How to visit Kyoto on a modest budget in Style

Kyoto, with all its attractions – and the crowds it pulls, can be a drain on your holiday finances – but you can visit Kyoto on a modest budget, too.

But who am I to tell you how to have a great time in Kyoto on a modest budget? Well – I pay for all my travel, I work a full-time job, and I know how to spend wisely. I know Kyoto fairly well know from a tourist perspective. This blog has become quite Japan-biased over the past two years. Ever since I spent six weeks studying in Nagasaki, and started returning quite frequently last year. My favourite area of Japan so far is Kansai, and in particular, I love Kyoto.

Yes, I know! It is one of the top destinations in Japan, and tourists arriving in Japan outnumber Japanese going overseas more than four-fold, and 2025 is set to be a record year for foreign arrivals in Japan. I got these statistics from the JNTO website here and here, and Kyoto is, after the Tokyom, Chiba and Osaka, Japan’s fourth-most visited prefecture, with most visitors concentrating on the city of Kyoto. And Kyoto does get full, and it does get expensive. So, here is my condensed approach to visiting Kyoto on a modest budget, as a fully paying tourist, from several visits in recent times.

This post will not tell you how to visit Kyoto on a minimal budget. It is rather focused on spending wisely, on a modest to moderate budget, with emphasis on locally owned accommodation, local restaurants mixed with some well-priced restaurant chains, and focusing on cultural experiences and nice shopping for local crafts or favourite foods.

When to visit

Honestly, it seems that Kyoto is always in season, and you will never have that off-season lull, but there are definitely sharp peaks when the cherry blossoms are on full bloom (1-2 weeks) and during the longer autumn leaves (about 4 weeks) season.

According to most recent visitor arrivals, foreigners now outnumber Japanese visitors to Kyoto, and most of them are from South Korea, PR China and Republic of China. So it is always worth paying attention to major Korean or Chinese holidays when many Chinese will travel overseas, such as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. The long and hot summer, one might think they are not too popular, but that’s when the North Americans and European school holidays are…

Also, take into consideration the climate in Kyoto. Winters can be bitingly cold, but sunny, but there is very little green and temples may look a bit.. bleak.

February and early-ish March are great, just avoid Chinese New Year, as you get plum blossoms and various early cherries, then you come into very pricey sakura season, followed by Golden Week when many Japanese travel.

I loved May after Golden Week and June, it can be rainy, and muggy too. July was brutally hot but the Gion Matsuri is fabulous and a great occasion for a visit. August is usually the hottest plus it’s Obon and many Japanese travel, then September, typhoon season, October is pretty balmy, November and December is high season due to autumn leaves.

So, the best time to visit is… one where you have saved enough money and managed to make accommodation bookings well in advance.

Personally, I tend towards the greener months, and love May and June, and I have visited in February, too, when I encountered sun and T- shirt weather and some lovely plum blossoms.

I think these periods are best for your first trip to Kyoto. Also, if you can time your trip with a major festival like Aoi Matsuri (mid-May), Gion Matsuri (most of July, culminating in mid-July) or Jiday Matsuri (22 October), even better.

How much is a trip to Kyoto?

Few visitors to Japan will visit Kyoto alone, but will combine it with a trip to Tokyo, Mount Fuji region and Osaka – the so-called Golden Route. If you are planning to do this, I recommend you take at least two weeks. I would factor in 4000- 15000 per person for your accommodation.

A return trip to Tokyo on the Shinkansen will cost around 28.000 JPY – use a fare calculator like this one to see how much your transport tickets are likely to cost, so you will be better off with a Hokuriku Arch pass at 30.000JPY for unlimited travel using the longer but scenic Nagano-Kanazawa route.

So, taking all this into account, you will be at an estimate cost of about 150-300000 JPY (850-1800 Euro, 1000-2000USD) for a two-week trip after flights but including transport, food and sightseeing. I visited Kansai (10 days in Kumano Kodo and Kyoto) in July 2024 for 1600 Euro including my flight from Europe and all accommodation, food and sightseeing but excluding shopping. My previous week-long trip to Kansai (Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto) cost 1300 Euro, so I recommend planning to spend as much time as possible as you can in the region. To see the major sights of Kyoto, I think a week would be good.

Of course, you can go far cheaper by staying in dorms and eating mostly ramen and supermarket food, but I think the above is a relatively realistic estimate, and this is what my recommendations are based on. I would spend as much as I can on the local economy, preferring to support smaller businesses, using public transport, etc. but I am far from perfect so you see some outliers here.

Getting to Kyoto and Kansai

Depending where you travel from and how long you stay, air travel will probably take up the largest chunk of your travel budget.

I live in Central Europe close to capital city (Berlin) where the airport is not the most well connected, but I have managed to find flights between 690 and 920 Euros on European or Middle Eastern airlines with excellent safety ratings.

Flying Premium Economy for 1600 Euro was a definitive outlier for me, and something I won’t do again, but the flights I had so far with Etihad and Finnair were okay, except for the occasion when a faulty tire left me stranded in Osaka, with no assistance from the airline at all.

I admit to scroll on Social Media to relax on short breaks at work, and I get a fair few adverts from airlines, that I take a screenshot and book soon after. This is normally how I find fairly well-priced flights – and by booking far in advance. Sometimes I also use Skyscanner, but I tend to find good fares and proceed to book directly with the airlines.

I am a diehard Eco flyer, so while I have some reward credit card, I am also a fairly frugal person, not spending that much, and I have never accumulated enough points to upgrade in any way.

Sometimes I get an offer for cash upgrades through the airline’s app, and while they seem very reasonable, I rather spend the money on better accommodation. I have repeatedly received offers to upgrade to Business on Finnair for less than 500 Euro, which seems okay for someone without airline status.

Where to stay in Kyoto on a modest budget

The second biggest dent in the budget is accommodation. And honestly, You can stay very, very stylishly, and also very expensively, in Kyoto. But, we were doing classy Kyoto on a modest budget here, so these accommodations stood out to me for being very special, stylish, yet not breaking the bank. I have stayed in all these accommodations except the temple lodgings.

My top, top, top place to stay is Gallery Nozawa Inn. This is a Kyoto Townhouse with just two rooms,lovingly run by an older couple. You get the most attentive lovely service, superb breakfasts, very classic styling at the fraction of the price of a traditional ryokan. I love it so much I am going to be a repeat guest, and I also have a detailed review … um, in preparation.

My second top classy traditional place would be Higurashi-Sou guesthouse. This charming old Kyoto townhouse is tucked away behind Nijo Castle, has somewhat smaller and simpler rooms but heaps and heaps of style, and comes with free bicycles and sento tickets. It reminds me of Saku House in “The Makanai” a bit. I actually have reviewed this one in more detail.

Another place I like, although I wouldn’t say it’s design-y or terribly traditional, is Guesthouse Soi. The location is close to Kiyomizu-dera, they offer some nice bicycles for rent, and the rooms have Japanese touches but also come Western elements, making a stay even in small rooms with shared facilities very comfortable. It’s a good balance between price and comfort, and the owners are lovely. The only disadvantage? It’s on a very busy bus route, so buses often have queues, so the bicycle is your best transport.

Aside from these very special stylish accommodations at very reasonable prices, Kyoto has the usual business hotel chains, often near Kyoto Station or on Gojo Road, and also a bunch of very reasonable priced quasi-business hotels aimed at travellers, in some nice Downtown locations. Examples for such comfortable mid-price hotels are Tabist Kiki Sanjo Takakura and Prince Smart Inn Sanjo, both hotels I have stayed and and I would highly recommend.

Last not least… for style and comfort on a budget , consider a temple lodging. Although kyoto has literally thousands of temples, just a few offer accommodation that can be booked easily – and some can be fairly pricey. I have not stayed at any of these, but have been to the temples and would definitly consider staying here in the future. One is Chishaku-in Kaikan who have an easy English direct booking web site, with huge stylish rooms costing from about 80 Euro per night. Another one is Nanzen-ji Kaikan with slightly more simple accommodation, but in a superb location on Higashiyama with instant access to the magnificent Nanzen-ji, Buddhist service and Zen meditation sessions-all yours from 8500JPY (50 Euro) for a single room and 16000JPY for a double room.

I book my accommodation well in advance –  about three to six months, more for cherry blossom season. I use Booking.com to check prices, and to take advantage of the fee cancellation option in case my plans change. For smaller places I prefer to book direct, but often by the time my plans are firmed up, I am not going to get a look in in my favourite places.

Getting Around

My favourite mode of transport in Kyoto is the bicycle. I stay somewhere with bicycles or rent one from J-Cycle, and I cycle wherever I can. It is great, but you should be a fairly confident rider – more here.

And then there are times when the weather is unsuitable or I am not alone, so I use either my IC card, which can be bought on arrival in Kansai Airport Station (they usually have some limited edition nice ones for those foreign tourists) or I purchase the One-Day Bus and Subway Pass on the first bus I get on.  

If you are an early riser like me, it is worth getting on your first bus of the day, go to the driver as you board, and ask if he can sell you the one-day pass (“Basu to Chikatetsu no pasu, onegaishimass” should suffice). Have 1100 JPY ready. A bus ride is 230 JPY flat fee, a metro ride 200-300JPY depending on distance, so if you are out and about a lot, the pass will a good deal. Otherwise, just buy an IC card at arrival (I bought nine at JR Station in Kansai Airport, then you recharge it in any train station, and you tap out in front as you leave the bus)

Also bear in mind that some bus routes are incredibly crowded, for example any route to and from Kyoto Station, and routes to Kiyomizudera, Yasaka Shrine in between. This is when I cycle or take a taxi. I ask my accommodation to call a taxi, or I use the Go Taxi App, where a small-ish fee is added.

I also use taxi when I have more luggage than a cabin case, which usually happens in the last couple of days of my stay. Shopping, you know. You should not bring large luggage on any of the Kyoto buses, although it’s okay on the Metro.

What to See

It’s hard to give any specific advice on what to see in Kyoto on a Kyoto on a modest budget post. But note that entry fees in Kyoto will not break your budget.

Kyoto has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, which very few visitors see completely, but pick some of those that interest you. If you are into temples – there are nearly 2000 in the city. Museums, too – although I am not a great person to ask on museums, because I have only been to a few tiny ones (Raku Museum, because most times, I was lucky with the weather in Kyoto and preferred to send my time outside.

In general, all famous sights charge very low entrance fees between 500 and 1000JPY, with a few exceptions. UNESCO Heritage Saiho-ji is relatively pricey, but also limits visitors, so it’s never crowded, and museums may charge 1000-2000JPY, still a reasonable price.

My Number One advice is to do a bit of research on what you want to see, then group these sights and draft a rough itinerary for your day.

Mix some well-known sights with less-known places, and consider seasonality. Some places that are normally genteel uncrowded backwaters get absolutely rammed during cherry blossom season (crowd-fee alternatives here) or during autumn (alternatives without crowds), and some places, like Kiyomizudera and Fushimi Inari are always crowded.

I have been to touristic highlights with enough space to breathe by timing my visits. For example, we visited Kiyomizudera, show in the photos above, before 8am during cherry blossom season. It just got busy as we were leaving, and I understand that once the day trippers arrive, crowds become a bit unbearable – and it is also a popular spot for afternoon and sunset, so these times are best avoided, too.

Kyoto Activities

Kyoto, the historical capital of Japan is a prime sightseeing destination. If you have time to squeeze in any extra activities, then by all means, go for it.

Walking

Starting with some cool free activities, walking is a great way to get around Kyoto – and see plenty off the beaten track. Take any major attraction, and add a walk of 1-5km in the vicinity, and changes are you will encounter very few tourists.

So far, I haven’t joined any walking tours, since I like to walk at my own pace – which can be very slow. But move away from the Top10 Sights and Downtown, and you will find a wholly different Kyoto – plan on a long walk at least once. Inside Kyoto and Japan Guide have lots of itineraries, usually combining those famous sites. I recommend either heading out of town up Mount Daimonji or to Kurama and Kibune, or take a bus or Metro to Kitaoji and walk through some beautiful residential streets to Imamiya Shrine and Daitoku-ji.

Cycling

If you can, discover Kyoto by cycling. Not only can you get to most major sights easily on bicycle, and if you are reasonably fit and it’s not too hot, I would say cycling is the best way to see Kyoto. Most of Kyoto is fairly flat, with gentle inclines at the edges, for example to get to the temples of Higashiyama.

There are lots of bicycle hire places, and many smaller hotels and guest houses hire bicycles. I usually hire a 3-speed comfy mamachari from J-Cycle. You will need to park your bicycle in designated bicycle parking, of which there are many throughout the city, some free, at some you pay a small fee of 100-300JPY.

Photography and Kimono

My days in Kyoto are usually spent sightseeing and cycling and walking around the city – usually with intent, following some loosely planned route of sightseeing landmarks, shops and cafes, then a sento in the evening. My camera is always with me, and it’s a continuous learning curve, but I feel much more inspired to take photos when I travel than at home.

To be honest, Kyoto is wonderful for photography. The obvious sights, yes, but also loads of gardens, flowers all year round, food, and just street scenes. There are so many opportunities, and taking a camera will surely inspire you too.

Just be sure to follow a few rules. Generally, taking photographs of other people without their explicit consent is a big no-no and social fauxpas – in my understanding, anywhere. Sometimes, in Japan people may be too polite, or not speak enough English to tell you off, but in general, don’t take photographs of other people except your own party.

Photography is usually permitted at shrines and temples, except in some Buddha Halls -whereas others allow photography even og Buddha statues. Whatever the rule is, it will usually be clearly communicated by pictograms.

Rental shops all over the city, but especially in Gion, will rent out kimono for the day, and you can walk around dressed in beautiful kimono. This is something I have not done, although I love kimono. My issue was that some of the kimono I have seen on tourists didn’t look terribly authentic – I would rather have the full kimono dressing experience, with the appropriate undergarments, padding, styling, correct obi… or just dress in the much-easier yukata in summer. If you go for the kimono experience, it may be best to hire a local photographer, too, as they are familiar with local customs and restrictions.

Most temples do not allow staged photo shoots, and this rule is enforced, so if you are planning a photogenic kimono stroll research what’s possible and where you may pose in kimono without bothering others. I might research this a bit more, but from previous experience, shrines are usually nice place for photos, especially the larger really spread-out ones like Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines. I have seen lots of locals in kimono there on weekends taking family photos, so I guess it would be fine to join them.

Tea Ceremony

This is firmly on my list of things I want to do. I have had plenty of high-grade matcha in traditional Japanese cafes, but not partaken in a tea ceremony per se. One of the hotels I stayed in, Ryokan Kyomachiya Sakura Urushitei, offered both tea tasting and tea ceremony.

The internet is full with places that offer traditional tea ceremony, tea ceremony in kimon, with wildly variable prices. Maikoya gets pretty good reviews for tea ceremony and kimono rental – and combining both, and prices look pretty reasonable, about 8000JPY per person for kimono+tea ceremony and some photo opportunities in an authentic town house. Yes, touristy, but it looks really nice and tasteful and the reviews are good.

If you rather go down the old school road, you need to head to the Urasenke or Omotesenke tea schools in the North of the entre. Both schools are close to each other near Myoken-ji, a lovely undervisited temple, in a lovely traditional area with many tea shops, traditional tea houses and a tea ceremony research center in the area – come here if you have a serious interest in tea ceremony, or to try traditional matcha, which can be had from 500JPY in a casual setting.

Try some Crafts

Kyoto is famous for its crafts, especially silk brocade weaving, lacquerware and ceramics. None of these are that accessible for the casual visitor to try, but there are certainly many galleries, and shops selling the product.

For textiles, start your exploration at the Nishijin Textile Center, a museum centred on Kyoto’s Nishijin brocade weaving and Yuzen Dyeing. A smaller museum, but more central and perhaps more accessible, is the Hosotsuji Ihei Art Museum, a museum dedicated to Yuzen dyeig and the art of the tenugui, the Japanese hand towel. It’s associated with Eirakuya, Kyoto’s premier producer of fine tenugui, so expect that a lot of quality tenugui on sale, too.

For an actual hands-on experience, several places offer work shops in yuzen dyeing or shibori. Kyoto Shibori Museum is a good place to start, with various short classes lasting 0,5 to 1 hour and costing between 600-12000 JPY – you can reserve here. Personally, I am going to try wax-resist indigo dyeing, called roketsu at the Roketsu Yamamoto workshop – the location halfway between Kyoto Station and Arashiyama isnöt near any major sights, but you can rely on Kyoto City buses to get you there. Prices start at just 2900Yen for a smaller item and go up t 70000JPY, and reservation is essential.

Meet a Geiko or a Maiko

I don’t expect this can be done on a small budget. Whatever you do, do not expect to see geiko or maiko while wandering about, and definitely do not bother them for photographs if you do.

The best way to meet a geiko or maiko would be to participate in any events. I think if you are on a budget, look at the Kamishichiken Geisha District and inparticula,r the events at Kamishichiken Kaburenjo. On eof their most accessible events is their beer garden from June to September, where for 2500Yen fee including a drink you can see Geisha and Maiko socialising with customers. Most geisha districts also put on annual dance performances at various times of the year – the most famous ones are the April Miyako Odori at Gion Kobu Kaburenjo and the May Kamogawa Odori at Pontocho Kaburenjo. I went to the Miyako Odori, tickets were a reasonable 4000JPY and I really enjoyed them although, of course, it’s a regular theatre performance, not the refined private geiko experience. Or look for occasional events in smaller venues n geisha districts. For example, Cafe Roji-Usagi in Miyagawacho regularly hosts maiko and geisha and for around 14.000JPY including snacks and drinks, you can spend a few hours in the company of a geisha or maiko, but you will need to speak some Japanese or bring a translator.

Day trips

Kyoto is also an incredibly easy destination for day trips. The tea capital of Japan, Uji, and another ancient capital its its fair share of impressive temples, Nara, are a short train ride of one hour maximum away.

Prefer major big city vibes and nightlife? Osaka is less than 40 minutes by train.

As big garden fans, my mum and I visited the Kouraku-en in Okayama – combine this with Kurashiki in a day trip- and Kenroku-en in Kanazawa – both less than two hours by train. Just use one of the regional JR passes. We had a Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass last time, which lets you use all trains including Shinkansen for just under 20.000JPY for 7 days, a pretty decent bargain considering you can ride to both Kanazawa and as far as Himeji and Okayama on it.

Thanks to Shinkansen, there are so many places you can see as a day trip from Kyoto – Fukui, Kanazawa, Toyama, Okayama, even Hiroshima. And if you prefer off the beaten track rural location, yes, they are very reachable, too. I have been to the deepest countryside in Sasayama and, on an earlier trip, to the amazing Koya-san, although I definitely recommend spending one night in Koya-san.

So, I am definitely on a Kansai/Kyoto bias and you can see from the plethora of Kansai posts here, that I much prefer Kyoto over Tokyo. There will be no Mount Fuji, but aside from that, I can absolutely see no advantage in using Tokyo as a base, but this is my personal preference.

 Shopping

Kyoto is amazing for shopping! I mean, I try not to buy this much these days, but I always come back with my suitcase stuffed to bursting and an extra duffel bag full of stuff- food usually.

Kyoto has some incredible things to buy. I am a person who likes traditional crafts, food and textiles, but I am not into otaku and anime stuff at all, so everyone will have their own shopping preferences… what follows are a few tips on shopping in general followed by a few of my favourite Kyoto shops, and I hope to write separate posts on some of them.

The main Downtown area around Shijo and Kawaramachi Streets is Kyoto’s main shopping areas, with the covered Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Shopping Streets running parallel and offering mostly tourist-oriented stuff with some real gems in between. Here, you also find major department stores, 100-Yen Stores (Daiso, Seria and Watts are quite prominently represented) and second – hand kimono, drug stores… you name it. One of my favourite shops, Kyukyodo, a centuries-old paper and incense store, is in Teramachi-dori.

Kawaramachi has a large Uniqlo, DonQuijote and Loft that can get rammed with tourists. So, I try to skirt round the masses, but some of my favourite shops like the excellent Kyukyodo for all things paper and incense, Nomura Tailor fabric store, Sou-Sou, and the Ogaki and Maruzen book stores are in that area.

For skin care, hair care and those viral nail clippers, I much prefer going to the larger drug stores outside the centre. Cycle around long enough, and you are bound to come across one.

Clothing… well, I am actually happy to wear the plain Uniqlo style, but I have some reservations on whether the clothes are ethically made, so I just bought socks and one T- Shirt there. I admire the Japanese denim and have bought at Momotaro, who have a lovely shop in Shinmonzen-dori. I also love the traditional attire, but have little to no occasion to wear kimono, so I am always on the lookout for well-made samue. I got one at Musubi Kyoto, who, though tourist-oriented, have some nice samue and huge selection of new yukata.

When it comes to traditional yet useful souvenirs, you cannot go wrong with a lovely furoshiki (wrapping cloth), tenugui (narrow towel) or some cool tabi socks. For those textiles, I love Eirakuya, who are pricey, but have incredible designs – and they have their own museum in Kyoto where you can learn all about tenugui! Not from Kyoto, but available here, are traditionally yuzen-dyed or printed tenugui from Nijiyura (from Sakai) or Kawamanu (from Tokyo).

As hobby cook, I am always looking for something nice for my kitchen, and have bought in the past knives, a super-light iron frying pan, tea utensils and ceramics and a ton of those 100-yen shop things that serve as an everyday reminder of my Japan trips. My single most useful item is perhaps my triangular strainer, followed by the fake lacquer bowls that my husband loves beusse they are light, look nice and are unbreakable.

Most of the stuff I probably buy is food and drink. Be it fine soy sauce, miso soup, and senbei in all permutations, and I always carry a few bottles of Calpis concentrate home. For this, I visit a large supermarket, either LIFE at Shijo Karasuma or Nijo, which are the biggest centrally located supermarkets, or Coop, and I also quite like Matsumoto or Kohyo.

Where to Eat

As someone who cooks at home, I take a big interest on foods in Japan, but I am also vegetarian, so my choices are a bit limited. However… I regularly lapse once or twice and eat quality sushi, and other than that, inexpensive food like okonomiyaki or CoCo Ichiban’s vegetarian curry are my staples, as well vegetarian sushi, which I usually get from a large supermarket, because I feel a bit embarrassed going to a fine shishi joint and ordering just veggie sushi (which is possible but seems a bit cheapskate).

So, my answer is, Shojin-ryori, the vegan cuisine of Buddhist monasteries, and I try to have at least one fine meal each trip. So far, I have been to Ajiro, which was superb, but I felt a bit awkward as a solo diner in a private room. Also, it is rarely cheap – Ajiro was between 4000JPY (for bento-style) to 7000JPY (for the multi-course dinner), but I try to have at least one splurge meal in Japan. I think next, I will save my food budget to visit Daitokuji Ikkyu.

I also check out places that have a Michelin Bib Gourmand, or, well I sometimes walk into totally random places or places I spotted on Googlemaps – I have had Michelin-rated soba at Teuichi Kanei Soba and some amazing aburamochi at the twin restaurants at Imamiya Shrine, just by randomly coming across a small queue of Japanese, and thinking, they are probably up to something good, let’s join them!

Next, I want to try Mamehachi Honten, a tofu restaurant in Pontocho, and a restaurant specializing in yuba (tofu skin) like Seike Yuba.

Therefore, as a vegetarian veering on vegan at home, my to-go meal in Kyoto is a cracking dessert. Usually paired with a cup of fine matcha.

So, my to-go breakfast can be a bun from the convenience store with a large coffee if I rise very early, a leisurely Komeda’s affair, and then I either have a lovely lunch, and which, at the fancy establishments, is a good deal cheaper than dinner. And then, my second main meal will be a dessert. At night, I usually just go for a drink or have something small and light.

Anyway, desserts… there are loads of good ones in Kyoto. I already mentioned said aburamochi.  Charcoal-grilled rice cakes with a sweet soy sauce, eaten in front of the lovely Imamiya shrine, served wth a pot of tea, 600JPY for a big plate.

Then, there are the classic green tea based desserts. After all, Uji is prime tea growing region. The best I found so far were at Tsukigase and Shimizu-Ippoen. Both usually undervisited except on weekends when in-the-know Japanese eat here.

Chain restaurants and cafes

Can’t be doing fine matcha and fancy food all the time, so I have some favourite places that offer pretty good food for little money. First, I have to preclude that in Kyoto, you will find a lot of independent small restaurants, where you can eat at relatively modest prices.

Lunch is usually better value than dinner, and many restaurants will have special lunch sets. Water or green tea or both are usually free.

First, let’s start with my favourite, Komeda’s Coffee. I love Komeda’s – it’s a chain, but it has calm cafes decked out in wood panelling, really nice filter coffee, a very reasonably priced menu of comfort food, and is a lifesaver on early breakfasts and simply calm places to rest. All branches except perhaps the Nijo ones, are great, but my favourite in Kyoto is probably the Karasuma one by Imadegawa Station.

Next comes CoCo Ichibanya, a curry restaurant that serves really, really inexpensive curry on rice. I love that they have a vegetarian curry sauce, and you have different portion sizes you can choose, so nothing gets wasted. You can eat really well for 1000 JPY.

Let’s conclude with a ramen shop: Everyone raves about Ichiran, but the other big Hakata ramen chain, Ippudo, gets less rave. Some of their restaurants in touristy locations, including the Shijo Road one, have vegetarian and vegan broth, which has always been my problem with the small independent ramen places, so worth if you are vegetarian.

Other Practicalities, Etiquette, and Tips

The thing that has elevated my experience the most is learning some Japanese. Yes, I only used Duolingo and a couple community college classes, but it definitely opened doors and made some instant friends. Google Translate works, too, but no wielding around a smartphone here, just saying a few things in Japanese definitely breaks the ice.

It also helps that I am a rather quiet softly spoken person, and I often travel alone and observe what’s around me. I love the Japanese manners and try to mirror them. Of course I still get the irate train station minder or random person, but I must say, for me the greatest annoyances come from fellow tourists – dragging cherry tree branches, photographing strangers without consent, being loud and obnoxious – I definitely had my fair share of cringe moments in the more touristy places.

The Small Print

I have visited Japan several times, the first time being 2004 when I did the standard Tokyo-Kyoto short trip on a modest salary. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Japanese friends of friends who I am still in touch with, and who have been instrumental with advice, great places to visit and shop especially during those first few trips.

Then, I did not visit for many years, and my first trip back was in 2023, six weeks for work, and that’s when I started learning some more Japanese – my first few trips were with very little knowledge of Japanese. I have really fallen in love with the country since, and although I have little ambition to live there, I love to return as often as I can, and have started studying Japanese language and culture in my free time.

All advice on this post on Kyoto on a modest budget post comes from personal experience, and I have paid for all trips myself, save for a small contribution from my employer (around 600 Euro towards tuition fees) on that work-related trip in 2023.

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