Packing up a suitcase every two days can cause serious travel burnout. When we planned Dana’s 50th birthday trip to Japan, we decided to change our strategy entirely. We booked a single boutique hotel in Kyoto for a full week!
Using Kyoto as a central hub allowed us to explore the city deeply and gave us the perfect launching pad for day trips to Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima. We navigated the bullet trains, fed some very enthusiastic deer, and ate our weight in local street food without ever moving our luggage.
If you want to see the best of the Kansai region without the stress of constant hotel transfers, here is our complete one-week Kyoto itinerary.
Arrival and Our Boutique Hotel
We landed at Kansai International Airport and immediately boarded the JR Haruka Express train. The 90-minute ride dropped us at Kyoto Station, and from there, we grabbed a quick taxi using the Uber app to get to our hotel.
We checked into the Miru Kyoto Nishiki. This boutique hotel is incredibly impressive. We loved the comfortable beds, the spacious bathroom tubs, and the complimentary morning croissants with Nespresso coffee. They even had free laundry facilities so we could wash our sweaty clothes from Hong Kong! Plus, the location is unbeatable. You can walk to the famous Nishiki Market in under five minutes.
Exploring Kyoto: History and Hidden Gems
Kyoto seamlessly blends modern life with ancient tradition. On our first full morning, we headed straight to the closest 7-Eleven. I really wanted Dana to try her first Japanese convenience store egg salad sandwich. I was so relieved when she loved it just as much as I did!
After a scenic stroll along the Kamo River, we visited the Samurai Ninja Museum. This is not your standard, boring museum. It is a fully interactive guided tour where you get to wear authentic Edo-period armor and try throwing ninja stars (which is much harder than it looks).
The next morning, we booked a Gion Hidden Gems & Geisha Culture Tour. Walking the lantern-lit paths while learning the secretive history of Geiko and Maiko culture was fascinating. We also learned an expensive lesson about tourist traps that day. We stopped for lunch at a spot labeled “Wagyu Hamburger Halal Kobe Beef Vegan Food Nishiki.” The wagyu burgers were delicious, but the meal cost 7000 Yen each and required mandatory drink purchases. If you are on a budget, you might want to skip the keyword-stuffed tourist restaurants!
Navigating the Kyoto Food Scene
Finding great food in Kyoto takes very little effort, but finding authentic local spots is much easier with a guide. We booked the Nishiki Market 7-Tastings Food Tour. Our guide navigated the busy stalls and introduced us to amazing takoyaki, matcha mochi and sweet soy milk doughnuts.
Day Trip 1: The Streets of Osaka
A map makes Osaka look incredibly close to Kyoto, but you have to factor in the walk to the train station and the transit time upon arrival. Our door-to-door commute took about an hour.
We dedicated a full day to this vibrant city, starting with the Ultimate Osaka Walking Tour. Our guide showed us Osaka Castle and the neon heart of Dotonbori. After a shopping stop at Dana’s new favorite store (Don Quijote!), we joined a Guided Food Tour. We ate 12 different dishes across traditional izakayas and finished with live-cooked okonomiyaki.
The Essential Sights Bus Tour
The major sights in Kyoto are spread out, and taking public buses across the city can waste hours of your vacation. We decided to book a full-day Kyoto Bus Tour to see the highlights efficiently. Our fantastic guide took us to the thousands of torii gates at Fushimi Inari, the beautiful wooden terrace of Kiyomizu-dera, the stunning Golden Pavilion, and the towering Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Day Trip 2: Nara Park and Coin Rings
We wanted a relaxed schedule for our next day, so we booked a local Vintage Japanese Coin Ring Making Workshop. We spent a fun hour crafting custom rings from old coins, which made for the perfect personal souvenir.
Afterward, we took the train south to Nara to feed the famous free-roaming deer. The deer can get a bit aggressive when they know you have crackers. Dana was definitely worried about getting head-butted, but luckily, neither of us were harmed and the deer enjoyed their snacks! We returned to Kyoto that evening and explored the stunning interactive light exhibits at teamLab Biovortex.
Day Trip 3: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
Our longest day trip took us to Hiroshima. It was raining, so we grabbed a cab to Kyoto Station and rode the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train for about 100 minutes.
We booked the Peaceful Hiroshima & Miyajima UNESCO 1-Day Bus Tour. Walking through the Peace Memorial Park and seeing the Atomic Bomb Dome is an emotional, heartbreaking experience, but it is an incredibly important tour to take. In the afternoon, we took a ferry to Miyajima Island to view the floating red torii gate and eat local Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
Departing Kyoto
After an amazing week, we packed our bags for Tokyo. We reserved Shinkansen seats with oversized luggage storage using the Smart-EX website.
Here is a massive travel tip: make sure to take a screenshot of your digital tickets! The Smart-EX app sometimes has a login queue during busy travel times. Having a photo of your ticket ensures you can board your train on time without any panic.
Would you prefer packing up every two days or using one city as a home base? Head over to our Facebook page and share your travel style!