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Honest Kyoto travel advice

Common tourist traps, fast-track tickets you don't need, overpriced add-ons, what's overrated and honest advice for visiting Kyoto.

Top experiences to book

Bookable activities with verified prices and instant confirmation on GetYourGuide.

Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari & Gion Geisha District

Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari & Gion Geisha District

⏱ 4 hours
Kyoto: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Monkey Mountain Walking Tour

Kyoto: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Monkey Mountain Walking Tour

 Kyoto: Private Tea Ceremony with a Garden View

Kyoto: Private Tea Ceremony with a Garden View

 Kyoto: Gion Geisha District Walking Tour - Stories of Geisha

Kyoto: Gion Geisha District Walking Tour - Stories of Geisha

⏱ 2 hours
Nara: Todai-ji's Great Buddha & all its treasures in 2 hours

Nara: Todai-ji's Great Buddha & all its treasures in 2 hours

⏱ 2 hours
T3 Kyoto: Traditional Higashiyama and Gion Walking Tour

T3 Kyoto: Traditional Higashiyama and Gion Walking Tour

Read our in-depth guides

The honest truth about Kyoto — what's overrated, what's a trap, what's worth it — An honest look at Kyoto — overcrowded sights, tea ceremony and kimono traps to a

The honest truth about Kyoto — what's overrated, what's a trap, what's worth it

An honest look at Kyoto — overcrowded sights, tea ceremony and kimono traps to avoid, and what genuinely earns the hype.