Free Things to Do in Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kyoto's most photographed sight costs nothing to see: the shrine grounds are free and open 24 hours, and the Senbon Torii tunnel of thousands of vermilion gates climbing Mount Inari is as free to walk as any public path. Go at sunrise for the best light and the emptiest gates. By mid-morning it's the busiest free attraction in the city.

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Yasaka Shrine & Maruyama Park

Yasaka Shrine, marking the boundary between Gion and Higashiyama, charges nothing to enter its main grounds. Only a handful of specific halls and gardens elsewhere in the city carry admission fees. Maruyama Park, immediately behind it, is free parkland that fills with picnickers under its cherry trees in spring and stays a pleasant place to sit the rest of the year.

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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

The quarter-mile footpath through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove has no entrance gate or fee. It's a public path, walkable at any hour, though the towering stalks photograph best in the soft light of early morning before the crowds thicken. Tenryu-ji, right beside it, does charge for its garden (¥500), but the grove itself never has.

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Walking the Historic Lanes

None of Kyoto's most atmospheric streets charge admission: Higashiyama's Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka lanes, Gion's Hanamikoji-dori, and Pontocho's lantern-lit alley along the Kamo River are all free to walk, day or night. Nishiki Market is free to browse too. Sampling from its stalls is the only cost, and it's a good way to eat well on a small budget.

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Budgeting for the Rest

Free sights can fill a full day or two, and Kyoto's paid attractions (Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera's main hall, Nijo Castle) are each inexpensive, typically ¥500–1,000. Transport and food add up faster. An IC card and a plan for meals (see the food guide) will do more for a Kyoto budget than skipping the paid sights.