Kyoto has made headlines in recent years for becoming unbearably overcrowded, with more than 75 million visitors now visiting the Kyoto prefecture every year. Kyoto is a spectacular city, but without some careful planning, the crowds could define your visit. After my own recent trip to Kyoto, I’ve written this guide on how to avoid the crowds in Kyoto, and how to plan your Kyoto itinerary in a way that will help you get the most out of your time in this awe-inspiring city in Japan.

Home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, well-preserved historic districts that escaped WWII bombing, magnificent palaces, temples and Japanese gardens, Kyoto is one of the most rewarding travel destinations in the world. It’s no wonder that the tourists keep coming!

Even during our visit, which was during shoulder season, I was sometimes shocked by the crowding in popular sights and districts in Kyoto. However, during our trip we found ways to avoid major crowds at some sights, and a number of spots where crowding was not as much of a problem.

I’ve written this mini guide to avoiding crowds in Kyoto to help you plan your trip to Kyoto in a way that will minimise problems from overcrowding and help you to get the best experience from your trip.

Crowds will likely be part of your experience in Kyoto, however there are a few things you can do to mitigate crowding – and be less of a contributor to the overcrowding, yourself.

1. Plan your day around sights that open early

This may sound obvious, but this first step to avoiding the crowds in Kyoto matters more for some sights than others. Many temples in Kyoto open very early, as early as 6am or 7am, which means you can often add an extra activity to your itinerary before your typical day would begin. Not only will these beautiful locations be less crowded, but there is something magical about the morning light and the peaceful atmosphere of the early mornings at sacred sites.

Naturally, you will be limited by how many days you will wake up in Kyoto. If you’re staying in Kyoto for two nights, you’ll have two opportunities to get to a major temple at opening. If you’re lucky, you might find another activity that opens later, say at 8am or 9am, that you can visit afterwards, and also beat the crowds.

Major sights in Kyoto that open early

Kiyomuzi-dera Temple – Kiyomuzidera is one of the most iconic temple complexes in Kyoto, and one of the most popular to visit. It opens at 6am year-round, which is the perfect time to visit. We arrived around 7am, during early November (shoulder season), by which time it was beginning to get busier but at a comfortable level. It was very busy by the time we left at 9am. Kiyomuzi-dera is in Kyoto’s main sightseeing district, Southern Higashiyama, so you’ll benefit twice from the early start, as you have a better chance of experiencing this historic neighbourhood before the hordes descend.

Kinkaku-Ji (Silver Pavilion) – Kinkaku-Ji, also known as Silver Pavilion, has one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in Kyoto, and is one of the most important temples in Northern Higashiyama. It opens at 8:30am from March-November and 9am from December to February, so you don’t need to start your day as early to beat the crowds.

Fushimi Inari Taisha – Fushimi Inari Taisha is instantly recognisable for its series of walking trails that are framed by thousands of vermillion tori gates, and has become emblematic of Kyoto. The shrine is open 24/7, with no entrance fees, so this one is well worth getting up at dawn for. It’s located on the outskirts of Kyoto, so factor in travel time and train schedules. This site gets uncomfortably overcrowded, so it is worth prioritising this one for one of your early morning stars if you plan to visit.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – The Arashiyama bamboo grove is open 24/7, and there are no entrance fees or ticket office. Personally, I found the bamboo grove to be a little bit underwhelming, but it was worth getting up early to take the train out to Arashiyama before it became extremely overcrowded. However, if you arrive before 7:30 or 8am, you’ll be well timed to visit the bamboo grove before Tenryu-Ji opens at 8:30am

Tenryu-Ji Temple – Tenryu-Ji Temple is one of the most important zen temples in Kyoto and has one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in the city. It opens at 8:30am, so it is a little easier to arrive at opening time. We arrived very close to opening time and there was already a steady stream of visitors.

2. Use the rain to your advantage

This relies on luck, but if it rains, take advantage! Kyoto rains 115 days per year, so there is a good chance of some rain during your visit. This is a huge win, providing it doesn’t become too torrential.

We visited Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) on a rainy afternoon, and it really cleared out most of the crowds. I had a raincoat and David had an umbrella, and the soft rain enhanced the tranquility of the temple gardens. This temple is one of the most significant in Kyoto, so it would have been extremely busy in the afternoon, had it not been raining. We did eventually get completely rained out of our afternoon, but we’d already visited Ginkaku-ji, so were happy to cut our wandering short and head back to the hotel.

There are some sights which might be slippery or muddy in the rain, such as the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which I would not recommend in the rain.

Popular Kyoto sights to visit in the rain

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) – As mentioned above, we visited in the rain and had a lovely experience. It is entirely outdoors, so you’ll need an umbrella or raincoat, and to watch your step on the trails that wind around the hill on the back of the property.

Nijo-Ji Castle – The highlight of any visit to Nijo-Ji Castle is the magnificent screen paintings inside Ninomaru Palace. While there are gardens and grounds to explore, I think these would be very manageable in mild rain, and obviously the touring of the palace is entirely indoors.

Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavilion) – Entirely outdoors, but also a bit of a hike from central Kyoto, so you might find that the prospect of public transport in the rain (& and outdoor site) deters the crowds. 

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-Ji – If the rain can clear some of the crowds at Arashiyama, I think you’d be in luck – I imagine a bamboo forest would be beautiful in some mild rain. Tenryu-Ji gardens are also fairly easy to navigate, so I don’t think you’d have too much of a problem visiting in the rain. Keep in mind that both sights are a walk from the Arashiyama train station, so you will be spending a bit of time outdoors.

3. Plan around Kyoto sights that are less impacted by crowds

There are also some spots where crowding either doesn’t drastically detract from the experience, are well-designed to accommodate large crowds, or are a natural part of the experience. I wouldn’t waste my precious early morning hours trying to “beat the crowds” at these Kyoto sights, because they are okay under more crowded conditions.

For example, we visited Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavilion) late in the morning, but it is well-designed to cater to large crowds. The pavilion is situated on the edge of a lake, with the path winding around the lake, so you won’t have tourists ruining your view of the pavilion.

Nishiki Market gets very crowded throughout the day, but in my opinion, a lively atmosphere is part of food market experience. Nijo Castle & the Ninomaru Palace is popular, but as you can’t take photos inside the palace, it softens the impact of the crowds – and I’m very grateful for it.

Kyoto sights that aren’t badly impacted by crowds

Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavilion) – It’s one of the most beautiful and famous temples in Kyoto, and yet I don’t think you need to get up at the crack of dawn to enjoy a visit to Kinkaku-Ji. We visited in the middle of the day, presumably during peak crowds, and still had a really pleasant visit. The pavilion is situated on the edge of a large ornamental lake, and the tourist path winds around the lake. As long as you can stop for a moment, up against the edge of the trail, you’ll have no problems getting a beautiful view of Kinkaku-Ji, without any tourists obscuring your view (or your photo). As far as popular sights go, this one is one of the most manageable amongst the crowds.

Nishiki Market – Nishiki Market is Kyoto’s covered food shopping street, lined with hundreds of food vendors. It’s an excellent place to have a late breakfast or lunch, and is naturally very crowded by late morning. We visited around lunch time, and even though it was very crowded, we still enjoyed our visit. In my opinion, a market should be bustling! You can’t eat and walk at Nishiki, which would be frankly dangerous in the crowds, but there are spots to sit and eat and we never had trouble finding a table. We visit the Kuromon Market in Osaka, which is very similar, around 8:30am and had breakfast, and while I enjoyed the peacefulness at first, and watching shops open for the day, it was much livelier once the market filled up and got going.

Nijo-Ji Castle – Nijo-Ji Castle was built by the shogunate, and was built to rival the imperial palace. The Ninomaru Palace, inside the castle grounds, was one of the most beautiful sights I saw in Kyoto. We visited in the afternoon, a time that you’d expect to be at peak crowds, and yet it was fairly manageable. The castle grounds are expansive, so there’s no issues when you’re exploring the grounds. No photos are allowed inside the palace, which is a blessing, because it keeps the crowd moving. While there is a crowd around each doorway, which offers a view inside the palace chambers, the crowds tend not to linger for too long. It is such a blessing that they don’t allow photos, which would make it a nightmare!

Pontocho Precinct – Pontocho is Kyoto’s riverside dining precinct. The long street is lined with historic shop fronts of restaurants and bars, and really comes to life around mealtimes. It gets much busier, but when it is busy, it is existing as it should be – a lively restaurant street!

4. Visit in Off Season

I visited Kyoto in shoulder season, in the first week of November, before peak foliage. There were still lots of crowds. I’m not sure how much you can expect the crowds to disappear in off-season, but you could try your luck. At the very least, you’ll save a stack of money on accommodation.

Off season in Kyoto is from December to February, and you’ll have the added benefit of lower prices and the chance to see snow-covered temples. I’ve travelled in Europe through December-February, and found many positives to visiting this time of year, even though blue skies were few and far between. There is something very lovely about off season, and rewarding in its own right.

If you’re visiting during the peak of peak season, for cherry blossom season, in late March and early April, you’ll have your work cut out for you to avoid the crowds, but hopefully the beauty of blooming cherry blossoms will be all worth it!

5. Remember that you are part of the crowd

It is an uncomfortable truth, that you and I are just as much a part of the problem as the “other” tourists creating crowds. We all contribute equally to the crowds. If it weren’t for all those other tourists, it would be perfect, right?

Even when we are being as responsible and respectful as possible, by not letting our group take up the whole path, not stopping dead in a pathway to take photos or waving around selfie sticks, we are all part of the crowd.

Keeping this perspective in mind can take the sting out of the frustrations of major crowds, even if it can’t make the crowds go away. It is hard to get too bothered by the crowd, when you acknowledge that you are part of it, and everyone visiting is probably just as excited to see this place as you are. You know, “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change” and all that.

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