Downtown Kyoto: Teramachi, Shinkyogoku & Nishiki

Kyoto, Japan

Food DrinksWalkingNightlife

Would you do this?

Duration3 hrs

EffortEasy

BudgetBudget

PriceFree

StyleSelf-Guided

OpenEvery day

Best monthsJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

About This Activity

Spend an afternoon in central Kyoto's lively covered arcade district. Browse the 1.2 km Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping streets lined with incense shops, matcha kit-kat stalls, and Kyoto craft goods. Duck into a nearby craft beer bar for a local Kyoto brew, then stop at a specialty coffee roaster. The area also connects directly to Nishiki Market for street food. Ideal as a relaxed urban contrast to temple-heavy days.

Seasonal note: Year-round; less crowded on weekday mornings

See This in an Itinerary

This activity appears in 32 of our curated itineraries.

Best 3 Days in Japan — Nightlife

Tokyo → Kyoto

Day 2 · 2 cities · 4 activities

Best 3 Days in Japan — Summer

Tokyo → Kyoto

Day 2 · 2 cities · 4 activities

Best 5 Days in Japan — Nightlife

Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka

Day 3 · 3 cities · 8 activities

Best 5 Days in Japan — Summer

Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka

Day 3 · 3 cities · 8 activities

Best 7 Days in Japan — Nightlife

Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka

Day 3 · 3 cities · 12 activities

Best 7 Days in Japan — Summer

Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka

Day 3 · 3 cities · 11 activities

More Activities in Kyoto

Tunnel of vermillion torii gates at Fushimi Inari

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine — 10,000 Torii Gates, Kyoto

Hike 4 km through 10,000 vermillion torii gates up Mount Inari at Kyoto's most visited shrine

Towering bamboo forest path

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji Garden, Kyoto

Walk a 500 m path through 20-meter-tall bamboo, then tour Tenryu-ji's UNESCO Zen garden

Golden Pavilion temple reflected in mirror pond

Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion Temple, Kyoto

See the three-story gold-leaf pavilion reflected in Kyoko-chi pond at one of Japan's most photographed landmarks

Traditional wooden geisha district street

Gion District & Hanamikoji Geisha Quarter, Kyoto

Walk Hanamikoji at dusk through Kyoto's most atmospheric geisha district of lantern-lit machiya teahouses

Kiyomizu-dera temple wooden stage overlooking Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera Temple & Sannenzaka Heritage Walk, Kyoto

Climb to Kiyomizu-dera's wooden stage for panoramic Kyoto views then descend through 400-year-old stone-paved lanes

Philosopher's Path — Ginkaku-ji to Nanzen-ji, Kyoto

Walk the 2 km canal-side path from the Silver Pavilion to Nanzen-ji beneath 200 cherry trees

Kiyomizu-dera Temple wooden veranda overlooking Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera Temple & Higashiyama District

UNESCO World Heritage temple with iconic veranda overlooking Kyoto and traditional shopping streets

Colorful food market stalls with fresh produce at Nishiki

Nishiki Market Food Walk — Kyoto's 400-Year Kitchen

Graze through 130+ stalls of tsukemono pickles, silken tofu, grilled scallops, and matcha sweets in downtown Kyoto