Kyoto Day 1 Itinerary 2026: Richmond Hotel, Unagi, & Pokemon Center

Kyoto Adventure: Day 1 Itinerary

By_2jay

Kansai Airport -> Kyoto Station -> Hotel Check-in -> Kyouunawa (Eel Rice Bowl) -> Shopping (Pokemon Center)

-> Kamo River -> Pontocho Alley -> Yakiniku (Horumon Ando Main Branch)

-> Don Quijote -> fresh mart -> Accommodation

For us 'J's (you know, the planners who make one day feel like two!), our Japan trip schedule is

a packed one, where we're out from morning till night! 😉

For those who use iPhones,

you might find it really useful to share your itinerary with your travel buddies this way!

Since you can add collaborators to iPhone Notes,

you can all view and even edit it together,

which was a huge help during our trip.

We hopped on a Jin Air flight from Incheon Airport, departing at 10:10 AM,

and landed at Kansai Airport right on time at 12:00 PM.

“Click here to find the best deals on Kyoto flight tickets!”

After touching down at Kansai Airport, we breezed through immigration (surprisingly quick for a weekend morning!),

and then hopped straight onto the JR Haruka Express to Kyoto Station.

We'd already snagged our QR tickets in advance back in Korea,

and since our exact arrival time after the flight was a bit unpredictable, we opted for non-reserved seating.

Trains run every 30 minutes, so you'll never wait long!

The non-reserved cars are 5, 6, and 7, so if you line up there,

you can board on a first-come, first-served basis.

For our journey back from Kyoto Station to Kansai Airport,

we made sure to reserve our seats.

It's definitely cheaper to buy your tickets in advance from Korea,

so I highly recommend buying your Haruka Express pass beforehand!

Once we arrived at Kyoto Station, our hotel,

the “Kyoto Richmond Hotel Premier Shijo,” was about an

8-10 minute drive away. With our luggage, an Uber was the perfect choice!

We thought we'd ordered a standard Uber ride,

but we were pleasantly surprised when a really fancy car showed up!

We had such a comfy ride to the hotel. Seriously!

The best part? It was still the standard fare! Can you believe we got to ride in such a nice car for that price? 😉

“Kyoto Richmond Hotel Premier Shijo”

We arrived a little after 2 PM and checked in without a hitch.

Our room for the trip was the “Moderate Twin Room.”

You can find a more detailed review of our stay in the upcoming post below.

After dropping off our bags, it was time to head out for a much-anticipated late lunch!

“Kyouunawa – A Must-Try for Eel Rice Bowl!”

Since our arrival time wasn't precise, we decided to visit Kyouunawa as walk-ins, without a reservation.

Luckily, when we arrived, it was just past 3 PM,

so we were able to get a table right away without any waiting!

The real game-changer here was the Salt-Grilled Eel Rice Bowl (Shiroyaki Hitsumabushi).

While the menu only listed the medium size for Shiroyaki Hitsumabushi,

I asked the staff if a small size was possible, and it turns out it was!

If I hadn't asked, we might have left some behind... T_T

Since both of us tend to eat smaller portions,

1 small Shiroyaki Hitsumabushi

1 small Hitsumabushi

Ordering like this was just perfect for us!

I'll post a detailed review of this amazing restaurant separately.

“Weekenders Cafe”

It's just a 5-minute walk from Gyo-unawa (the eel restaurant),

so it's perfect to head there after your meal.

Plus, the path takes you through Nishiki Market,

making for a lovely stroll with some sightseeing along the way.

Since we were both quite full, we both ordered espressos.

The seating area is quite small,

so personally, I don't think it's a place you absolutely *must* seek out. Haha!

After coffee, we had a bit of spare time,

so we headed for some individual shopping time.

Our accommodation and the restaurants were all close to shopping streets,

which made it super convenient to browse while moving around.

As for Daiso, I personally didn't find as much to see as I expected,

so I just looked around and left.

I visited the "Pokémon Center" to get some presents for my nephews and nieces...

But the line... the checkout line alone took over 30 minutes to wait in...

“Pokémon Center”

The lines were seriously immense,

and there were so many people it was hard to properly look around...

I wasn't looking for dolls, mainly stationery,

but there wasn't as much stationery as I expected,

so I just grabbed what I could find...

This is worth ~$45... does that seem right?

As long as my nephews and nieces like it, it doesn't really matter...

But still, is this right? Haha!

For those planning to visit the Pokémon Center with kids, I recommend going with caution. Hehe!

“Kamo River”

Honestly, when I think of Kyoto, the first thing that comes to mind is

the Kamo River.

I thought the Kamo River at sunset during the autumn season would be absolutely stunning,

so I went to the Kamo River around evening.

It was cloudy that day, so I couldn't see the sunset,

but the night view of the Kamo River was still incredibly beautiful.

“Pontocho Alley”

As soon as you cross the Kamo River bridge,

if you turn into the alley right next to it, you'll find Pontocho Alley.

We deliberately planned our route to pass through it on our way to dinner,

and enjoyed looking around.

“Our Yakiniku Hotspot - Horumon Andoh Main Branch”

️We visited after making a reservation,

and it turned out the owner was Korean,

which made our reservation and ordering super convenient!

We ordered an assortment of galbi-sal (short rib), deungsim (sirloin), and kkurissal (chuck tender), and added some beef tongue.

It was my first time trying kkurissal,

and oh my, it was absolutely delicious!

The texture? It's like a wonderful blend between sirloin and beef tongue – somehow crunchy yet melts in your mouth!

The owner mentioned that in Korea, this cut is often enjoyed as yukhoe (Korean beef sashimi),

so he recommended grilling it rare.

And wow, it was incredible!

You absolutely, positively *have* to try this!

I'll share a more detailed review in a separate foodie post soon!

After dinner, it was time for an absolute Japan must-do:

“Don Quijote Shopping!”

I'd heard the Kyoto branch might not have as many items,

so I didn't set my expectations too high,

but I still managed to find and buy most of what I was looking for!

I'll share my shopping haul list in another post too, stay tuned! 😉

After heading back to our accommodation,

we popped into the supermarket conveniently located on the first floor!

“Fresh Supermarket”

Word on the street was that it's cheaper than convenience stores,

so we headed to Fresh Market, mainly to grab some water.

Since we were both already quite full,

we just picked up some beer and a light snack before heading back to the room.

Our original plan was to stock up on a huge haul of snacks from the convenience store for a late-night feast,

but we were both utterly exhausted and incredibly full,

so we settled for a more modest, but equally satisfying, late-night spread. 😉

After enjoying our beer, I think we both drifted off into a wonderfully deep sleep.

Our itinerary for the next day was a trip to Arashiyama,

so to recharge our energy, we called it a night – perhaps not super early for our first day, but it was just what we needed! ✨