Kyoto lies in the main belt of cities on the southern coast of Honshu Island and is part of the huge Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto conurbation.
The city is well served by high-speed shinkansen trains and slower trains to nearby destinations. Kyoto does not have its own airport, but Osaka's Kansai and Itami airports are accessible by direct trains and buses respectively.
Book a hotel in Kyoto in advance
Quick overview of transport options
To start with, we'll give you a quick comparison of the most popular modes of transport to Kyoto. We break everything down in detail below.
All trains and buses can be paid for with one of Japan's 10 transport cards (such as Icoca, Suica and others) in addition to cash.
Transportation Osaka - Kyoto
| Price | Travel time | JR Pass | Kansai Railway Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | From 1 420 jpy | 13 minutes | ✔** | x |
| JR Rapid/Express | 580 jpy | 29 minutes | ✔ | x |
| Keihan Railway | from 420 jpy | 50-75 minutes | x | ✔ |
| Hankyu Railway | 410 jpy | 43 minutes | x | ✔ |
Shinkansen and JR Rapid/Express trains run to Kyoto Central Station.
Use the Keihan trains for direct non-stop travel to East Kyoto with the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine or to the Gion and Higashiyama districts.
Use Hankyu trains for a quick 1-transfer journey to the tourist area of Arashiyama in western Kyoto (such as the Bamboo Forest) or to the modern business district of Karasuma-Kawaramachi in central Kyoto.
Transportation Tokyo - Kyoto
| Price | Travel time | JR Pass | Kansai Railway Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | From 13 320 jpy | 2.5-3 hours | ✔* | x |
| Highway Bus | from 4 500 jpy | 9 hours | x | x |
Transportation Nara - Kyoto
| Price | Travel time | JR Pass | Kansai Railway Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Rapid | 720 jpy | 45 minutes | ✔ | x |
| Kintetsu Railway | from 760 jpy (Express + 520 jpy |
40 minutes | x | ✔ |
Transportation Nagoya - Kyoto
| Price | Travel time | JR Pass | Kansai Railway Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | From 5 170 jpy | 34-52 minutes | ✔* | x |
| JR Rapid Service (1 transfer - Maibara) |
2 640 jpy | 130 minutes | ✔ | x |
* Nozomi or Mizuho trains at extra cost.
** Shinkansen with JR-WEST regional pass cannot be used on the Osaka-Kyoto route.
We have prepared a map of rail connections to Kyoto with all carriers plotted here:
By air to Kyoto
Kyoto may not have its own airport, but two major Osaka airports are easily accessible by public transport.
Detailed information on how to get from Kyoto to the airports, terminals or services can be found at the links below.
- Kansai KIX - Major airports for international flights and low-cost flights within Japan
- Haruka direct express trains in 80 minutes / 1 910 jpy + mandatory seat ticket surcharge 1 930 jpy
- JR Rapid Service connecting at Osaka Station for 105 minutes / 1 910 jpy
- Itami ITM - Airports for very frequent domestic flights within Japan
- Direct Limousine buses for 60 minutes / 1 340 jpy
Shinkansen and JR trains
Kyoto can be reached by high-speed shinkansen trains from Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and other points along the coast.
In addition, you'll also take advantage of the many regular local and express JR trains, which can be taken on the JR Pass just like the shinkansen.
Shinkansen express trains
Japan's main high-speed line, known as the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo - Nagoya - Kyoto - Osaka), passes through Kyoto.
All high-speed trains stop at only one station in Kyoto, which can be found in ticket machines and online search engines under the name Kyoto.
Kyoto Station is right in the centre of the city. There is a Green Line subway station and a terminal for many of the city's bus lines.
You have to add either a specific seat reservation to the base fare or a cheaper reservation in a car with no seat guarantee (Non-reserved.
If you use the JR Pass or its regional variants, you must always reserve a seat in the car at the ticket machine or at the ticket office or online. This reservation is free for JR Pass holders.
However, on Nozomi or Mizuho fast trains, you will always pay a fee in addition to the JR Pass, which is approximately half the basic ticket price. You can only ride Kodama or Hikari shinkansen with a JR Pass at no extra charge.
Detailed information on using the JR Pass is described in the article Transport in Japan.
Online ticket booking and exact timetables can be found at westjr.co.jpl/en.
Shinkansen run very frequently on all routes, on average every 6-15 minutes.
| Destinations | Basic price | Reserved | Non-reserved | Journey time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 8 360 jpy | 5 810 jpy | 4 960 jpy | 2.5 hours |
| Osaka | 580 jpy | 2 700 jpy | 870 jpy | 15 minutes |
| Hiroshima | 6 600 jpy | 5 340 jpy | 4 170 jpy | 1.5 hours |
| Nagoya | 2 640 jpy | 3 270 jpy | 2 530 jpy | 35 minutes |
| Himeji | 2 310 jpy | 3 490 jpy | 2 530 jpy | 50 minutes |
| Okayama | 3 740 jpy |
4 360 jpy |
3 400 jpy | 60 minutes |
| Hakata (Fukuoka) |
10 010 jpy | 6 770 jpy | 5 390 jpy | 3 hours |
Fast and express trains
Kyoto is also served by JR express and fast trains, on which you can use the JR Pass or JR-WEST Pass. Conversely, the Kansai Railway Pass cannot be used on JR trains.
Online ticket booking and exact timetables can therefore be found on the same website as for the shinkansen: westjr.co.jpl/en..
The main station for JR-WEST trains is the same as for the shinkansen Kyoto Station in the city centre. You can use JR trains to travel in the following directions:
- Osaka
- Trains of the type Special Rapid Service with no extra charge for a seat ticket
- Trains of type Limited Express ThunderBird / Haruka with a compulsory reservation surcharge of 1 090 jpy
- Nara
- Only trains without compulsory seat ticket surcharges operate on the route
- Tsuruga - change to Hokuriku Shinkansen direction Kanazawa, Toyama, Nagano
- Trains of type Special Rapid Service with no extra ticket fee (longer route)
- Trains of type Limited Express ThunderBird with a compulsory reservation surcharge of 1 530 jpy
- Kameoka - Fukuchiyama - Toyooka
- Trains of the type Special Rapid Service with no extra ticket fee
- Trains of the type Limited Express Kinosaki with a compulsory reservation surcharge of approx. 1 730 jpy
If you are travelling on a "Limited Express" train with a JR Pass or JR-WEST Pass, seat reservations are free, but you must make reservations at the ticket machine or ticket office for the specific train.
Top 10 hotels near Kyoto Station
Private railways
Kyoto is also served by several private rail lines.
Kintetsu Railway
This carrier's trains will get you to Nara the fastest from Kyoto Central Station, where shinkansen and JR trains also stop. For details on travelling between Kyoto and Nara, see How to get to Nara.
Kintetsu trains are slightly faster than JR trains on the way to Nara, and they also stop closer to the famous Nara Park with its deer or at Shin-Omiya Station near several hotels.
Some trains only go as far as Yamato-Saidaiji station, where you have to change trains to get to Nara.
- Local and "Rapid" trains - no extra charge and stop at most stations
- "Limited Express" trains - mandatory extra charge for seat reservation and only stop at major stations (they don't stop at Shin-Omiya station, for example).
Official website: kintetsu.co.jp
- JR Pass - cannot be used
- Kansai Railway Pass - yes
Keihan Railway
This railway is the most convenient way from Osaka to the famous Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. Keihan Railways does not run to Kyoto Central Station, but directly from Osaka the line runs to the eastern tourist area of Kyoto.
Trains from downtown Osaka (Yodoyabashi Station and, less frequently, Nakanoshima Station) run directly without changing trains to Fushimi-Inari Station just a 2-minute walk from the shrine. Note, however, that only "Local", "Sub-Express" and "Express" trains stop at Fushimi-Inari station. "Limited" "RAKU RAKU" or "Rapid Express" trains do not stop at the station.
In addition, Keihan trains stop directly in the Gion district and connect to the Eizan Local Railway at the Demachiyanagi terminus to take you to the mountains or to the Eizan cable cars.
At the Keihan Railway, you can use all types of trains, including the "RAKU RAKU" or "Limited Express", without having to book a seat. However, the express trains always have a "Premium" carriage for which you can pay to reserve a specific seat.
Below are ticket prices from Osaka to major stations in Kyoto.
- Fushimi-inari (the famous 10,000-gate torii temple Fushimi Inari-Taisha) - 420 jpy
- Only "Express", "Sub-Express" and "Local" trains stop at this station.
- Tofukuji (Tofukuji Temple) - 430 jpy
- Only "Sub-Express" and "Local" trains stop at this station
- Kiyomizu-Gojo (about 500 metres away is Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Higashiyama district) - 430 jpy
- Only "Express", "Sub-Express" and "Local" trains stop at this station
- Gion-Shijo ( Gion Geisha District) - 430 jpy
- All types of trains stop at this station
- Demachiyanagi (transfer to Eizan Railway) - 490 jpy
Official website: keihan.co.jp/en.
- JR Pass - cannot be used
- Kansai Railway Pass - yes
Hankyu Railway
Another private railway, this is ideal for traveling to a tourist area in the west of Kyoto called Arashiyama (such as the Bamboo Forest). To get to Arashiyama, you have to change to the next Hankyu line at Katsura Station.
The direct line from Osaka goes to central Kyoto and the modern business district of Karasuma-Kawaramachi.
The popular Gion district is also a 10-minute walk from Kyoto-Kawaramachi terminus.
Hankyu trains run from Osaka-Umeda Station.
Examples of fares from Osaka:
- Arashiyama - 410 jpy
- Kyoto-Kawaramachi - 410 jpy
Hankyu Railway does not operate any trains with compulsory seat reservations.
Official website: hankyu.co.jp
- JR Pass - cannot be used
- Kansai Railway Pass - yes
Long distance buses
Long-distance buses are called "Highway Bus" in Japan and are significantly cheaper than trains. However, travel time is usually 3-5 times longer than Shinkansen express trains.
The largest bus company, Willer Travel, has the most comprehensive booking system in English, through which tickets can also be purchased for other carriers.
Book tickets through willer-travel.com.
However, there are relatively few services to Kyoto, making buses worthwhile for night travel when long-distance trains don't run, for example.
Beware, there are several long-distance bus stations in Kyoto. You can always see the stop when you buy your ticket.
- Kyoto Station - near the train station in the city centre (see map)
- Gion Shijo - in the Gion district (see map)
- Kosoku Nagaokakyo - in the southern suburbs of Kyoto very far from the centre (see map)
Average prices are as follows:
- Tokyo - 5 000 jpy to 8 000 jpy
- Hiroshima - from 3 700 jpy
- Toyama - from 7 200 jpy
- Nagano - from 6 100 jpy
- Fukuoka - from 6 500 jpy
