Across two family trips to Kyoto, we have been in the city with a baby, a 1.5-year-old toddler and a 4-year-old child. Visiting Kyoto with kids can be fun. I hope sharing our experiences helps you plan a trip to Kyoto with your family.
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Where to stay in Kyoto with kids
The attractions in Kyoto are quite spread out but as long as you stay around the area near Kyoto Station you will be able to reach them all. Kyoto has subway stations and a bus system. During both our trips to Kyoto, we stayed at a Citadines apartment hotel but unfortunately, it has now closed. We appreciated having a kitchenette when staying in Kyoto with young kids.
Here are some options that have a similar apartment-style room for families:
MIMARU Kawaramachi Gojo – A popular brand for family accommodation in Japan. This one is a great option for larger families. They have several hotels in Kyoto but I like the location of this one near the Kamo River. It’s very close to where we stayed and walked to Kiyomizu-dera.
RESI STAY Heart – More budget-friendly but rooms are smaller and no options for larger families. The location is close to Kyoto Station with good bus connections.
CHISUN PREMIUM Kyoto Kuju – The most budget-friendly. Not as conveniently located but only 800m to Kyoto Station.
Kyoto temples and shrines with kids
Visiting temples and shrines in Kyoto with kids can be an enjoyable experience. The key is to mix them in with other more kid-friendly activities. Most of them won’t be stroller-friendly so if you have little ones bring a baby carrier with you to Kyoto.
Kinkakuji(Golden Pavillion)
Viewing the Golden Pavilion from across the pond is a stunning sight. I used a baby carrier for our 1.5-year-old.
Read: Kinkakuji and Arashiyama
Kiyomizu-dera
We walked to the temple with our stroller but then placed our toddler in the carrier. The approach is quite steep and the entrance to the temple is up a set of stairs. You then walk out onto the wooden stage.
Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion)
Ginkakuji has a beautiful zen garden that you walk around. You can leave your stroller at the entrance and collect it at the end.
Read my post about walking from Kiyomizu-dera to Ginkakuji via the Philosopher’s Path. This gave our toddler a chance to have a run and wear of some energy.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Get here early to avoid the bulk of the crowds. We were leaving at around 10 am and it was much busier than when we arrived. There are a lot of stairs here so bring a carrier for little ones. Read: Fushimi Inari Shrine with a toddler
Higashi Hongan-ji Temple
Located near Kyoto Station this is an easy temple visit with kids. The huge structures impressed our four-year-old (and all of us).
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Arashiyama with kids
Arashiyama is a beautiful area of Kyoto. We had a lovely lunch, walked through the famous bamboo grove and enjoyed visiting Tenryuji Temple. The highlight of Arashiyama with kids is the Iwatayama Monkey Park. The monkeys are not caged, you enter a cage to view and feed them. Read: Kinkakuji and Arashiyama
Nijo Castle with kids
This former palace is a fun place to visit in Kyoto with kids. Strollers need to be left at the entrance. I placed our baby into the carrier and he was happy as we walked around. Our 4-year-old had a great time exploring Nijo Castle. He loved viewing the amazing details and spotting birds carved into the building’s exteriors.
Shoes need to be removed to walk through the palace interior. I told our son we had to be quiet and pretend we were ninjas. He found the squeaky nightingale floors fascinating. Older children would appreciate learning more about the history of the castle.
Visitors can still stroll through the gardens which lead to a stone foundation of the former castle keep. The steps up to the foundation are small and steep. Our four-year-old managed to climb them but needed help getting back down. Standing on the foundation gives you a view over the Honmaru Palace and its gardens. Our son loved the pops of colourful flowers and the koi fish in the ponds.
Nijo Castle entry fee: ¥800 for adults ¥300-¥400 for school students
Kyoto Railway Museum with kids
Kyoto Railway Museum is a fun attraction for kids in Kyoto. In the museum, you will find 53 trains from various dates. There is a simulator, diorama and lots of interactive displays, as well as a kids’ play space and a running steam locomotive.
Getting to the museum
From Kyoto Station, it is about a 20-minute walk which takes you through Umekoji Park. We stopped to let Fletcher play at a small playground amongst overgrown grass. A lady was helping children make daisy chains. The surrounding area was very lush and green. Closer to the museum entrance was a larger playground. The Kyoto Railway Museum can also be reached by a short bus ride from Kyoto Station.
Kyoto Railway Museum entry fee: ¥1500 for adults, ¥500-¥1300 for students, ¥200 for 3+
The promenade & first floor
After entering, you first come to the museum promenade. This area is designed to represent train station platforms. On display are three trains including Japan’s first bullet train, The O-series shinkansen, launched in 1964.
The promenade connects to the museum’s main building. The first floor contains retired trains showing the history of Japan’s railway. There are various steam locomotives and models from the Shinkansen series. Among them is the Dr Yellow, a special shinkansen used to test tracks and the whole system.
Also, part of the exhibition is dining and sleeping cars. Some trains and cars can be entered to view the interiors and you are even able to walk underneath one.
Second floor
The second floor houses the museum’s interactive exhibits. Here you will find the driving simulator, a large railway diorama and multiple displays showing operations. The diorama room had a long queue waiting to enter, so we didn’t get to see the full diorama running. Make sure to check the times and be prepared to line up.
Our four-year-old waited patiently at one of the hands-on displays. When it was his turn, he rushed to get on and tripped over, cutting his hand. Of course, the night before I had cleaned out our backpack and hadn’t put the first aid kit back in. A very kind lady gave us a band-aid from her bag.
There are many hands-on displays that both kids and adults would enjoy. There is also a play area for children with tracks and trains and the front end of a large play shinkansen.
Third floor
After the incident, we made our way outside and I completely forgot there was a third floor to the museum. From the third-floor open-air deck, you can get a wonderful view over Kyoto along with the train lines in front. I have seen numerous photos of the view with bullet trains passing by.
Roundhouse Platform
There are several steam locomotives located outside the museum. The main attraction is the turntable in the centre. This rotates the trains and changes their direction. Visitors can board a steam locomotive for an extra fee. We came outside just as a steam train was ending a trip. It entered the turntable and slowly turned while being noisy and blowing smoke. We were too late for a ride but both boys loved watching it. We walked along the sheds, viewing the different steam locomotives.
The former Nijo Station house
Exiting the museum is done through the museum shop, of course. However, this one is located within the former Nijo Station house. A beautiful wooden building from 1904. Relocated in 1997 from nearby Nijo Station, it is the oldest of its kind in Japan.
Museum information
Open hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (no entry after 4:30 pm)
Closed: Every Wednesday (except holidays) and Dec 30 to Jan 1.
Admission fee: Adult 1,500 yen. Children 200 yen – 1,300 yen.
Official website: kyotorailwaymuseum
Day trips from Kyoto with kids
Nara
The train ride from Kyoto to Nara is about 40 minutes so it’s an easy day trip option with kids. The highlight of Nara is seeing the deer but the area is beautiful and there are shrines and temples worthy of visiting.
Read: An Afternoon in Nara
Osaka
We spent an afternoon in Osaka visiting one of Japan’s oldest temples and eating in the vibrant Dotonbori area.
Read: half day trip to Osaka
Uji
Uji is very easy to visit from Kyoto by train. From Kyoto Station, it is a twenty-seven-minute ride on the JR Nara line. The city is famous for its green tea which is said to be of the best quality. We visited Byodoin Temple on our day trip to Uji.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is an icon of Japan and is worth a day trip from Kyoto with kids. We have visited the castle on two separate trips, the first with a toddler and then again with a baby and a four-year-old. Read: Himeji Castle with kids
Read our posts about other areas in Japan with kids:
Tokyo itinerary with older kids


