Day 1 — Eastern Kyoto: Kiyomizu, Higashiyama, Gion, Pontocho
Same arc as 3-day Day 1 but with a slow morning, optional pause at a Higashiyama tea house, and dinner in Pontocho. Add the Yasaka Pagoda photo spot at dusk.
Five days lets you do Kyoto at its proper rhythm — slower morning starts, longer lunches in tea houses, and two full day trips (Nara and Uji) without rushing the city itself. The pace is set for travellers who want to actually <em>feel</em> Kyoto rather than tick its temples.
Same arc as 3-day Day 1 but with a slow morning, optional pause at a Higashiyama tea house, and dinner in Pontocho. Add the Yasaka Pagoda photo spot at dusk.
Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji as in the 3-day. Add Daitoku-ji Zen complex for sub-temples that are quietly extraordinary (Daisen-in's stone garden is one of Japan's best). Lunch at a temple-attached vegetarian (shojin ryori) restaurant. Afternoon Nishiki Market browsing without the time pressure of a 3-day trip.
Bamboo grove pre-9am. Tenryu-ji garden. Walk across the Togetsukyo Bridge. Saga-Toriimoto preserved street (rarely crowded). Adashino Nenbutsu-ji with its hundreds of small Buddha statues. Hozugawa river boat ride if season permits. Dinner back in central Kyoto.
Nara (45 min from Kyoto by JR or Kintetsu): Todai-ji with the Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha with stone lanterns, Nara Park deer (yes, they bow for crackers; yes, they will headbutt you for crackers). Half-day is possible but full day is better. Walk through Naramachi historic district before returning.
Fushimi Inari early — climb the full trail to the top (~2 hours round trip, 80% of visitors stop at the first turn). Train onward to Uji — Japan's matcha capital. Byodo-in Temple (Phoenix Hall, on the ¥10 coin), tea ceremony at one of Uji's centuries-old tea houses. Train to Kyoto Station for departure.
This is a generic plan that works for most travellers. Use Panor's AI Japan trip planner to customise it — adjust pace, add or remove neighbourhoods, swap day trips, account for dietary restrictions, or factor in cherry-blossom or autumn-foliage timing. The planner uses interactive maps and can export the itinerary to your phone.