Kyoto is a great place to explore on foot, walking around the city center and downtown is made easy with flat terrain and a grid-pattern layout for the streets with the main streets that run north to south identified with names and the streets running east to west are identified by numbers. There are many sightseeing attractions located in and around the city that are within walking distance of each other. The best way to see the city filled with hundreds of temples, shrines and Japanese gardens is by walking around. Explore the vast natural beauty of the surrounding mountain regions with a hike through the many trails, and stroll along the river and canals through the cherry blossom trees.

Kyoto has been on the list of the world`s best bicycle cities. Cycling is a popular way to get around the city with its flat streets and the grid system that make it easy to navigate. There are cycling tours available in the city as well as plenty of places to rent a bike with an estimated cost starting around ¥500 a day. Another popular area to rent a bike is in the Arashiyama area where you can explore the beautiful countryside. Keep in mind bikes must be parked in designated areas and parking for a bike usually costs around ¥150 for up to eight hours.

The bus services in Kyoto are very extensive and one of the easiest, cheapest and most popular ways to get around the city. Buses operate daily from 6:00 am until 10:30 pm and the fares are approximately ¥230 for adults and ¥120 for children with daily passes available for around ¥500 for adults, ¥250 for children. In Kyoto, you enter the bus from the back, exit in the front and pay as you get off. Two types of buses are available the Kyoto Bus (normally red) and Kyoto City Bus (normally green), the Raku buses are a great tourist oriented option (buses #100, 101 and 102) with buses departing every 10 minutes from Kyoto Station. The main bus station is located at the Kyoto Station.

The city of Kyoto is serviced by six train lines to reach parts of the city and surrounding areas. The main transportation hub is the Kyoto Station, a major hub for Japan Railways (JR) and two of the lines in the city are the JR Sagano Line and the Nara Line.

There are two subway lines that run in Kyoto, the Karasuma Line running north to south and the Tozai line that runs east to west. The subway operates daily from 5:30 am until 11:30 pm with fares costing around ¥210 per adult and ¥110 for children. Both lines intersect at the Karasuma Oike Station in central Kyoto.

A taxi is one of the fastest ways to make your way around Kyoto, there are plenty of taxis to choose from in the city and the prices are reasonable. Taxis can be found pretty much anywhere during all hours of the day and night. Parked on street corners, outside the train and bus stations and outside major tourist attractions are usually the popular spots to find a taxi. There is a light located next to the driver in a taxi when the light is red the taxi is vacant and when it is green/blue the taxi is occupied. The doors open automatically on taxis in Japan. Prices run around ¥650 to ¥750 for the first 1 ½ miles.

Passes: There are several different travel passes available and targeted towards tourists offered in the city. Here are a few options.

The Kyoto Sightseeing Card can be used for unlimited travel on the subway and city buses a one-day pass costs around ¥1200 for adults and ¥600 for children, there is a two-day pass available also which has to be used on two consecutive days. Passes can be purchased at the Kyoto Station from the tourist information center.

An all day pass for the city buses can be purchased for unlimited travel on the Kyoto City Bus in central Kyoto for around ¥500 per adult and ¥250 for children.

A one day pass for the subway is also available for unlimited travel on the two subway lines in the city costing approximately ¥600 for adults.