Senior travel: Kyoto
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 57 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Arashiyama Bamboo GroveStep-free: yes · about 30 minPaved main path with a gentle slope and no steps; the side lanes to Ōkōchi Sansō climb. Crowds, not steps, are the obstacle after 09:00.
- Yasaka ShrineStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 25 minOne flight of stone steps at the west gate on Shijō; the south and north approaches are flatter (check).
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 40 minOne-way loop on gentle slopes with a few steps near the tea house; the viewing pond edge is level.
- Sanjūsangen-dōStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 40 minA step up at the hall entrance, shoes off; inside, the 120 m hall is flat.
- Ryōan-jiStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 45 minPond garden paths are walkable; the rock garden is viewed from the hōjō veranda, reached by steps with shoes off.
- Tenryū-jiStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minGarden paths on gentle slopes; the hill path has steps and the halls a step up with shoes off.
- Kiyomizu-deraStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 75 minAbout 40 steps from the bus side to the gate; the stage route is mostly slopes; 380 steps down toward Yasaka.
- Fushimi Inari TaishaStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 150 minThe main shrine buildings and the first torii stretch are reachable; the mountain path is stone steps all the way up.
- Kennin-jiStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 45 minHalls are entered by a step up with shoes off; the gardens are seen from raised wooden verandas.
Getting around in Kyoto
The transit is step-free; the sights are not. Gravel, stone steps and hills are the barrier. Sleep near a station with lifts and use taxis for the temple hills.
- Pavements:
- Downtown streets and the covered arcades are flat; Higashiyama lanes are sloped stone with steps, and many side streets have no pavement.
- Lifts at stations:
- Subway and JR stations have lifts street to platform, and staff bring a boarding ramp on request. Keihan and Hankyū downtown stations have lifts at some exits only (check).
- Buses and taxis:
- Buses are low-floor with ramps, but in peak season you may not get on. Taxis are the reliable step-free option; universal-design taxis take a wheelchair — book ahead.
- Toilets:
- Multi-purpose toilets in stations, department stores and at large temples.
- Temples:
- Expect gravel and raised thresholds; some temples lend wheelchairs or open a side route — ask at the gate.
Medicines and health on the ground
- Medicine import certificate · 2+ weeks before flying: Yunyu Kakunin-sho for more than a month's supply or restricted drugs; carry prescriptions in English.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.