Two days in Kyoto: Arashiyama or Uji?
For palace wall paintings and carved decorations followed by a garden walk in Arashiyama, compare Nijo Castle on day one and Arashiyama on day two. For Byodoin's pond and exhibits, visit Uji on day one and prepare for departure around Kyoto Station the next day. An early day-two departure is better suited to a plan without an Arashiyama round trip.
Choose an itinerary for 2 days, 1 night
Nijo Castle and Arashiyama
See palace wall paintings and carved decorations at Nijo Castle, then walk through an Arashiyama garden the next day. Stay one night near Kyoto Station. On day two, you need time for the JR round trip, visit, and your Kyoto Station departure. Skip Arashiyama for an early departure.
Nijo Castle and Arashiyama →2 days, 1 night BByodoin in Uji and Kyoto Station
Choose this course for a relaxed visit to Byodoin's pond and Hoshokan exhibits. Stay one night near Kyoto Station, visit Uji on day one, and stay near the station building on day two. Phoenix Hall interior viewing depends on same-day reception. Exclude the Skyway for departures before 10:00 AM.
Byodoin in Uji and Kyoto Station →Nijo Castle and Arashiyama
See palace wall paintings and carved decorations at Nijo Castle, then walk through an Arashiyama garden the next day. Stay one night near Kyoto Station. On day two, you need time for the JR round trip, visit, and your Kyoto Station departure. Skip Arashiyama for an early departure.
Day 1: Nijo Castle round trip
Visit Nijo Castle and Ninomaru Palace on your Kyoto arrival day, then Arashiyama the next day. You need time to take the subway from Kyoto Station before the castle's last admission.
- Kyoto Station → Nijojo-mae Station
Take the Karasuma Line toward Kokusaikaikan from Kyoto Station to Karasuma Oike. Transfer to the Tozai Line toward Uzumasa Tenjingawa and get off at Nijojo-mae.
Official Nijo Castle access mapKyoto City Transportation Bureau: Nijojo-mae exits and area map
- Nijojo-mae Station → Ticket office beside the East Gate
Leave through Exit 1 and walk toward Nijo Castle. Head to the ticket office beside the East Gate.
Official Nijo Castle access mapKyoto City Transportation Bureau: Nijojo-mae exits and area map
- Ticket office beside the East Gate → Ninomaru Palace and garden
Buy the ¥1,300 ticket including Ninomaru Palace at the East Gate ticket office, then visit the palace and garden. Castle admission ends at 4:00 PM; the palace has separate closing days.
- Ninomaru Palace and garden → Your original station and the same hotel
Eat outside the castle, then return to Nijojo-mae. Transfer at Karasuma Oike to the Karasuma Line toward Takeda and return to your Kyoto Station hotel. Check subway fares and travel-date services separately.
Official Nijo Castle access mapKyoto City Transportation Bureau: Nijojo-mae exits and area map
Castle admission ends at 4:00 PM and the grounds close at 5:00 PM. On Ninomaru Palace closure days, choose a ticket for the areas you can visit. If arriving late, move the visit to another day and check operations for that date.
Day 2: Return from Arashiyama for departure
Choose the garden only or add the buildings first.
- Kyoto Station JR Sagano Line → JR Saga-Arashiyama Station
Take a JR Sagano Line train toward Sonobe that stops at Saga-Arashiyama, and get off there.
Tenryu-ji accessJR West Sagano and Biwako Line stop map, revised March 16, 2024
- JR Saga-Arashiyama Station → Tenryu-ji
Official guidance lists about a 13-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama to Tenryu-ji. Follow on-site guidance to reception for your selected garden, buildings, or Dharma Hall visit.
Tenryu-ji accessTenryu-ji Japanese-language hours and visit restrictions
- Tenryu-ji → Tenryu-ji garden
Buy the ¥500 garden ticket at garden reception. Hours are 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, with reception until 4:50 PM. Buildings cost an additional ¥300 and are unavailable on partial closure days.
Tenryu-ji accessTenryu-ji Japanese-language hours and visit restrictions
- Tenryu-ji garden → Your Kyoto Station departure
Have lunch in Arashiyama and return to JR Saga-Arashiyama. Take the Sagano Line to Kyoto and continue to your booked departure. JR fares, meals, and lodging are excluded from the ¥1,800 facility subtotal.
Tenryu-ji accessJR West Sagano and Biwako Line stop map, revised March 16, 2024
Tenryu-ji's garden opens 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, with reception until 4:50 PM. Check travel-date Sagano Line round trips and skip Arashiyama if your Kyoto Station departure leaves too little time.
Included: Nijo Castle and Ninomaru Palace ¥1,300; Tenryu-ji garden ¥500.
Separate costs: Subway and JR travel, one night's lodging and meals, Tenryu-ji buildings and Dharma Hall, Honmaru Palace and separate exhibitions, and travel between your origin and Kyoto.
On Ninomaru Palace closure days, choose a ticket matching the areas you can visit. Adding Tenryu-ji's buildings costs ¥300.
Nijo Castle admission feesTenryu-ji Japanese-language hours and visit restrictions
Byodoin in Uji and Kyoto Station
Choose this course for a relaxed visit to Byodoin's pond and Hoshokan exhibits. Stay one night near Kyoto Station, visit Uji on day one, and stay near the station building on day two. Phoenix Hall interior viewing depends on same-day reception. Exclude the Skyway for departures before 10:00 AM.
Day 1: Byodoin in Uji
Visit Byodoin on day one and stay near Kyoto Station on day two. If the Phoenix Hall interior is a priority, check same-day reception availability when you arrive in Uji.
- Kyoto Station → JR Uji Station
Take a JR Nara Line train toward Uji and Nara that stops at Uji, then get off at JR Uji.
Official Byodoin access mapOfficial Byodoin visitor informationSummer operating exceptions
- JR Uji Station → Byodoin
The official walk from JR Uji to Byodoin takes about 10 minutes. Distinguish JR Uji from Keihan Uji Station.
Official Byodoin access mapOfficial Byodoin visitor information
- Byodoin → Byodoin garden and Hoshokan
Buy the ¥700 garden and Hoshokan ticket. For Phoenix Hall interior viewing, check same-day first-come reception and sessions, then pay an additional ¥300. If reception has ended, see the garden and exhibits and eat in Uji.
Official Byodoin visitor informationSummer operating exceptions
- Byodoin garden and Hoshokan → Your original station and the same hotel
Return from the same JR Uji Station on a Kyoto-bound train to your hotel near Kyoto Station. Distinguish it from Keihan Uji. Check travel-date JR fares, services, and Phoenix Hall viewing sessions.
Byodoin's garden opens 8:45 AM–5:30 PM, with reception until 5:15 PM; Hoshokan opens 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, with reception until 4:45 PM. Phoenix Hall interior visits are first come, first served on the day. Check visit-date notices for sessions, capacity, and suspended viewing. Return on a Kyoto-bound train from JR Uji.
Day 2: Explore the station building before departure
Choose the plaza or Skyway to fit your departure time.
- Hotel near Kyoto Station → Your chosen building walkway
Explore the station building's fourth-floor Muromachikoji Square and Grand Stairway, open 6:00 AM–11:00 PM. The tenth-floor Skyway opens 10:00 AM–10:00 PM.
Square and walkway opening informationRooftop closure notice
- Your chosen building walkway → Your Kyoto Station departure
After your visit and meal, head to the ticket gates and platform for your booked departure. Allow time to move through the building. Separate paid exhibitions, purchases, and meals are excluded from the facility subtotal.
Square and walkway opening informationRooftop closure notice
The fourth-floor Muromachikoji Square and Grand Stairway open 6:00 AM–11:00 PM; the Skyway opens 10:00 AM–10:00 PM. Skip the Skyway for an early departure. Limit this visit to the plaza and Skyway before boarding your departure.
Included: Byodoin garden and Hoshokan ¥700.
Separate costs: JR Uji round trip, one night's lodging, meals and purchases, ¥300 Phoenix Hall interior viewing, separate paid station-building exhibitions, and travel between your origin and Kyoto.
Phoenix Hall interior viewing requires same-day first-come reception and an additional ¥300, bringing the facility subtotal to ¥1,000 if you see the interior.
Transport tickets, fares, and departure checks
Which train line should I take from Kyoto Station?
Take the JR Sagano Line to Arashiyama and the JR Nara Line to Uji. For Nijo Castle, transfer on the subway at Karasuma Oike and get off at Nijojo-mae. Even when you leave from the same hotel, check each day's line and return service separately.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line stop map, revised March 16, 2024Official Nijo Castle access mapOfficial Byodoin access map
How much of Kyoto Station Building can I see before departure?
Muromachikoji Square and the Grand Stairway on the fourth floor are open from 06:00 to 23:00; the tenth-floor Skyway is open from 10:00 to 22:00. For an early departure, stick to the fourth-floor square and staircase. The rooftop Oozora Square is scheduled to close from late November 2026 until around winter 2031, so check whether it is open on your visit date.
Square and walkway opening informationRooftop closure notice
What are the round-trip fares from Kyoto Station?
With regular adult tickets, the subway between Kyoto and Nijojo-mae costs ¥260 one way or ¥520 round trip. JR journeys between Kyoto and Saga-Arashiyama or Uji each cost ¥240 one way or ¥480 round trip; Kyoto–Inari costs ¥150 one way or ¥300 round trip. The JR amounts are regular fares from an official search on October 8, 2026, excluding reserved-seat products with extra charges. Each round-trip total is the sum of two one-way tickets for the same segment. Check services and current fares again for your travel dates.
Official JR timetable and fare search, October 8, 2026Kyoto City Transportation Bureau subway fare table
Frequently asked questions
Should I skip Arashiyama on day two if my departure is early?
You need enough time for the Saga-Arashiyama round trip, garden visit, and your booked departure from Kyoto Station. For an early departure, compare Uji on day one and a second day around Kyoto Station. The Skyway opens at 10:00 AM, so add it only if your departure leaves enough time.
Tenryu-ji Japanese-language hours and visit restrictionsSquare and walkway opening information
Does the ¥700 Byodoin ticket include the Phoenix Hall interior?
The ¥700 ticket covers the garden and Hoshokan. Phoenix Hall interior viewing costs a separate ¥300 after same-day first-come reception, bringing the admission total to ¥1,000. If reception closes early, you may miss interior viewing.
Official sources and checked dates
- Tenryu-ji access ·
- Official Nijo Castle access map ·
- Nijo Castle admission fees ·
- Nijo Castle hours and closures ·
- Official Byodoin access map ·
- Official Byodoin visitor information ·
- Summer operating exceptions ·
- Square and walkway opening information ·
- Rooftop closure notice ·
- Kyoto City Transportation Bureau: Nijojo-mae exits and area map ·
- JR West Sagano and Biwako Line stop map, revised March 16, 2024 ·
- Tenryu-ji Japanese-language hours and visit restrictions ·
- Official JR timetable and fare search, October 8, 2026 ·
- Kyoto City Transportation Bureau subway fare table ·
- JR Kyoto Line stop map, revised March 14, 2026 ·