Kyoto Itinerary advise

Hi, Can some one help me with my Itinerary?
I plan to visit these places.

# Golden Pavilion
# Kyoto Imperial Palace
# Sanjusangendo
# Kiyomizu Temple
# Fushimi Inari Shrine
# Gion Corner (night)

But i not sure where i should cover first. I would want to avoid making wasting unnecessary travel time. I'm also looking in to this tour
http://hisexperience.jp/index.php?option=com_content&ta...
SHould i take it? Or should i just travel on my own?

My hotel is just beside kyoto station. I have full 2 days. So i want to fully make this experience worth while.

And besides the above, could anyone recommend more places?

Thanks!

The Kyoto Imperial Palace requires reservations for a guided tour. I recommend to try to make the reservation online in advance. If that fails, you will have to go to the Imperial Agency office in Kyoto and make a reservation there. This, obviously, will rob you of quite a lot of flexibility of when you can go where.

About Kyoto Imperial Palace:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3917.html

# Golden Pavilion

Sanjusangendo, Kiyomizu Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine are all located in the same corner of Kyoto (southeast). Gion is also close. I recommend to visit Fushimi Inari first in the morning, then see Sanjusangendo and Kiyomizudera and then walk through the pleasant Kiyomizudera/Higashiyama district to Gion. Depending on your pace of travel and your starting time in the morning, it could be evening or still early afternoon by the time you reach Gion.

Great itinerary for Kyoto. Don't forget to check out the amazing karensansui (Japanese Zen Gardens) in Kyoto. Found a great article on them here: http://www.japan-cheap-travel.com/zen-gardens.html

Curtis your link is amazing..I'm running out of battery looking at all those wonderful gardens!!!! Thank you SO much...

Be prepared to be rushed. I took a tour of the Kyoto Imperial Palace last year and personally I like taking my time. I want to be able to look at everything and get pictures. There was at least 150 other people on the tour and we were rushed through the palace grounds. On top of that I could not understand the guide that was leading the group through. I let myself fall towards the back of the group because of not being able to understand the guide but there were security officers following the group constantly yelling at us to keep moving.

Would I go again? No. Would I recommend it to someone else? Not really. After getting through I just felt "meh" about it. Nothing overly special and definitely not the highlight of my trip.

can thoroughly recommend the gardens but did not go on a tour of the palace itself

Since you only have 2 days, I would skip Sanjusangendo, and would go to Tofukuji and/or Eikando. Both Tofukuji and Eikando consists of several temples, shrines and gardens. As said, the Imperial Palace is a guided tour and it's not even possible to go inside the palace buildings, maybe it's a better idea to go to Nijo castle, it looks a little like the Imperial Palace but you can do this on your won pace and you can go inside.

I also have a plan to visit Kyoto.

Ryoanji
Kinkakuji
Nijo castle
Sanjusangendo
Kiyomizudera
Gion

Questions ...
1. Is it possible to travel all in one day?
2. How can I travel from Kinkakuji to Nijo castle?
3. What is the fastest way from Nijo castle to Sanjusangendo, by bus or subway?

1. Is it possible to travel all in one day?
Hm, all the places you wanna visit are quite far separated from eachother, and travelling through Kyoto can be a nightmare (traffic jams!), in particular during the weekends and holidays, so it's gonna be difficult
2. How can I travel from Kinkakuji to Nijo castle?
I think by bus or by taxi is the easiest.
3. What is the fastest way from Nijo castle to Sanjusangendo, by bus or subway?
from Nijo take the subway back to Kyoto JR station (15 min. with a transfer) and from there take the bus or taxi to Sanjusangendo (10 min.)

If you go to Kinkakuji first, then Ryoanji, you can catch the JR Bus from Ryoanji directly to Nijo Castle..more direct route, and far less crowded bus

Thanks for the information.