Kyoto is located in the main belt of cities on the southern coast of Honshu and is part of the huge Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto conurbation.

This makes it one of the most accessible cities in Japan. Kyoto is easily reached by high-speed shinkansen trains from Tokyo, Nagoya or Hiroshima, as well as cheaper regional trains from surrounding cities.

Kyoto doesn't 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 comparison 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.

If you're planning to stay overnight near the main station, check out our selection of the best hotels near Kyoto Station, where you can walk to the shinkansen trains and most buses.

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 arrive at Kyoto Central Station.

Use the Keihan trains for direct non-stop travel to East Kyoto with Fushimi Inari Shrine or to the Gion and Higashiyama districts.

Use Hankyu trains for a quick 1-transfer journey to the Arashiyama tourist area in western Kyoto (such as the Bamboo Forest) or the trendy Kawaramachi business district in central Kyoto.

• ** Shinkansen with JR-WEST regional pass cannot be used on the Osaka-Kyoto route

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

The fastest option is the Tokaido Shinkansen, which runs between Tokyo and Kyoto very frequently - every 10-15 minutes on average.

• 👉 Tip: find out how to buy a shinkansen ticket
• * Nozomi or Mizuho trains at an extra cost.

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	✔

Kintets trains are slightly faster and stop closer to the deer park in Nara. Some services only run from Nara to Kyoto Station, but others run smoothly as the Kyoto Metro Green Line across Kyoto.

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

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 airports in Osaka 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

Compare prices for flights to Osaka

Shinkansen - the fastest way to Kyoto

Japan's main high-speed Tokaido Shinkansen line runs through Kyoto, connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.

All trains stop at Kyoto Station, which is right in the centre of the city.

The station is also:

• the region's main rail hub
• the subway station
• a major terminal for city buses

If you use the JR Pass, seat reservations are free, but you must make them at a machine or ticket office.

Only Hikari or Kodama trains can be used at no extra charge. The fastest Nozomi trains require an extra charge.

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.

• 🏨 F ind the nearest hotel near Kyoto Station - booking.com
• 👉O ur tips for hotels in Kyoto

Destinations	Base price	Reserved	Non-reserved	Travel 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

JR regional trains

In addition to the shinkansen, you can also take advantage of the many JR West regional trains that connect Kyoto with cities such as:

• Osaka
• Nara
• Kobe
• Kanazawa
• Fukuchiyama
• Toyooka
• Tsuruga
• Kameoka

JR Pass applies to all. 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.

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 need 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

Practical questions about travelling to Kyoto

How far is Kyoto from Tokyo?

Kyoto is approximately 450 kilometres west of Tokyo. The fastest connection is provided by the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed trains, which cover the route in 2 hours and 15 to 30 minutes depending on the type of train.

Does Kyoto have its own airport?

No. Kyoto does not have its own airport, but it is very accessible from the two airports in Osaka:

• Kansai International Airport (KIX) - the region's main international airport.
• Osaka Itami Airport (ITM) - domestic flights within Japan
• Kobe Airport (UKB) - small international and domestic airport with no direct connection to Kyoto

What is the best way to get from Osaka to Kyoto?

The fastest option is the shinkansen, which makes the journey in approximately 13 minutes. However, it is very expensive.

Regional trains are a cheaper option:

• JR Special Rapid Service - about 29 minutes
• Hankyu Railway - approx. 40 minutes
• Keihan Railway - approx. 50 minutes

If you're heading directly to the tourist areas of Gion or Fushimi Inari, the Keihan Railway trains are often more practical, stopping closer to the centre.

Which station will you arrive at in Kyoto?

The vast majority of long-distance trains arrive at Kyoto Station, the city's main station.

There are also many hotels around the station, making it a very convenient place to stay.

View hotels near Kyoto Station

Is the JR Pass worth the trip to Kyoto?

The JR Pass is especially worthwhile if you are planning multiple longer transfers during your trip to Japan, for example:

• Tokyo → Kyoto
• Kyoto → Hiroshima
• Hiroshima → Fukuoka

For the Osaka - Kyoto or Tokyo - Kyoto journey alone, the JR Pass is not worthwhile.