STORY With Bus Passes, Save Money on an Extra Fun Trip to Kyoto by Subway! by JNTO on 25 September 2019

Kyoto’s autumn leave season is just around the corner! Particularly famous red-leave viewing spots are the Tofukuji Temple at Daihonsan with magnificent views of red leaves over the Tsutenkyo Bridge,Kiyomizudera Temple with light-up at night, and Enkouji Temple with a traditional garden dyed in red by the bright maple leaves.

 

You definitely do not want to leave without touring around all Kyoto’s famous spots, tasting all its delicious specialty desserts, and savouring the autumn cuisines made with ingredients unqiue to autumn season like matsutake mushroom and saury fish. The conclusion is that you need some convenient free passes for your transportation! Hotspots in Kyoto could be rather scattered, so plan ahead for your route!

 

Paths are Tricky and Spots are Scattered! Something You Might Want to Know about Kyoto

 

Streets of Kyoto are like big squares cut into smaller groups by parallel and perpendicular lines; there are a lot of intersections looking very much alike, so tourists might easily get lost without knowing where the locations are nor what the street names are.

 

Furthermore, tourist attractions are not close to one another, so you do need to plan your route to save time. This is especially true for the peak seasons like spring and autumn as you do not just fight against time, but also the crowds of travellers. More efficient routes will help you get to see more!

 

Some Discount Tickets You Might Want to Know Before Your Visit to Kyoto

 

1- Day (2-Day available too) Pass for Subway and Bus

 

With just one pass, hop on and off all Kyoto city subway lines, city buses,Kyoto buses, and Keihan buses of certain routes for 1 or 2 days! It covers most of the famous hotspots with discount or prestige coupons for over 60 visiting spots in the city including the Heian Jingu Shrine and Uzumasa TOEI Kyoto Studio Park.

 

How to use the transport free pass?

 

For buses, insert the card into the ticket machine on the bus for your first ride and the date will be printed at the back. For subsequent rides, just show your card to the driver!

 

For subway trains, just insert the card and walk through the gate! Remember to take back your ticket!

 

Where to buy the pass?

• Kyoto City Busand Subway information center, commuter pass sales booth, subway station counters and city bus sales office.
• Kyoto bus sales office (Arashiyama, Takano) and information center (Demachiyanagi station)
• Licensed resellers at hotels, inns, and shops in the city.
   

To Nara or Shiga from Kyoto, 1-Day Ticket Gets You There for Your 1-Day Trip

 

We believe that you would want to explore further at other prefectures like Nara and Shiga when you are around in Kyoto. Now, let us look at some handy 1-day passes which can take you there!

 

1. Nara & Ikaruga 1-Day Ticket (provided by Kyoto City Transportation Bureau)

The 1-day ticket covers all Kyoto city subway lines, specified areas of Kintetsu railway, and route buses in Nara and Ikaruga. Imagine the gorgeous Todaiji Temple with its main hall located deep inside the reddish colors of the autumn leaves, Nara Park with sharp contrast between the ever greens and red leaves, and the Hasedera Temple where you can look through the window of its main hall and take in the world vividly painted with shades of red that are incredibly striking with the five-storeyed tower in it; all these red leaves spots are all included in the ticket!

 

 

Where to buy?

• Subway station counters
• City Bus and Subway information center (Transportation Bureau, Kyoto station, Kotochika Kyoto, Kitaoji, Karasumaoike)
• Commuter pass sales booths (Shijo, takeda, Sanjyo Keihan, Rokujizo, Yamashina, Nijo station), etc.

 

2 Getting to Shiga with the Kyoto & Lake Biwa Ticket

 

A discount ticket applicable to all Kyoto city subway lines, Keihan Railway Otsu lines (Keishin line, Ishiyamasakamoto line) and giving you access to unlimited rides on the trains on these lines in 1 day.

 

 

Heihan Railway’s Keishin line can take you from Kyoto to the Otsu area, Shiga in which lies the Ishiyamaji Temple famous for flowers and views of Lake Biwa. With the ticket in your hands, you can enjoy extra discount at the specified car parks, shops, and facilities along the Keihan lines too!

 

Where to buy?

• Subway station counters
• City Bus and Subway information center (Transportation Bureau, Kyoto station, Kotochika Kyoto, Kitaoji, Karasumaoike)
• Commuter pass sales booths (Shijo, takeda, Sanjyo Keihan, Rokujizo, Yamashina, Nijo station), etc.