Japan: Kyoto I - Getting there

Day 1 

Japan: Kyoto I - Getting There

Japan: Kyoto II - Getting Around & Kiyomizudera 

Japan: Kyoto III - Higashiyama area

Japan: Kyoto IV - Kodaji Temple

Day 2

Japan: Kyoto V - Kinkakuji Temple

Japan: Kyoto VI - Ryoanji Temple

Japan: Kyoto VII - Ninnaji Temple

Japan: Kyoto VIII - Keifuku Railway Line

Japan: Kyoto IX - Sagano Scenic Railway

Japan: Kyoto X - Arashiyama

Day 3

Japan: Kyoto XI - Inari Gates

Japan: Kyoto XII - Nijo Castle & Nikkishi Market

As promised, a DIY guide to Japan. I'll walk you through our journey (which I must say, is an awesome one!), so that you do can do less research.

We flew from Singapore to Osaka Kansai airport via Jetstar. There were some hesitant at first because it's a 6+ hours night flight. However, the seats are bigger than usual, plus it wasn't a full plane, so we got to stretch out for sleep on the empty seats =)

We reached around 6am and the airport was really really quiet. Maps of the city could not be found at all, so don't bank on it. After a quite bite at macs, we visited the JR office directly opposite the train stations. Buying tickets at the machines might be rather overwhelming, so go straight to the JR offices to get what you need. 

A common question is "Do we need JR passes?" JR passes can only be purchased in your home country and not in Japan. In Singapore, depending on the exchange rate, a 7-day JR pass (which allows you to travel around the country on all JR lines) cost around S$350 - S$400. That is quite a lump sum for transportation, so make sure that you really travel a lot within these 7 days, across Japan. Otherwise, like us, if you are planning to cover certain regions only like Kansai, you can get a JR West Pass or Kansai Thru Pass directly in Japan. 

We decided to go with   ICOCA + HARUKA package. 

No guessing which ICOCA card we got... the Hello Kitty! ICOCA card is very useful for travelling within the Kansai region. It's like their EZ-Link Card (Singapore), and you can save the hassle of buying tickets everytime you wish to board their public transport. This card can be returned at the end of your trip at the following rate: Haruka discounted ticket is not refundable though.

We purchased a one-way Haruka to Kyoto. Visit Hyperdia for the list of train timings. Note that this ticket is only for the Haruka trains. One suggestion is that if you are going to Osaka first, you might get lost in the mega huge railway lines/shopping/underground area in Osaka. So, if you do take the trains, you'll probably have to find your way out of the train station to catch a taxi. Pushing your luggage among the thronging crowds, trying to find your way amidst the maze is not going to be easy.

Back to Haruka tickets. The Kansai-Airport Express "HARUKA" is a  limited express train which directly links Kansai Airport with stations in the major cities in Kansai such as Tennoji, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto. From Kansai Airport, it takes approximately 30 minutes to Tennoji, 50 minutes to Shin-Osaka and 75 minutes to Kyoto. Travelling to Kyoto would make your ticket worthwhile!

These are unreserved tickets, so you'll have to find any available seats. Like most long distance trains, you'll have to top up for if you prefer reserved seats. From Kansai Airport, seats are generally available, so there's no need to request to top-up your seats to reserved.

This is a sample of the usual price fare:

0727 – 0903 LTD. EXP HARUKA 4 ¥ 3,490(Fare:¥ 1,830  Reserved Seat Fee:¥ 1,660)

0755 - 0932 LTD. EXP HARUKA 6 ¥ 2,980(Fare:¥ 1,830  Unreserved Seat Fee:¥ 1,150)

With the ICOCA + HARUKA package, you'll save about ¥2000 for a one-way Haruka ticket!

Train cabin no. for unreserved seats are provided. 

A conductor will go around checking the tickets. And they will give a small bow before working their way down the cabin. Professional! The trip from Kansai Airport to Kyoto took about 1.5 hours direct.

 I love how cute their trains look!

This is the futuristic looking Kyoto station. You'll exit from the right of the photo. Walking straight, and exiting to the left of the photo will get you to the main bus station.

You'll see the Kyoto Tower (right), and our Hotel New Hankyu Kyoto is right next to it! Thank you to Jessica who chose it real well!

Next up, we went back to the station for our first lunch! Visit 11th storey via the escalators, and you'll find a fusion of Western, Japanese restaurant selections. Prices are slightly more pricey than Porta underground shopping area.

We had Tonkatsu lunch! Huge huge huge pieces of meat! Plus, free flow crunchy cabbage! 4 of us ladies ordered only 3 sets and we couldn't really finish!  

If you've been to Tonkichi Restaurant (blogged about this before), it has a similar concept of free-flow cabbage. If you fancy authentic tonkatsu, visit Tonkichi Restaurant at Ngee Ann City. 

What a long post! Next up would be Kiyomizudera!