5 Days in Kyoto in Autumn: A Foliage-Focused Itinerary

Five days gives you enough time to see Kyoto's major autumn color spots without racing between them on the same day — this itinerary spreads them across the city by neighborhood rather than by a fixed checklist.

Day 1: Higashiyama

Start in the eastern hills district. Kiyomizu-dera's wooden stage looks out over a hillside that turns color early in the season, and the surrounding lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka are worth a slow walk regardless of the season.

Day 2: Arashiyama

Spend the day in the west, combining the bamboo grove with Tenryu-ji's garden and the view from Togetsukyo Bridge — see our full Arashiyama autumn guide for the neighborhood in more depth.

Day 3: Tofuku-ji and Fushimi Inari

Tofuku-ji's Tsutenkyo bridge, looking down into a valley of maples, is one of the most distinctive autumn views in the city. Fushimi Inari's thousands of vermillion gates aren't primarily an autumn draw, but it's close by and worth combining into the same day.

Day 4: Eikan-do and Nanzen-ji, with an evening illumination

These two temples sit near each other in the northern Higashiyama area. If your dates line up with an illumination event, this is the evening to use it — see our autumn illuminations guide for what to expect.

Day 5: A flexible day

Use the last day for whatever you missed, a return visit to a favorite spot in better light, or simply wandering Nishiki Market and central Kyoto without a fixed plan.

Timing this trip around the right week matters more than almost anything else — see our guide to Kyoto in November for how peak color timing generally unfolds.