Itinerary

Seven Days in Kyoto.
Done Properly.

Kyoto rewards time. A long weekend gives you the temples; a week gives you the city — its rhythms, its food, its particular quality of stillness that operates beneath and alongside the tourist infrastructure.

This itinerary moves through four distinct properties across Kyoto's main districts, each chosen not simply for quality but for the different perspective on the city that its location and character make possible. The sequence matters: arrival at the river, immersion in the eastern hills, rest in Higashiyama, a day lost in the western forest, and then north, into the trees, to close.

Day 1–2

Arrival & The River

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

Arrive by Shinkansen from Tokyo and check in at the Ritz-Carlton on the Kamogawa. Spend the first afternoon doing nothing deliberate — walk the riverbank south toward Fushimi, eat something simple, orient yourself. Kyoto requires decompression before it rewards attention. On the second morning, cross the Nijo Bridge and walk into the Nishiki covered market before the tourist footfall reaches critical mass. The market's produce stalls, tsukemono shops, and tofu makers provide an early lesson in what Kyoto's food culture actually looks like before it reaches the kaiseki table.

Day 3

Higashiyama on Foot

Park Hyatt Kyoto

Move to the Park Hyatt in Higashiyama. This is where a Kyoto itinerary earns its ambition: Higashiyama is dense with temples, craft workshops, and stone-paved lanes that have maintained roughly their current character since the Edo period. Walk from Kiyomizudera down through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka — the crowds are real, but manageable before 8am. Spend the afternoon in the hotel; the hillside library and Kengo Kuma's architecture justify the time spent inside as much as anything outside.

Day 4

Wellness & The Eastern Hills

Six Senses Kyoto

Transfer within Higashiyama to Six Senses Kyoto for a night oriented around the body. Schedule a full-day wellness program: morning movement, a long spa treatment, the property's thermal facilities. This day is not for temples. The discipline required to give a single day entirely to rest — in a city as architecturally and culturally rich as Kyoto — is itself an exercise in the kind of intentional travel that makes a week-long stay more than a checklist.

Day 5

Arashiyama

Suiran, Arashiyama

Cross to the western hills. Check in at Suiran on the Oi River and spend the afternoon in Arashiyama at a time when most day-trippers have already departed. The bamboo grove is extraordinary in low light — early morning or late afternoon, when the color of the canes shifts from green toward gold. Walk the Sagano forest path. Tenryu-ji's garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a pond that reflects the Arashiyama hills in its surface, merits at least an hour of unhurried attention.

Day 6–7

The Forest Retreat

Aman Kyoto

End the week in the north at Aman Kyoto. The two nights here function as a different kind of experience — forest rather than city, private onsen rather than shared temple. The property's woodland paths and meditation garden create conditions for the week's accumulated impressions to settle. On Day 7, spend the morning in the grounds before the return Shinkansen. The transition from Aman's cryptomeria forest back to the compressed energy of a high-speed rail carriage makes clear how completely the week has moved between registers.

Before You Go

Practical notes

When to go

November (autumn foliage) and late March to April (cherry blossom) are peak periods — exceptional but crowded. May, September, and October offer a more measured experience with strong weather.

Getting between properties

Taxi is the most practical option within Kyoto for luggage transfers. The city's bus network is comprehensive but slow during peak periods. The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto takes approximately 2 hours 15 minutes on the Nozomi.

Reservations

Kaiseki dinners at properties like the Ritz-Carlton and Aman Kyoto should be reserved at the time of booking. Nishiki Market is best experienced independently, without a guide.

Properties Featured

The full collection