Kyoto Japan 6 Day Itinerary
Six days keeps the 5-day spine intact, Nara and Uji, Osaka twice over, Himeji with Kobe, Mount Hiei, and adds a sixth day that gives Kobe its own proper visit plus Arima Onsen, a hot spring town most Kyoto-based visitors never get to. Want a full week and a second look at Nara or Uji instead of another travel day? See the 7-day itinerary .
Book these before you go:
- Uji’s Byodo-in Phoenix Hall interior: gate-only tickets from about 9:10am, no advance booking, sells out by midday on weekends
- A private Himeji and Kobe day tour on GetYourGuide : covers day three in one booking
- Himeji Castle’s official ticket portal : booking opens 90 days out
- Universal Studios Japan entry, if that’s your day 5 pick: buy before you land, peak-day tickets sell out
- A Kyoto Station area hotel or ryokan on Booking.com : the base for all six days
| Day | Focus | Train time from Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nara (deer, Todai-ji), then Uji (Byodo-in, matcha) | ~45 min JR to Nara, ~20 min JR to Uji |
| 2 | Osaka (Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Umeda) | ~30 min JR Special Rapid |
| 3 | Himeji Castle, then Kobe | ~55 min Shinkansen to Himeji, ~30 min Shinkansen Kyoto-Kobe |
| 4 | Mount Hiei and Enryaku-ji | ~30 min train to Sakamoto plus an 11 min cable car |
| 5 | Osaka again: Universal Studios or Kaiyukan aquarium | ~30 min JR Special Rapid |
| 6 | Kobe in full, plus Arima Onsen | ~30 min Shinkansen Kyoto-Kobe, ~30 min further to Arima |
Day 1: Nara and Uji on the same line
JR’s Nara Line Miyakoji Rapid runs Kyoto Station to JR Nara Station in about 45 minutes for ¥720. Use Kintetsu-Nara Station over JR Nara Station if you take the Limited Express (roughly 35 minutes, ¥1,280), it’s a 5 minute walk to the deer park against 18-20 minutes from JR’s side. Todai-ji runs ¥800 for ages 13 and up, correcting the ¥600 figure still quoted online. Arrive by 8-9am.
By early afternoon, continue to Uji, 20-22 minutes further for roughly ¥240. Byodo-in’s general admission is ¥700; the Phoenix Hall interior adds ¥300 for a gate-only slot that sells out by midday. Byodo-in’s official Phoenix Hall guide has current timing.
Do you need to book Uji’s tea tasting in advance?
Not for a casual tasting at one of the salons near the temple, walk-ins are standard practice there. The Phoenix Hall interior ticket is the one part of Uji that behaves differently: gate-only, first-come-first-served, and gone by midday most weekends. Treat the tea tasting as flexible and build your Uji timing around the Phoenix Hall slot instead.
Day 2: Osaka’s classic day
JR’s Special Rapid reaches Osaka Station or Umeda in about 28-30 minutes for ¥580. Osaka Castle, Dotonbori’s neon canal front, and the Umeda Sky Building fill the day. Our Osaka, Japan guide has more.
Day 3: Himeji Castle, paired with Kobe’s first visit
The Shinkansen covers Kyoto to Himeji in about 55 minutes for roughly ¥4,740. Non-resident admission is ¥2,500 as of March 1, 2026. Continue to Kobe for dinner, about 30 minutes back toward Kyoto for roughly ¥2,870; this first Kobe stop is brief, day six gives it a proper full visit. Book a combined Himeji and Kobe day tour on GetYourGuide covers the connection.
Day 4: Mount Hiei and Enryaku-ji
A train to Sakamoto, about 30 minutes for ¥460, then an 11 minute cable car for ¥870. Enryaku-ji’s combined ticket is ¥1,000 for adults. Founded in 788 CE, it’s the quietest stop on this whole itinerary. The official Hieizan tourism guide has current schedules.
Day 5: Osaka again, done differently
Universal Studios Japan for a full day of rides, or the Kaiyukan aquarium with the retro Shinsekai district for something slower. Same ¥580 JR Special Rapid ride as day two, entirely different day.
Day 6: Kobe properly, then Arima Onsen
Day three’s Kobe stop was a dinner stop; day six is the real visit. The Shinkansen from Kyoto to Shin-Kobe takes about 30 minutes for roughly ¥2,870. Spend the morning in the Kitano Ijinkan district, the Western-style former foreign residences, then take the Nunobiki Herb Garden ropeway above the port for the view. Kobe’s official tourism site has current Kitano Ijinkan hours.
Is Arima Onsen worth tacking onto a Kobe day?
Yes, if you have the afternoon for it. Arima Onsen is a genuine hot spring town about 30 minutes further from Kobe or Sannomiya by bus or the Kobe Dentetsu line, with two distinct mineral waters: kinsen, an iron-rich brown spring, and ginsen, a clear radium spring. Most public bathhouses there are set up for a few hours’ soak rather than an overnight stay, which fits neatly onto the back half of a Kobe day. Close the day with Kobe beef at a teppanyaki counter before the Shinkansen back to Kyoto Station.
Buy an ICOCA card on day one and keep tapping through all six days; Uji’s Phoenix Hall interior ticket is still the one cash-and-gate-only exception on the whole trip.