Fastest and Cheapest Ways To Kyoto From Tokyo

Above, the Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Kyoto (and neighboring Osaka) is worth visiting if one is planning a trip to Japan but haven't yet figured out an itinerary.

One thing that causes people to hold back on visiting places outside of Tokyo is not knowing how long it takes and how much it would cost getting to Kyoto from Tokyo. Fortunately, Tokyo Cheapo has an article on the fastest and cheapest ways to get to Kyoto from Tokyo.

They begin with:

Tokyo and Kyoto, along with neighboring Osaka, are usually at the top of the itinerary when you visit Japan. Tokyo is commonly regarded as a city of modernity, whereas Kyoto is seen as a city of tradition. The distance between the two is roughly 450km [roughly 280 miles], so how do you get from Tokyo to Kyoto?

There are plenty of ways, and what to choose depends on whether you consider time or cost to be more important. Probably your best bet is getting the amazing-value JR Rail Pass, especially if you have more than just Tokyo and Kyoto on your itinerary. If it’s just a Tokyo to Kyoto trip, consider getting a Shinkansen + hotel package, or a discounted round-trip bullet train package + 1-day Kyoto transport pass for convenience’s sake. But read on for the full low-down.

I was last in Kyoto three years ago. I got the JR Rail Pass and we had one overnight (while en route) stay at a ryokan in Atami.

Above, the stage of Kiyomizu-dera. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla fans will want to go to Kyoto to see for themselves Kiyomizu-dera, which was featured in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993).

To read more, go here.