A pagoda above a narrow street in Kyoto at golden hourPhoto: Roméo A. / Unsplash

Kyoto

Temples, gardens and kaiseki.

Best months
Mar–Apr, Nov
Door to door
~21hfrom · 1 stop
Time difference
…vs San Antonio, today
Luxury room
$1,200–2,500per night, typical
Ideal stay
5 nightsJapan

Sixteen hundred temples, moss gardens and wooden townhouses, with some of the world's most precise cooking. Go at dawn and Kyoto is quiet.

Don’t miss

  • 01Fushimi Inari's torii gates at 6 a.m.
  • 02Private tea ceremony in a sub-temple
  • 03Kaiseki dinner in Gion

Browse tours and experiences in Kyoto ↗

When to go

BestGoodOff-seasonClosed

March: One of the best months to go.

Where to stay

Our favorite hotels here. Ask for any of them, or tell us what you like and we’ll match you.

Arashiyama

Hoshinoya Kyoto

A riverside ryokan reached by private boat.

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Kamogawa River

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

Central, calm, and right on the river.

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Our price promise

You pay the same public rate you’d find on Expedia or the hotel’s own site, or less. On top, at no extra cost: breakfast for two every day, a $100 property credit, and an upgrade and late checkout when available. On a 5-night stay that’s worth about $400.

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Before you go

Getting there
Fly into KIX. Private car or Haruka train from Kansai, about 1.3 hours.
US passport
No visa for tourist stays up to 90 days. Visit Japan Web speeds up arrival. State Department country info ↗
Money
Japanese yen (JPY)
Plugs
A and B · 100 V
Language
Japanese

Entry rules change. Your advisor confirms them for your passport before you book.

If you like Kyoto

Similar feeling, similar part of the world.

Tokyo Tower lit at dusk above the skyline

Tokyo

Japan
~20h from SAT$1,200–2,500 /night
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Paris

France
~17h from SAT$1,200–2,500 /night
Colorful houses on a steep cliffside above the sea in Positano

Amalfi Coast

Italy
~23h from SAT$1,200–2,500 /night
Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como

Lake Como

Italy
~18h from SAT$1,200–2,500 /night

Ready for Kyoto?

Tell us your dates. You’ll get an all-in quote with perks within one business day.

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