Getting around in Kyoto
A stay in Kyoto still needs a plan for the trains in and out: from Tokyo, to Osaka, and on to Hiroshima or Kanazawa. Each guide here deals with a separate route.
For the arrival, Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen explains the Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama, JR Central's seasonal fares, booking through smartEX or at the station, and the rule for oversized baggage. For the short hop south, Kyoto to Osaka by train sorts the JR, Hankyu, Keihan and Shinkansen options by the area of each city you are leaving from and heading to.
Further afield, the Hiroshima day trip guide tests a regional pass against a return ticket on an early departure, and Kyoto to Kanazawa explains the Thunderbird and Shinkansen change at Tsuruga.
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Hiroshima Day Trip from Kyoto or Osaka (2026): ¥17,000 Pass
On the October 14, 2026 timetable, Nozomi 101 left Kyoto at 6:55 for Hiroshima (8:36). The ¥17,000 Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass beats a ¥21,500 round trip.
Kyoto to Kanazawa: Tsuruga Transfer in 8 Minutes (2026)
Thunderbird to Tsuruga, then the Hokuriku Shinkansen: JR West allows 8 minutes to change, floor 1 to floor 3. Tickets, luggage, late trains.
Kyoto to Osaka by Train: JR, Hankyu, Keihan or Shinkansen?
Fastest and cheapest trains between Kyoto and Osaka by area: JR Special Rapid, Hankyu, Keihan or Shinkansen, with operator fares, times and stations.
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen: fares, trains and booking
Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama from Tokyo to Kyoto: JR Central fares by season, travel times, booking via smartEX or station, and the oversized-baggage rule.
