Kyoto Itinerary 2026: Arashiyama & Golden Pavilion

Kyoto Travel Day 2: Arashiyama, Ryoan-ji, and Kinkaku-ji Itinerary

By_2jay

Day 2 of Kyoto for us planners (the MBTI 'J's)!

For our second day, we planned to check off Arashiyama, Ryoan-ji, and Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) all in one go!

Since we wouldn't have enough time for a full tour on our first or last day,

we decided to pack it all into Day 2! haha

Arashiyama -> Train Track Photo Spot (near Nonomiya Shrine) -> Chikurin (Bamboo Grove) -> Tenryu-ji Garden

-> Lunch -> Ryoan-ji -> Kinkaku-ji -> Hotel

We woke up nice and early to get a head start.

Luckily, we could walk from our hotel straight to the Randen tram station,

so we hopped on the Randen tram to head over to Arashiyama.

While there are several ways to get to Arashiyama from the Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijo

(you can even take a bus),

we opted for the Randen tram

to enjoy more of Kyoto's scenic streets along the way.

Just a 10-minute walk from our hotel is the starting station of the Randen line,

"Shijo-Omiya Station."

Fare - 250 yen per person

You pay when you get off.

It takes about 30 minutes from Shijo-Omiya Station to Arashiyama.

Since it's a single-car tram, it has a super charming, retro vibe.

If you snag a spot right at the front, you get an open view of the tracks right next to the driver!

We headed to the iconic railway crossing photo spot first.

Even though it was only around 9:00 AM, there were already quite a few tourists around.

*Tip: You can easily find the railway photo spot by searching for 'Nonomiya Shrine' on your map.

*Personal tip: The view looking back after crossing the tracks is much prettier for photos!

If you wait just a little bit, you can perfectly time your shot as the train passes by!

"Tenryu-ji Temple - Admission Fee (500 yen per person, cash only)"

It was a bit cloudy when we visited,

but if you go on a clear day, your photos will turn out absolutely stunning.

I can only imagine how breathtaking it is during peak autumn foliage season!

When we were there, the leaves were just starting to turn in some spots.

"Arashiyama - Togetsukyo Bridge"

Since our lunch spot was just across the Togetsukyo Bridge,

we walked across, soaking in the beautiful Kyoto atmosphere

and admiring the scenic river along the way.

The wait at % Arabica Arashiyama was just way too long,

so we decided to skip it... haha.

I heard that if you install the Arabica app and place a pickup order,

you can get your coffee right away without waiting!

So we tried doing that while we were eating lunch,

but maybe they disabled mobile orders because it was too busy? It kept giving us errors,

and we ended up failing...

Since we had other plans on our itinerary, we just coolly gave up and moved on.

We took the Randen tram from Arashiyama to Ryoan-ji!

You have to transfer once, but it's super easy.

The bus schedule felt a bit awkward,

so we decided to go with the Randen tram instead.

Randen Tram: Arashiyama Station -> Ryoan-ji Station (1 transfer, 30 mins, 250 yen per person)

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"Ryoan-ji"

Admission - 600 yen per person

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Honestly, maybe it was because of the cloudy weather,

but Ryoan-ji didn't wow us as much as we expected.

So we did a quick walkthrough and moved on.

You can easily walk from Ryoan-ji to Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion).

It takes about 15 to 20 minutes on foot.

(Pro tip: If you're planning the Arashiyama - Ryoan-ji - Kinkaku-ji route, definitely wear comfortable walking shoes!)

"Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion)"

Admission - 500 yen per person

I think Kinkaku-ji had the biggest crowd of tourists.

You literally have to line up just to take a photo at the best spots...

It was absolute chaos, haha.

You just have to snap a quick photo and make a swift exit!

Since we were there, we even lit a wish candle! haha

After exploring everything from Arashiyama to Ryoan-ji and Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion),

we headed back to our hotel.

You can take a direct bus from Kinkaku-ji to Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijo,

so we hopped on the bus to get there.

(It takes about 30 minutes by bus, costing 230 JPY per person.)

Since our plan for Day 2 was to wrap up sightseeing like this, relax at the hotel lounge,

and then head out for dinner,

we returned to our hotel a bit early.

If planning a self-guided tour of Arashiyama like we did

feels a bit overwhelming,

or if you're looking for a hassle-free day trip to Kyoto from Osaka,

there are some fantastic guided bus tour programs available these days!

Since time is precious when you're traveling,

booking a bus tour could be a smart and efficient choice.

For those planning a Kyoto bus tour,

here’s a booking link where you can get an exclusive 7% discount!

"Kyoto Arashiyama & Kinkaku-ji Bus Tour Discount Booking Link"

My review of the "Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijo Lounge" and

my "Kyoto Food Guide" posts

will be coming up next, so stay tuned!

"Book Discounted Flights for Your Autumn Trip to Kyoto"