimaya and Daimaru will be closed on 1/1
https://www.insidekyoto.com/new-years-in-kyoto

I suspect many stores on Shijo dori are closed on 1/1. 1/2 or 1/3 will have Fukubukuro/Lucky bags. But I would really spend some time checking this or you will be disappointed and possibly hungry.

thanks everyone for your input.
Really appreciate.