Are you planning a trip to Japan? This YouTube video provides a four-day Japan travel itinerary that includes time in both Kyoto and Nara.

We’ll spend the next four days exploring some of Kyoto’s best attractions. Plus, we will make a day trip to Nara, where we’ll not only feed the deer but also visit a unique museum dedicated to another symbol of the city.

Additional itinerary details and Japan travel tips can be found in this blog post.

I hope you discover new places to visit! 🙂

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you. These are all products and services I highly recommend. Please read full disclosure here.

Day 1: Sake Tasting in Kyoto

📍Fushimi Sake District

Sake is a traditional rice wine and Japan’s most famous drink. The experience took place in the Fushimi District, an area known for its sake production and home to over 30 breweries.

During the experience, we sampled and learned about different sake varieties. We also learned how to read labels and pair foods with each type.

You can book this 1.5-hour sake and food-tasting experience from Klook, Viator, or TripAdvisor.

📍Mercure Kyoto

When booking hotels or Airbnbs in Japan, I always am mindful of the following:

Proximity to train stations and bus stops
Square footage of hotel rooms (Japanese rooms are on the smaller side)
Central location to main areas I want to visit

This trip, we decided to stay at the Mercure Kyoto because it is close to Kyoto Station (walking distance) and has a cool, modern design.

Address: 288 Aburanokojicho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8231, Japan
Official Website
Check out hotel room availability here.

📍Kitada Clam Soup Ramen

For dinner, walk to a cozy ramen shop nearby known for its clam ramen. I honestly think this was the best ramen I had on my trip.

The broth was light and surprisingly did not have an overpowering shellfish taste. Rather, it had a soothing, almost chicken broth flavor.

If you add this place to your list, I highly recommend adding the yuzu condiment provided by each seat. It added so much flavor!

Address: Japan, 〒600-8233 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Kitafudodocho, 522

Day 2: Nara Day Trip Itinerary

How long does it take to get to Nara from Kyoto?

The next day, we took a day trip out to Nara, a city known for its historical importance, temples, and, of course, deer.

You can get to Nara from Kyoto in 30 minutes from Kyoto Station via the Kintetsu Limited Express Train.

How to purchase Limited Express tickets

JR Pass does not cover limited express tickets because Kintetsu, not JR, operates the train.

Kintetsu Limited Express tickets require reserved seats, which can be purchased online in advance or in person at the station.

If you have a Suica card, you can use it to get through the gate, but you will need to purchase a separate express ticket to ride the train.

Purchase tickets through the Kintetsu Railway website.

📍Nara Deer Park (what to know)

Nara Deer Park is a 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station. The park is open 24 hours a day and is free to enter.

The deer in Nara were once considered sacred animals and the “helpers of gods.” Today, they are still protected and live harmoniously with the people in Nara.

The Nara deer are hard to miss, as you’ll see them roaming around all over the place once you get to the park entrance.

Tips for feeding the deer

A few tips I have for feeding the deer are:

One, I recommend purchasing crackers away from the main temples where it’s less crowded and there are less deer to stalk you.
Two, I always hide the crackers because once they know you have them, they will follow you. Nara deer are tame, but they can get aggressive when it comes to food, so please don’t tease them.
Three, try to find deer that are off by themselves and not in big herds. Trust me; it can be overwhelming when surrounded by hungry wild deer.
Lastly, deer feed off of your energy. As with all wild animals, it’s best to approach them with caution and calm. It’s easy to get riled up when deer surround you, but the more amped you become, the more deer will match your energy.

Overall, hide the food, stay calm, and remember that they are wild animals.

By the way, deer cannot digest human food, so please do not give it to them and be careful not to leave behind trash or plastic bags.

📍Giant Buddha Hall at Todaiji

After you’ve fed the deer, I highly recommend checking out the Giant Buddha Hall at Todaiji.

Inside the hall is an impressively grand statue of Buddha, weighing an estimated 300 tons.

Official Website

📍 Tsukihiboshi (pickled food buffet)

Eat at a picked food buffet and try narazuke (Nara pickled dishes)! Narazuke is Nara’s most famous local cuisine. They are typically a darker brown color and are pickled in a mixture of both sake and mirin.

Address: Japan, 〒630-8213 Nara, Noboriojicho, 59-9 1階

📍 Nara Kingyo Museum

You may know Nara for its deer, but did you know it’s also known for goldfish? Nara is one of the three main goldfish breeding areas in Japan and one of the symbols of Nara prefecture.

So, after feeding the deer, we hopped on a local bus by the park and head to the Nara Kingyo Museum. That’s right, a gold fish museum.

Official Website
Address: 4th Floor, M! Nara, 1-3-1 Nijo-oji Minami, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan, 630-8012

What is the significance of goldfish in Japan (& Nara)

Goldfish serve as a symbol of fortune, luck, and wealth. They are traditionally a symbol of beauty in Japanese art and remain a popular focus of modern art and culture in Japan.

Plus, during the summer, goldfish festival games, along with goldfish toys and windbells, are extremely popular.

The city of Yamato-Koriyama in Nara has a 300-year history of goldfish farming. In fact, Nara and Tokyo have the most varieties of goldfish breeds and mutations.

When you’re in Nara, look around and take note of all the goldfish symbols and toys in the shopping districts.

What you’ll find at the Nara Kingyo Museum

The Nara Kingyo Museum is Japan’s largest goldfish museum. Its art installations feature around 3,000 goldfish swimming through them.

The museum is home to seven unique spaces utilizing projection mapping, mirror balls, flowers, and more. All were created by some of Japan’s leading artists.

How much does it cost to go to the Nara Kingyo Museum?

Adults = 1300 yen
Elementary school students = 800 yen
65 years or above = 800 yen
4 years to under elementary school age = 30 yen
Free admission for kids 3 years or under

How to get to the Kingyo Museum

Take the Kotsu Bus from Kintetsu Nara Station or JR Nara Station
Complimentary shuttle bus service from JR Nara Station (West Exit), Kintetsu Nara Station, and Shin-Omiya Station to M! Nara.

📍 Nakatanidou (see mochi making)

After the museum, take the bus back to the main shopping area near the Kintetsu Nara Station.

Located a 5-minute walk south of Kintetsu Nara Station is a shop where you can watch high-speed mochitsuki (mochi pounding) and get fresh mochi for the train ride back to Kyoto.

Nakatanidou were high-speed mochitsuki winners in 2005 and 2006.

The shop’s specialty is yomogi mochi. Yomogi, also known as mugwort, is a Japanese wild plant gives the mochi its natural green color.

Address: 29 Hashimotocho, Nara, 630-8217, Japan

Day 3: Kyoto Arashiyama Day Itinerary

Arashiyama is one of the most popular Kyoto tourist destinations. It offers bamboo forests, street food, temples, monkey parks, and more.

I suggest setting aside a full day to explore Arashiyama since it is located 30 minutes north of central Kyoto. Plus, there’s no shortage of things you can do in the area.

📍 Kameyameya

Located alongside the river in Arashiyama is a small restaurant known for its tempura bowls.

Since our group was a little bigger, they sat us in a tatami room in the back with a window overlooking the river and the boats floating by.

For lunch, I had a local Kyoto biru and seafood tempura.

To this day, I still think about the crab tempura and cannot wait to eat it again!

Address: 1 Sagakamenoocho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8386, Japan

📍 Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

Most people stay near the central area close to the station but if you venture up towards the mountain, there are many quiet temples, museums and preserved historical areas.

Official Website

What are the moss-covered statues in Kyoto?

While researching Kyoto, you may have seen photos of moss-covered statues at a temple in Arashiyama.

The temple was renovated in 1981, and the head priest at the time was a sculptor who taught visitors how to carve the statues.

There are about 1200 statues covering the hillside and temple grounds, each carved by an amateur artist.

There are so many various facial expressions, poses, and shapes. It is said that if you look closely, you are bound to find one that represents someone you know.

How do I get to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple?

You can get there by taxi or bus.

If you take a taxi, you can tell the driver “Otagi Nenbutsuji” or show them 愛宕念仏寺 and they will know where to go.

How much does it cost to go to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji?

Entry fee: 400 yen(under 15 free)

📍 Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street

After exploring the temple, I recommend walking down to the main tourist area through the Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street.

The street is lined with historical houses and buildings preserved in the style of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), with many of the traditional buildings now serving as shops and restaurants.

It’s an incredibly peaceful path to take back to the main tourist area.

📍 Sagano Bamboo Forest

Before arriving on the main road, I recommend walking through the Sagano Bamboo Forest.

I was pleasantly surprised at how empty the forest was, considering it was late afternoon.

It may be because this wasn’t the main “Arashiyama bamboo forest” area. But who knows?

Again, this is another reason why you should always leave room in your itinerary to wander around off the beaten path in Japan.

📍 Rilakkuma Honey Stand

This is where I got the bear-shaped ice cream! It’s located along the main Arashiyama shopping street.

Grab an eki stamp at the JR station

You can read more about collecting eki stamps in Japan in this blog.

📗 Japan Train (Eki) Stamp Book

Day 4: Kyoto Historical District & Shopping Day

📍Yasaka Jinja

The next day, we started at the Yasaka Shrine, also known as the Gion Shrine.

It’s located between two of the most popular neighborhoods in Kyoto—Gion and Higashiyama.

The shrine is one of the most famous in Kyoto because of the Gion Matsuri, a summer festival celebrated every July.

It also sits in front of one of the popular cherry blossom spots in Kyoto—Maruyama Park.

📍Higashiyama Ward

A quick bus ride or 10-minute walk away is one of Kyoto’s most popular tourist destinations and best-preserved historical districts—Higashiyama Ward. Here, the buildings retain their traditional design, and you can experience “old Kyoto.”

The small, narrow streets are lined with a variety of cafes, small shops, and restaurants.

It’s a great place to find traditional Japanese souvenirs and try Kyoto’s local specialties.

The area is not very big, but you could easily spend half a day exploring the streets and the neighboring areas.

How to get to the historic shopping district in Kyoto

The Higashiyama Ward is located between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine.

If you are coming from Yasaka Shrine, I recommend entering the “Park Hyatt Kyoto” as your next destination when routing directions.

The Park Hyatt is located at the very end of the main shopping street and is a great place to start your journey through.

Photography tips

If you want a clean photo of the area, it’s recommended to get here early in the morning. However, keep in mind that places likely won’t open until 10 am.

Note: Please be mindful and aware of your surroundings. There are certain streets in the historical district that do not allow foreigners to stroll through or take photos.

You’ll see signs on the buildings themselves or stationed along the streets where photography and wandering is prohibited.

📍Starbucks Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

If you’re in the area, I recommend stopping by the Starbucks Yasaka Chaya. It’s the first Starbucks located in a traditional Japanese house.

The Starbucks is tucked away and easy to miss because even the sign blends with the traditional buildings and stores surrounding it.

Once inside, you order your drinks on the first floor and can enjoy your coffee on the second floor, which has tatami-floor seating options and a few tables.

It has a smaller seating area, so it would not be ideal for big groups unless you’re lucky, like us, and can grab the large private tatami room.

📍 Arashiyama Shopping Street

After a full day of shopping, we head back to Arashiyama for a foot bath appointment. Because when you travel to Japan, expect to walk…a lot!

We had some time to kill before our appointment, so we walked around the Arashiyama shopping street, which has a variety of historic Kyoto shops, restaurants, and street food vendors.

The shopping street is located outside the Randen Arashiyama Station.

📍 Ex Cafe

We eventually found our way to one of my favorite cafes, tucked away off the main road. Thankfully, it is located right across the road from the foot bath spa.

Here, you can cook your own dango, drink tea, and rest your feet after a day of walking around.

📍 Arashiyu Foot Massage & Spa

I highly recommend looking into a foot bath and massage in Japan. I made these appointments online through Klook a couple of days prior, and it was amazing!

They give you snacks and a drink while you soak your feet in a flower or matcha bath. Then, depending on the package, they give you a 30-minute to an hour foot massage.

You can book your time reservation here in advance.

Address: 35-40 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8384, Japan

📍 Kimono Forest

Located next to the Randen Arashiyama station, the installation includes 600 cylinders, each with kimono fabric design examples displayed within it.

It’s free to enter the Kimono Forest, and it lights up after sunset every day.

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