Kyoto City Bus Basics

GETTING AROUND KYOTO

Bus terminal outside the Kyoto Station.

The most convenient way to explore Kyoto is by bus. The city has a very extensive bus system which could be complicated and overwhelming at first, but they can get you anywhere as long as you know which bus to board. To help you with, you should get yourself a copy of the Kyoto City Bus Travel Map BUS NAVI (there are two sightseeing maps, the simplified one and the more detailed map). They are available at the Kansai International Airport and Kyoto Bus Information Center, outside the Kyoto Station. You could also download them from Bus Navi 1 and Bus Navi 2 and study them in advance.

Major Bus Routes

1) From Kyoto station to Kiyomizudera Temple/Gion: Bus Nos. 100 or 206

-From Hankyu Kawaramachi Station: Bus No. 207 and get off at Kiyomizu-michi

2)  From Kyoto / Hankyu Saiin Station to Ninna-ji Temple: Bus No. 26 and get off at Omuro Ninna-ji (the bus stops right in front of the temple)

Ryo-anji and Kinkaku-ji Temples can be reached from Ninna-ji Temple by Bus No. 59

3) From Hankyu Kawaramachi station to Ginkaku-ji Temple: Bus Nos. 5, 17 or 102 and get off at Ginkakuji-michi

-From Kyoto station:  Bus Nos. 5, 17 or 100

4) From Kyoto Station to Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple: Bus No. C6

5) From Kyoto Station to Nijo Castle: Bus Nos. 9, 50 or 101

How to Ride the Kyoto City Bus

1) Kyoto buses have designated bus stops, which I find incredibly awesome because we don’t have that here. Here in PH, you can ride the bus anywhere! Going back, all bus stops have signs that display schedule of buses that stop at that area (written in Japanese and English). Major bus stops have signs that indicate the approach of the next bus.

Bus stop near Kawaramachi Station

Sign of an approaching next bus

2) Once your bus has arrived, get on the bus from the rear door and exit at the front.

3) Pay the exact bus fare when you get off. There’s a payment box beside the driver: within the flat fare zone costs 230 yen for adults and 120 yen for children (6-12 yo). If you think you're going to ride the bus more than 3 times, I recommend you purchase the Kyoto City Bus One-Day Pass. The One-Day Pass, which costs 500 yen, will let you ride the bus (only for the Flat Fare Zone) as many times as you want valid only for one day.

Ticket vendo

There’s a screen in the bus that displays the route and the next bus stop and at the same time there’s also an announcement of the next stop.

***Kyoto City buses are mostly green colored while Kyoto buses are beige. 

-goodnight-
donna