- Season
Kyoto autumn leaves 2026: when to go and how to avoid the crowds
Typical peak timing by area, what is already confirmed for 2026, and quieter alternatives.
- Reservations
Kyoto places you must reserve in advance — and exactly how
Imperial villas, the moss temple and more: booking windows, fees and whether you can book in English.
- Transport
Getting around Kyoto in 2026: passes, buses and travelling without your luggage
Which pass is worth it, when to take the train instead of the bus, and how to send your bags ahead.
- Sights
Fushimi Inari Taisha: getting there, the shrine's rules, and autumn festivals
How to reach Fushimi Inari, the rules the shrine asks visitors to follow, and the dates of its autumn 2026 festivals, from the shrine's own site.
- Manners
Gion etiquette: private lanes, photos and maiko
Why some Gion lanes are closed to tourists, the ¥10,000 charge on the signs, where you can still walk and take photos, and how to treat maiko.
- Money
Kyoto accommodation tax 2026: how much you pay per night
Kyoto's per-night lodging tax went up on 1 March 2026. The official rates, how the room price is counted, and who pays.
- Sights
Kiyomizu-dera 2026: opening hours, night viewings and how to get there
Kiyomizu-dera's 2026 opening hours by season, the autumn night viewing dates, the bus and train routes, and its photo rules.
- Day trip
Arashiyama in one day: Tenryu-ji, the Sagano train and the river boat
Tenryu-ji's hours, fees and early-morning openings in November, how to book the Sagano Romantic Train, and the Hozugawa river boat, from the official sites.
- Sights
Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion): hours, tickets, buses and photo rules
Kinkaku-ji's opening hours, admission, the bus routes to Kinkakuji-michi and the temple's rules on photos, from the temple's own pages.
- Sights
Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion): seasonal hours and what to know
Ginkaku-ji's summer and winter hours, closing rules, how long a visit takes and what the temple asks of visitors, from the temple's own FAQ.
- Sights
Nijo-jo Castle 2026: hours, tickets, closed days and the autumn festival
Nijo-jo Castle's opening hours, ticket prices, the days the palaces are closed, the photo ban inside, and the Nijo-jo Matsuri 2026 light-up dates.
- Food
Nishiki Market: how to visit, and why you shouldn't eat while walking
Kyoto's 390-metre food market: the nearest stations, when shops close, and the market's own request about eating while you walk.
- Sights
Sanjusangen-do: opening hours, tickets and how to get there
Sanjusangen-do's seasonal opening hours, admission, and the bus and train routes, from the temple's own visitor page.
The weekly heads-up
One short email a week: what opens for booking, what is about to get crowded, what changed. Sign-up opens with the public launch.