
Downtown Shopping Walk (Self Guided), Kyoto
With a huge number and variety of shops and lots of cafés and restaurants, downtown Kyoto is the best shopping destination in the city. There are traditional craft shops, fashion stores, large department stores and retailers selling souvenirs. Bring your shopping bags and your money and thrill to the possibilities.
Shijo Street offers the most prestigious and stylish shopping experiences with its numerous department stores and global brand names. For more everyday items, go to the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcades, covered pedestrianized streets that run parallel to each other.
For a more refined and less hectic shopping experience, tour the art galleries, clothing shops and bookstores of Teramachi. Spend some time in Shinkyogoku, the second oldest shopping arcade in the city, known for its plethora of tacky souvenirs. Another reason to visit is for the temples and shrine situated along the strip.
For food, Nishiki Market cannot be beaten. This large traditional food market is known as "Kyoto's Kitchen" and it is easy to see why. There are stalls laden with fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, meats, herbs and spices. Many of the stalls specialize in a particular type of food and most of the produce is grown, produced or caught locally. Just wondering between the stalls and hearing the animated cries of vendors is an experience in itself.
Shijo Street offers the most prestigious and stylish shopping experiences with its numerous department stores and global brand names. For more everyday items, go to the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcades, covered pedestrianized streets that run parallel to each other.
For a more refined and less hectic shopping experience, tour the art galleries, clothing shops and bookstores of Teramachi. Spend some time in Shinkyogoku, the second oldest shopping arcade in the city, known for its plethora of tacky souvenirs. Another reason to visit is for the temples and shrine situated along the strip.
For food, Nishiki Market cannot be beaten. This large traditional food market is known as "Kyoto's Kitchen" and it is easy to see why. There are stalls laden with fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, meats, herbs and spices. Many of the stalls specialize in a particular type of food and most of the produce is grown, produced or caught locally. Just wondering between the stalls and hearing the animated cries of vendors is an experience in itself.
How it works: A discovery walk features a route using which you can explore a popular city neighborhood on your own. This walk, along with other self-guided walks in over 1,500 cities, can be found on the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" which can be downloaded from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app's built-in GPS navigation functions allow following this walk route with ease. The app works both online and offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Downtown Shopping Walk Map
Guide Name: Downtown Shopping Walk
Guide Location: Japan » Kyoto
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Discovery)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Author: Dee
Guide Location: Japan » Kyoto
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Discovery)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Author: Dee

1) Shijo Dori Shimogyō-ku, Takashimaya

2) Shijo Dori Shimogyō-ku

3) Shijo Dori Shimogyō-ku

4) Shijo Dori Shimogyō-ku

5) Shijo Dori Shimogyō-ku

6) Nishikikoji Dori Nakagyō-ku

7) Nishikikoji Dori Nakagyō-ku

8) Nishikikoji Dori Nakagyō-ku

9) Nishikikoji Dori Nakagyō-ku

10) Teramachi Shopping Arcade

11) Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade

12) Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade

13) Teramachi Shopping Arcade
Walking Tours in Kyoto, Japan
Create Your Own Walk in Kyoto
Creating your own self-guided walk in Kyoto is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Gion District Walking Tour
Famed for being one of the most mesmerizing parts of Kyoto, Gion is the area long associated with traditional Japanese entertainment, stunning temples, geisha and local eateries ideal to while away a day in the ancient capital of Japan. The district forms part of the Higashiyama (“Eastern Mountain”) neighborhood lying north and south of Shijo Street, stretching from Yasaka Shrine in the east... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Imperial Kyoto Walking Tour
The former capital of Japan, Kyoto is the city of tradition, history and culture. Attesting to this is the central part of the city, replete with historic attractions – centuries-old imperial palaces, castles and shrines that have seen a lot in the turbulent past of Kyoto. The explore the most prominent of them and to feel the breath of antiquity, follow this self-guided walk.
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Kyoto Shopping and Food Tour
The cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto is just as famous as a shopper’s paradise and is, without saying, the best place in the country to buy traditional and modern Japanese goods. Souvenirs, food, bargains and various “one-of-a-kind items” are all up for grabs here. If you would like to walk around Kyoto on your own two feet and enjoy shopping and authentic Japanese cooking, follow this... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Arashiyama and Bamboo Grove Walking Tour
The Arashiyama district is slightly out of way for tourists – but that just means one can enjoy it more comfortably. While arguably the most popular attraction here is the 'bamboo path' with its magnificent, towering bamboos, you should also enjoy other scenic attractions such as the Ōi River and Mount Arashi, or the Monkey Park, all within walking distance and selected/described in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Walk on Philosopher's Path
Extending about 2 km along a canal carrying water from Lake Biwa to the foothills, the Philosopher's Path (so called because famed Japanese philosopher, Nishida Kitaro, used to walk it as a daily meditation before WWII) is perfect for a leisurely stroll with views that change through the seasons; cherries followed by new green leaves and, then again, the pastel hues of autumn.
It's... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
It's... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Higashiyama Walking Tour
Kyoto is a city catering for tourists, especially the ones with love of history, religion and, of course, Japanese culture. Many of Kyoto's attractions are located in the eastern part of the city, which itself is split into wards. One of them is the Higashiyama Ward, home to several famous temples of Kyoto, including centuries-old Zen and Shinto sites such as lantern-lit Yasaka shrine and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
18 Japanese Products To Bring Home from Kyoto
The old capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto has once again been the talk of the world lately, thanks to the bestselling "Memoirs of a Geisha" book and the namesake Hollywood blockbuster movie. Renowned for its impeccable craftsmanship, Japan has so much to amaze a foreign eye with. Many of...
The Most Popular Cities
/ view all