Kyoto Transportation

Like situation in Tokyo, the traffic system in Kyoto is also complete: multiple lines of trains and rapid Shinkansen make it easy for visitors from far places to get to Kyoto. Economical buses & subway, along with various transportation cards and passes make travelling in Kyoto more convenient.

Kyoto Station on a clear day and passenger by the entrance

Get to Kyoto by Air

There is no airport in Kyoto and the nearest two airports around Kyoto are Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport. Both of them are in Osaka. You can first land at either of the two airports and then take trains or buses to get to Kyoto. Kansai International Airport usually serves more international airlines than domestic ones. The Airport connects Japan with other 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Middle East Africa, America, and Oceania. Osaka International Airport usually connects cities in Japan, such as Fukuoka, Osaka, and Sapporo.

Shinkansen (bullet train) to or from Kyoto

Tokaido Shinkansen is the only bullet train line passing by Kyoto, traveling west to Shin-Osaka and east to Tokyo. In addition, there are 14 stations between Kyoto and Tokyo and the train will pass by Nagoya, Odawara, Shinyokohama, and so on.

A Shinkansen train is running by the platform

The price of taking Shinkansen differ based on whether you choose: reserved seats, non-reserved seats, or first-class seats, common carriages or GranClass carriages.

Below chart shows time and prices needed between Kyoto Station and other stations by Shinkansen.

Station	Least Time	Lowest Price
Shin-Osaka Station	13 minutes	1,450 yen
Tokyo Station	2 h 12 minutes	13,320 yen
Nagoya Station	34 minutes	5,170 yen
Shin-Yokohama Station	1 h 53 minutes	13,700 yen

To get to more cities in the west of Kyoto by Shinkansen, such as Hiroshima, Okayama, and Hakata, you need to take Tokaido Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station first, and then transfer to Sanyo Shinkansen.

Trains to or from Kyoto

Apart from Shinkansen, ordinary trains operated by JR and private companies are another quick way to connect Kyoto and other major cities in Japan. For visitors from cities far away like Tokyo, Nagoya, and Yokohama, transferring trains several times is very common and time needed is longer, compared with taking Shinkansen. Still, the ticket price is much lower.

The clear signboards hang in the station of Kyoto Subway

A passenger is waiting on the train platform

This chart shows the least time and lowest price for traveling between Kyoto Station and other stations by ordinary train.

Destination	Least Time	Lowest Price
Shin-Osaka Station	23 minutes	580 yen
Tokyo Station	6 h 51 minutes	8,500 yen
Nagoya Station	2 h 28 minutes	2,640 yen
Shin-Yokohama Station	more than 8 hours	more than 8,000 yen

Kyoto Subway

There are only 2 subway lines in Kyoto: Karasuama Line and Tozai Line. Except for Takeda station of Karasuma Line, all other stations are built underground. You can transfer between the 2 lines at Karasuma Oike station.
Service time: 5 a.m. – 24:00 a.m.
Ticket fare: 220-350 yen
Frequency: 5-8 minutes on average; 10 minutes before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m.

Kyoto Subway is running by the platform

Passengers in the carriages of Kyoto Subway

The passengers are waiting by the Kyoto bus stop

Kyoto Bus

In Kyoto, visiting various tourist attractions by bus is more convenient than other transportation tools. There are 2 kinds of buses: one runs along the fixed routes every day; the other is designed for sightseeing and mainly operates on weekends and holidays. Kyoto’s most tourist attractions are covered by these 2 kinds of buses. Buses for sightseeing, especially Sky Hop Bus, would only stop by major attractions, thus time-saving for visitors.

1. Bus running on fixed-route

	Kyoto City Bus	Kyoto Bus	Keihan Bus	JR Bus
Identification colors	Green	Brown	Red	Blue
Daily operation hours	6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Price	230 yen per ride within the flat-fare zone Additional fees are needed outside the zone
Covering areas	entire Kyoto	Kurama, Kifune, and Ohara	Yamashina	northwest of Kyoto Station
Frequency	20 minutes	25 minutes	20 - 45 minutes	30 minutes

2. Bus for sightseeing

	Sky Hop Bus	Rokuroku Line Buses
Service time	Every day: 8:40 a.m. – 5 p.m.	On weekends and holidays: 9 a.m. – 4:40 p.m.
Price	4,000 yen a day and 6,000 yen for 2 days	500 yen per ride for lines 100 and 101; 230 yen for 102 and 105 per ride within flat-fare zone, and additional fees is charged outside the zone
Frequency	16 buses a day	15 – 30 minutes
Part of passing-by tourist attractions and important stations	Kyoto Station, Nishihongan-ji Temple, Shijo Karasuma, Nijo Castle, Kitano Tenmangu Shrinn, Kinkakji Temple, Daitokuji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nishiki Market, and so on.

Taxi

In Kyoto, it is easier to hail a taxi near bus stops, before hotels, and by the trunk road. Some drivers can speak some basic English, which avoids the language barrier.

The flag-down fare within 2 kilometers is between 600 and 800 yen, and additional fee of 80 - 100 yen will be charged every 310 - 415 meters (340 - 455 yards). Taking a taxi at night or encountering traffic jam would incur additional fees. The cost of taking taxi within urban area of Kyoto is around 3,000 yen.

A visitor is unloading his luggage from a Kyoto's taxi

A taxi is waiting for passengers

Acceptable payment methods are cash, credit card, and common electronic payment modes in Japan include Apple Pay, PayPay, and Line Pay. Note that PayPay and Line Pay accounts could be registered with Japanese numbers.

Transportation Card and Passes

Buying a transportation IC card or pass is very economical and it will save you much time.

ICOCA or Kansai One Pass – the stored value card, is the most useful transportation IC card in Kyoto. With it, you can take most public vehicles while traveling, including bus, subway, and train. Also, such cards can be used to make payments in many convenience stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.

Pass – a fixed value transportation card, is also often used in Japan. With it, you can take designated vehicles in the valid period. For example, Subway and Bus 1-Day Pass supports taking the Kyoto City Bus and Kyoto Subway timelessly in a day. For more passes, see the below ones: