The pass: Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass
- Price: adults ¥1,100, children ¥550.
- Covers: both subway lines (Karasuma and Tozai), every Kyoto City Bus route, and parts of the Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus and West JR Bus networks.
- Also covers the tourist express buses described below, at no extra charge.
- Where to buy: subway station windows, city bus and subway information centres, and on board city buses.
A single city bus ride is ¥230, so the pass pays for itself on the fifth ride — or sooner if you use the ¥500 express bus. If you only plan two or three rides in a day, just pay as you go.
You may see older guides recommending a cheaper bus-only one-day pass. Kyoto City stopped selling it at the end of September 2023, to ease crowding on buses.
How city buses work
- Board through the rear door. Pay when you get off at the front.
- Flat fare in the central zone: adults ¥230, children ¥120.
- Pay with cash, a day pass, or an IC card such as ICOCA, Suica or PASMO.
- The city's bus guide says credit cards and the Japan Rail Pass cannot be used. Get an IC card or carry coins.
The tourist express bus (weekends and holidays only)
Kyoto runs two express routes from Kyoto Station aimed squarely at sightseers. They run on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only.
| Route | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| EX100 | Kyoto Station → Gojozaka → Kiyomizu-dera → Gion → Okazaki Park → Ginkakuji, and back |
| EX101 | Kyoto Station → Gojozaka → Kiyomizu-dera → Kyoto Station |
The fare is ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for children by cash or IC card — or nothing extra with the Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass. Unlike ordinary buses, you board at the front and pay as you get on.
Take the train when there is one
- Fushimi Inari: JR Nara Line to Inari Station, five minutes from Kyoto Station, and the shrine is right outside. Or Keihan Main Line to Fushimi-Inari Station, a five-minute walk.
- Arashiyama: three different stations serve it — JR Saga-Arashiyama, Randen Arashiyama and Hankyu Arashiyama. They are not next to each other, so check which one your route uses.
JR, Keihan, Hankyu and Randen are separate companies, and the city's day pass does not cover their trains.
Don't bring a suitcase on the bus
Kyoto City's guidance is blunt: drivers and station staff may refuse luggage they judge too large or too much. If you do board with a suitcase, keep it directly in front of you and hold it so it cannot roll; carry backpacks on your front, not your back. On a packed bus in November that is hard work, so storing or sending your bags is the better plan.
The official Hands Free Kyoto portal lists vetted counters in and around Kyoto Station that store bags or deliver them to your hotel. Prices and hours vary by service, so check the counter you plan to use.
One cost to budget for: the accommodation tax
Kyoto's accommodation tax rose on 1 March 2026. It is charged per person, per night, on top of your room rate:
| Room rate per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥6,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥6,000 – ¥19,999 | ¥400 |
| ¥20,000 – ¥49,999 | ¥1,000 |
| ¥50,000 – ¥99,999 | ¥4,000 |
| ¥100,000 and over | ¥10,000 |
Sources
- Kyoto City Transportation Bureau, Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass: https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/page/0000028378.html
- Bus one-day pass discontinued: https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/page/0000309762.html
- How to ride city buses: https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/ja/bus/howtoride_bus.html
- Tourist express bus: https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/ja/bus/limited_express.html
- Large baggage guidance: https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/ja/support/pop_large_baggage.html
- Fushimi Inari Taisha access: https://inari.jp/access/
- Hands Free Kyoto: https://hands-free.kyoto.travel/?lang=en
- Kyoto City accommodation tax revision: https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/gyozai/page/0000345893.html