Kyoto has a reputation for being overwhelmed, and on a Saturday afternoon in November it is. What that reputation misses is how sharply the city empties either side of the middle of the day.
Almost every complaint you will read about Kyoto is a complaint about being somewhere between ten and four.
The one rule
Fushimi Inari is open all night and has no gate. At half past six in the morning you can walk the first thousand torii with maybe twenty other people on the mountain. At eleven you will queue to move.
The same applies at Kiyomizu-dera, at the Arashiyama bamboo grove, and along the Philosopher's Path. Set an alarm for two of your mornings and you will see a different city from the one most visitors describe.
Two early mornings will do more for your impression of Kyoto than two extra days.
Where to base yourself
Downtown Nakagyo, between the Kamo river and Karasuma, is the practical choice: walkable to Nishiki market and Pontocho, on both subway lines, and full of restaurants that are not aimed at visitors.
Higashiyama is more atmospheric and more expensive, and puts you inside the temple district for those early starts. Kyoto Station is convenient and soulless — fine for one night, disappointing for four.
Getting around
Kyoto's subway is small — two lines — so buses do most of the work. Buy an IC card at the airport and tap on and off; it also works in convenience stores and vending machines.
The city is flat and cycling is excellent. A hire bike costs around ¥1,000 a day and turns the 40-minute bus journey from Ginkaku-ji to the centre into a pleasant twenty minutes along the river.
What to skip
The Gion 'geisha spotting' walks. They are uncomfortable for everyone involved, and several streets in the district now prohibit photography for exactly this reason. Book a proper ozashiki experience if the culture interests you, or leave the working district alone.
Kinkaku-ji, the golden pavilion, is beautiful and takes eleven minutes to see behind three rows of people. If your schedule is tight, Daitoku-ji's sub-temples give you more for the same hour.
