TRAVEL PLAN

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PURPOSE

• To know the culture and traditions of other places in our country and other country.
• For a little break in our stressful life.
• To have fun while you’re still alive.
THINGS NEEDED

• Clothes (10 pairs)

• Hygeine
• Passport
1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Soap
4. Shampoo
• Money (50,000 pesos-National)
(150,000 pesos-International)
SCHEDULE

Time Place
3:00-4:30 AM PAYO-VIRAC AIRPORT
4:31-4:55 AM SNACK
4:59-7:44 AM VIRAC AIRPORT-MACTAN,CIA
7:50-9:00 AM MIA-CEBU CITY
SCHEDULE

Time Activity
3:00 AM-12:00PM CEBU- OSAKA KANSAI INTL
12:02-12:45PM SNACK
12:50PM- 2:40PM OSAKA KANSAI AIRPORT-KYOTO
ABOUT KYOTO, JAPAN

• Kyoto, the erstwhile imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the 19 th century.
Most travelers booking a trip to Osaka, include Kyoto on their itinerary and it is easy to
understand why. 
• Kyoto may not be as colossal as other cities in Japan (although historically it was, until it
was bested by Tokyo and Osaka), but it is absolutely soaked in history and traditions.  In
fact, this traditional Japanese city is peppered with more or less 2,000 sacred temples and
shrines including 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
ABOUT KYOTO

• Kyoto is the cradle of Japanese culture, exploring this charming city is like walking back
in time. The city is blissfully dappled with ancient temples and shrines, imperial palace
and castles and classical Japanese gardens, all of these vying for your attention. In Kyoto,
you’ll still see elderly women sporting their kimonos and geishas and miko still
entertaining visitors (at exorbitant prices though). With so much to see and do in Kyoto,
you’ll probably be templed out, so plan your itinerary well to balance the visit to shrines,
temples and museums and shopping at traditional shops.
WHERE IS KYOTO, JAPAN

• So where exactly is Kyoto? Kyoto is a city situated in Kyoto Prefecture in Kansai Region
on Honshu Island, Japan. Since Kyoto doesn’t have its own airport, the nearest
international airport is Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan. If you are planning a
trip to Kyoto, might as well include Osaka, Nara, Kobe or Himeji in your travel plan.
BEST TIME TO VISIT

• Just like Osaka, Kyoto is also a year round destination, but spring attracts the most tourists because
of the cherry blossom season. This period usually starts around mid-March until cherry blossoms
reaches its full bloom roughly 2nd week of April.
• But if you are like me who wants to see Kyoto in varied colors, visit around November to
December due to the autumn foliage. Not as swamped as spring, but definitely as charming.
• If you are living in Southeast Asia and you want to experience snowfall,  Japan is one of the nearest
countries to tick that off your bucket-list. Winter in Japan starts in December and ends in February.
• Nonetheless, whatever season you plan to see Kyoto, you will not get disappointed, because Kyoto
parades its allure all season.
• Exchanged your money near the arrival area of Kansai International Airport (KIX) in
Osaka.   Otherwise, you can just withdraw from the ATMs in 7-Eleven around Kyoto city.
 Take note that many ATMs in Japan do not accept foreign credit card, debit card or
ATMs.  Withdrawal fee is JPY 600 / PHP 300/ USD 6.   Do inform your bank that you
will be traveling to Japan just to ensure that you won’t have a problem withdrawing
overseas because for security purposes, some banks  block the card whenever they notice
suspicious foreign transactions.
HOW TO GET TO
KYOTO FROM
OSAKA
BY TRAIN
BY TRAIN

• If you are just traveling within the Kansai Region in Japan, you can purchase a JR West Kansai Area
Railpass here. From Kansai International Airport in Osaka, to get to Kyoto, you can ride a train.
• Haruka train departs every 30 minutes, so about 2 trains per hour.  Travel time is about 1 hour and 40
minutes.  Fare is about PHP 847 / JPY 1,880 / USD 35.  Non-reserved seat fee PHP 970 /JPY 1,114 / USD
9.  Reserved seat fee is PHP 761 / JPY 1,690 / USD 15. Green seat is PHP / JPY 2,250 / USD 20.  So total
fare is around PHP 1,608 to PHP 1,817/ JPY 3,570 to JPY 3,350/ USD 35 to USD 44.
• If you want to save on Haruka train ride, use your JR Railpass, or your ICOCA Card. If you have a JR
Railpass, you can ride the Haruka train, a limited express train to Kyoto for free.  Since Haruka train is a
limited service, you need a fare ticket (passing the gate) for non-reserved travel and a limited express
ticket (Haruka ticket).
BY TRAIN

• In case you don’t have a JR Railpass, you can also use the ICOCA Card, you can
purchase the ICOCA Card here  for fare ticket (passing the gate) and just purchase a
Haruka ticket from the conductor onboard the train. 
• ICOCA & HARUKA is a set of cards: ICOCA IC Card pre-charged with JPY 1,500 / PHP
676/ USD 13.47 + a discounted ticket for the Kansai-Airport Express HARUKA.  You can
use the ICOCA Card on JR, subway, private railway and bus transportation and even for
shopping in the Kansai Area and beyond, meanwhile, the Kansai-Airport Express HARUKA
offers direct trip from Kansai-airport Station to Tennoji, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Stations. 
Take note that Haruka doesn’t stop at Osaka Station, only at Shin-Osaka Station.
BY JR RAILPASS TRAIN

• From Kansai International Airport (KIK), to get to Kyoto City, you can also take the JR
Airport Rapid Train to Osaka Station.  Then at Osaka Station, take another train at JR
Kyoto Line to Kyoto. Travel time is about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
BY CAR

• From Kansai international Airport, there are limousine buses that can take you directly to
Osaka or Kyoto.  You can
purchase a bus ticket for the airport transfer to Osaka and Kyoto  here. 
BY TAXI

• From Kansai international Airport, there are limousine buses that can take you directly to
Osaka or Kyoto.  You can
purchase a bus ticket for the airport transfer to Osaka and Kyoto  here. 
GETTING AROUND KYOTO
GETTING AROUND
KYOTO, JAPAN
GETTING AROUND KYOTO

• The trains connect each city or destinations to another.  It might look complex for a first-
timer, but if you observe well and use the train often, you’ll get the hang of it.  Same with
buses, almost everything in Kyoto is connected by a network of bus routes.
BY TRAIN (JR LINES)

• If you have a JR Pass, you can use it in getting to some of Kyoto’s top attractions like
Fushimi Inari Station, Tofuku-ji Temple, Uji and Arashiyama from Kyoto Station. 
Kyoto’s train system is made up of JR Lines and other private lines like Hankyu Lines. 
You can also use your JR Pass to travel to nearby cities like Osaka, Nara and Kobe.  You
can purchase a JR West Rail Pass here  if you are only traveling in Kansai Region.  If
you are traveling beyond Kansai, for example you are going to Kyoto or Nagoya, I
recommend buying a JR Rail Pass.
BY TRAIN (HANKYU LINES)

• For unlimited train travel on all Hankyu Lines in Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, you can
purchase a Hankyu 1 Day or 2 day Pass here.    Tickets start at PHP 364 / JPY 808 /
USD 7.25
BY BUS

• One of my favorite ways  for Kyoto sightseeing is by bus because they have routes that cover
the entire city.  Getting around by bus in Japan is not as convenient as by train, but it is
enjoyable and information is easy to come by. While most city buses runs from 7:00 AM until
9:00 PM daily, a few start as early as 5:30 AM until 11:00 PM. When the bus and subway
systems close for the night, generally around midnight, your only option will be riding a cab. I
suggest getting a bus map from the Tourist Information Center so you’ll have an idea about the
bus route.
• I highly recommend getting on the Raku Buses as they are meant for tourist sight-seeing. If you
board the regular city buses, many of them don’t have signs in English, unlike the Raku Bus.
BY BUS

• Now you might ask what is a Raku Bus and how do I spot it? Raku Buses are pink-colored loop
buses that run through Kyoto’s key tourist destinations. They are easy to spot as they have the
following numbers and routes:
• Raku Bus 100 leaves regularly from Kyoto Station from 7:40 AM to 05:00 PM with the
following route: Kyoto Station National Museum & Sanjusangendo Temple → Kiyomizudera
Temple → Gion→ Heianjingu Shrine → Ginkakuji Temple
• Raku Bus 101 departs regularly from Kyoto Station from 8:00 AM to 04:30 PM with the
following route:Kyoto Station →Nijo-jo Castle → Kitano Tenmangu Shrine → Kinkakuji
Temple →Daitokuji Temple → Kitaoji Bus Terminal
BY BUS

• Raku Bus 102 departs from the Ginkakuji-michi Bus Stop from 8:04 AM to 4:34 PM with the following route:
Ginkakuji Temple → Kyoto Imperial Palace→Kitano Tenmangu Shrine → Kinkakuji Temple → Daitokuji Temple
→ Kitaoji Bus Terminal.
• I recommend  buying a Kyoto City Bus Pass or purchase a Kansai Thru Pass here for unlimited rides on
subways, railways and buses across Kansai and Osaka Bay Region (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe) for 2 or 3 days.
• You can use your Kyoto City Bus Pass or Kansai Thru Pass on Raku Buses that I discussed above.  .  When you
board the Kyoto City Bus Pass or your Kansai Thru Pass with your 1 or 2 day pass for the first time, the first time
you get off the bus, you need to enter the card on the card slot and the date will be printed. Then the next time you
board the bus, just show the card with the date to the driver.  In case you board the non-flat fare routes bus, you need
to enter the card again to the card slot.  You will be billed extra if your stop is outside the short distance (flat fare)
route.  Flat rate bus fare is JPY 230 / PHP 102/ USD 2 for adults and JPY 120 / PHP 53.45 / USD 1.07 for kids.
BY BUS

• At each bus stop, a guidepost indicates the stop name, the bus route, the bus number and
even a timetable for services on weekdays and weekends and public holidays.  Take note
that when riding a bus in Kyoto, you have to enter at the rear door and exit at the front
door.   There is a paper ticket dispensing machine beside the driver, tell the driver where
you are going and drop the exact fare there. If you are riding the Raku Bus, the next stop
will be announced in Japanese and sometimes English.
KYOTO SIGHT-
SEEING TOUR
KIMONO RENTAL

• Many foreign tourists visiting Kyoto like to dress up in Kimono while traveling around
famous destinations in Kyoto.  You can RENT KIMONO HERE  
• That’s the cheapest rate I’ve seen.
KYOTO TOWER
KYOTO TOWER

• Crowns downtown Kyoto.

• Has a platform where visitors can view Kyoto City.\
• There’s a public bath on the ground floor.
• 789.88 JPN Yen per person.
• Opens from 9:00 AM to 9:00PM
• Walking distance from Kyoto Station(Karasuma side) facing the bus station.
NIJO CASTLE
• Nijo Castle ( 二条城 , Nijōjō) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa
Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867).
• The entrance fee is 600 JPN Yen.
• Nijo Castle is Kyoto's largest and best preserved castle. It consists of two fortifications
(kuruwa) in Japanese. The Ninomaru Palace, the main fortification of the castle, and the
ruins of the Honmaru Palace, the second fortification, as well as support buildings and
gardens. The castle is surrounded by stone walls and moats. 
• The castle is especially popular with those interested in Japanese history. The founder of
the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, ordered all of Japan's fuedal lords to
construct the castle, which was completed in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, another castle
in Kyoto, including its main tower, were moved to Nijo Castle during the last year of its
construction. The castle served as the shogunate's residence during his visits to Kyoto. 
• Today, the Ninomaru Palace is the main attraction of the castle. It is very well preserved,
and has intricately decorated ceilings, elegantly painted sliding doors, tatami (bamboo
mat) floors, and "nightengale floors," which squeak when walked on. The purpose of
those floors was to serve as an alert against intruders. The tour route guides visitors past
many of the rooms in the castle, and different types of rooms used for different guests of
the shogun are on display. Visitors to the shogun of high rank would sit with him in view
on a raised floor, surrounded by bodyguards.
• Other visitors were only allowed in adjoining rooms where they could not even view the
shogun directly. Along with these receiving rooms, living quarters, servants' quarters, and
office speace are also on the tour route. Outside of the Ninomaru Palace is the Ninomaru
Garden, which is a traditional Japanese garden. 
KYOTO IMPERIAL PALACE
• Other than five-day Open Days during spring and fall when the Imperial Palace is open
to the general public, you must apply in advance to receive permission to view the
palace. The Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office, located inside the walled park
surrounding the palace, controls entry to the Palace.
• Kyoto Imperial Palace, which was the residence of the Imperial Family until the capital
was moved to Tokyo in 1869, is located in Kyoto Gyoen Park. Within the Imperial Palace
grounds, which are enclosed by a roofed earthen wall, are the Seiryo-den (Palace Hall)
and the Kogosho (Minor Palace), which are highly reminiscent of this dynastic age.
• Guided tours in English are given at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Monday to Friday and at 10
a.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Once you receive permission, you should arrive
at the meeting point 20 minutes prior to the start of the tour.

* Address: 3 Kyoto Gyoen, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, 602-0881

KYOTO MANGA MUSEUM
• The Kyoto International Manga Museum ( 京都国際マンガミュージアム , Kyōto
Kokusai Manga Museum) was opened in November of 2006. It consists of three floors
and a basement, and most of its walls are lined with shelves of manga. Browsing this
massive collection of manga is one of the museum's main attractions. A small section of
the books is dedicated to foreign and translated manga, but the vast majority is in
Japanese.
• 800 JPN Yen per person.
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