Best travel pass to buy in kyoto

I'm touring kyoto for 5 days 4 nights.

Will like to visit places of interest in day time
1) arashiyama and sagano area
2) Kinkaku-ji
3)Northeast kyoto - ginkakuji etc
4) Nara
and maybe afternoon and evenings in Downtown kyoto.

What is the best pass that you would recommend?

a)Kyoto Sightseeing One and Two-day Pass Card
b)Surutto Kansai Miyako Card
c) Kansai thru pass
or any other pass that you may think is more worth it.

Thanks

You should have a look at how to get to each of the places you want to visit. Most tourist attractions within Kyoto are accessed by bus. You can purchase an all day bus pass for 500yen that you can use on all the buses within Kyoto, it is goos value if you are planning on catching more then 2 buses in a day.

Just a note. Keep in mind the 500 yen bus pass is not sufficient to get to Arashiyama--it costs an extra several hundred yen on top of the pass. If you're on JR pass, JR goes to Arashiyama, and if not, a private railroad also does, both of which I'd recommend above the long (about an hour) and costly bus ride over.

I recommend to use rail bound transportation whenever possible instead of buses, because buses are slow and often crowded and unreliable.

For me personally, Surutto Kansai prepaid cards (known as Miyako Card if purchased at a subway station or Kyoto city bus ticket window), are most practical and probably cheapest to get around Kyoto.

But if you prefer to rely on buses, then the 500 yen 1-day pass will come cheaper.

I agree: the prepaid cards work a treat: you don't get a discount, but can go anywhere: subways, buses, Keihan trains etc Avoid buses where possible..they are VERY slow and crowded, and if you are standing in the crowd you don't see anything out the window anyway. They are unavoidable in total, but use subways/keihan trains at all times, then add on the bus trip from the there to your destination. Be prepared also to do a whole lot of walking in Kyoto..lots and lots.

With these prepaid cards, how far can you travel (km) on a bus in Kyoto with say a 1000 Yen card?
How is a bus cost calculated?
Can the prepaid card be topped up or you need to buy another one?
If you do not use up all the amount in the card, can you get a refund?

With these prepaid cards, how far can you travel (km) on a bus in Kyoto with say a 1000 Yen card?

One bus ride costs 220 yen. Subway rides within Kyoto typically cost 210 to 340 yen per ride. Therefore, a 1000 yen card will probably cover about 4 rides.

How is a bus cost calculated?

There is a flat fare of 220 yen on Kyoto city buses in central Kyoto. In outlying areas, cost decreases by distance traveled.

Can the prepaid card be topped up or you need to buy another one?

The Surutto Kansai Card cannot be recharged. You need to buy a new one.

If you do not use up all the amount in the card, can you get a refund?

No.

If you are going with someone who can read Japanese, or if you're not traveling in peak tourist season (starting July, usually) I recommend the buses. The network is very extensive and covers most attractions. They are not horribly slow, and only as crowded as the subway anyway. I believe there is a 2-day version of the 500 yen pass which is cheaper per day. The 500 yen passes are sold at vending machines outside at the bus terminals in Kyoto station (I didn't see any inside the station)