7 Amazing Sights & Activities in Kyoto (Baby and Toddler Friendly!)

My family loves Japan. Japanese food especially. 🙂 We were able to take our kids a few years ago while living in Korea. It only takes a couple of hours to hop over from Seoul to Tokyo, making it a great trip with our little ones.

We went in February (read my article here about why winter is a surprisingly great time to tour Japan!) and had a wonderful time. Actually TBH it was equal parts wonderful and terrible. Our then-8-month-old had some sudden and scary health challenges and we also ran into significant airline difficulties. But that’s a story for another day..

Why Kyoto?

The point is, Kyoto is amazing and completely worth a trip! It served as the nation’s capital city (and headquarters for the emperor) for about 1000 years — up until 1868 A.D. So you can expect to find neighborhoods rich with character, significant historical sites, and classic Japanese architecture.

Kyoto has a much smaller population than Tokyo and has a completely different feel. It’s large enough to contain conveniences (marts and restaurants, widespread public transportation) but small enough to not feel too hectic! Although let’s be clear that the major tourist destinations do get extremely crowded.

Speaking of tourist destinations, below you will find a list of things we did with our young kids while in Kyoto that I’m SO glad we all experienced!

For reference, on this trip we had:

• our 8 month old baby (happily in the ergo carrier the whole trip)
• our 3 year old son (happily running all over the city)
• my husband (happily eating sushi)
• myself (happily enjoying the ramen mmmmmm)

I’m sure there are kid museums or playgrounds but for this list I’m assuming you are a TOURIST not a RESIDENT and want to experience everything unique to this special historical city.

1. Eat Sushi!

First up on our list: find yourself some sushi! So, children under the age of 5 are typically recommended to avoid consuming raw fish. This definitely puts a damper on the whole sushi/sashimi experience in Japan. For big fans of sushi the raw fish is… kind of the whole point. Little ones can definitely still get in on the action, though! The menus will vary obviously by location, but we have always been able to find cucumber rolls, egg side dishes, and more. And… I think a little raw fish may not be the end of the world for preschoolers– at your discretion of course. 🙂

The whole experience is exciting for all of your senses, especially if you go to a conveyer-style sushi restaurant. From the enticing smells to the rotating plates and the chefs taking requests & orders, it’s a lot happening!

We ate at Musashi Sushi (listed elsewhere as Sushi no Musashi) which is relatively inexpensive and pretty popular. We had a great experience! It’s a convenient location to lots of the sites, too. My boys both loved watching the colorful plates full of all different foods rotate along the conveyer belt. The chefs were so kind and personable, too.

This is a great article from Sharing Kyoto that lists 5 great conveyer belt sushi options for international tourists visiting Kyoto.

Heads-up: The different plate styles indicate different prices, so keep tabs on the colors and designs if you’re on a budget!

2. Wander the Grounds of Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavillion)

Second on our list, you won’t want to miss this famous golden palace. This historic palace has been turned into of a Buddhist temple for those who come to visit the grounds. And… there are a lot of people doing just that. It’s an incredibly popular tourist site for people all over the globe wanting to catch a glimpse of that gold exterior.

There are plenty of gardens and pathways to wander for your active toddlers. This is definitely a must-see for anyone visiting Kyoto. Learn more at this Kinkaku-ji website.

3. Hike Through the Famous Red Gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Next up is one of my favorite sites ever. Honestly, I loved this so much. It’s visually one of the most unique and memorable places I’ve been to. Our 3 year old had so much fun hiking through these red gates. You can hike for as long as you’d like, then head back to the entrance when you’re ready.

Apparently it’s dedicated to the Shinto God of Rice, which makes me love it even more. It’s interesting the details you miss when rocking babies and chasing toddlers while sightseeing!

Don’t miss this world-famous site!!!

4. Tour Kiyomizu-Dera: The Castle in the Mountains

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Kiyomizu-Dera is stunning. It’s so much more than “just” a castle, more like a million sites in one… you can find it all here. It’s a Buddhist temple where many come to worship and even more come to tour this historic site perched majestically in the mountains. Check out the official website for lots more information.

What to Know:

I’d use discretion about which areas to bring your kids inside of, as some areas have a more peaceful ambience I wouldn’t want to disturb. That said, the grounds are huge, and given that many spaces are outdoors, it’s pretty kid-friendly even for active littles. There are even a few different bathrooms (there’s a great map located here on their website).

However, it is NOT stroller-friendly. Hello landmark of a zillion stairs, nice to meet you. I guess we are BFF now! I was glad we had our super light umbrella stroller that we could fold & carry pretty easily when necessary.

There’s also a pretty decent uphill trek through narrow alleyways full of busy shops & vendors just to get to/from the castle. Since it was winter the walking just warmed us up and wasn’t a problem– but it’s good to know what you’re up against beforehand.

PLEASE grab some yatsuhashi, or triangle mochi-like sweets from the confectionary shops on that alleyway. There are several sweet shops that carry them and a few even had samples of tons of different flavors, and they were amazing. The yatsuhashi were often filled with sweet pastes inside. We bought a box of them to bring back with us.

If you go to 5:30 timestamp on this family’s YouTube video and watch until 6:10 or so you can see the yatsuhashi treats and what the alleyway looks like! (I’m sure the rest of the video would be helpful, too!)

5. Feed the Monkeys at Arashiyama Monkey Park

After you’ve explored many of the sites in Kyoto itself, you can head more to the outskirts of Arashiyama. I loved everything about this adventure. We hiked up the mountain, enjoyed the giant metal slide for our son on the way, and fed small monkeys at the top of the mountain.

Obviously this hike is not stroller-friendly. Stairs for days. Our babe did great in the Ergo, though. As you climb and get closer you’ll start to spot lots of small monkeys.

Once you get to the top there’s a nice view! There’s a small structure where you can go in and buy food to feed the monkeys. They had bananas and a few other items (I want to say it was nuts and another fruit).

6. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

While you’re in Arashiyama, you should check out the Sagano Bamboo Forest. It’s easily the most famous bamboo grove in all of Japan, and is arguably world-famous as well.

Full disclosure: this is the site on this list that I was most underwhelmed by. I’d seen pictures like the one below all over the internet and thought we’d be visiting a serene, primitive forest.

However, the grove itself was located RIGHT off a normal road. There was a large crowd of us all headed there together. It ended up feeling less like a remote grove in nature and more like a busy school field trip.

That said… it’s the most bamboo I’ve ever seen in my life, which was pretty cool. We were headed to the area anyways to feed the monkeys, which I’d happily do again.

In the bamboo grove’s defense:

• we didn’t walk incredibly far into the grove– I am sure the farther in you walk the more lush greenery there is to be found.
• we arrived mid-afternoon at peak tourist time– I’d try to go first thing in the morning for a calmer experience.
• we were there in the dead of winter — certainly not the most picturesque time for plants and nature!

7. Ride a Bullet Train

Last but not least, you should ride a Shinkansen bullet train! Not only are these exciting for little kids that love anything that zooms really fast, but … they actually zoom really fast. AKA You get from Point A to Point B at the fastest possible speed which is a parenting travel WIN! Scratch that, it’s a travel win for literally anyone who would rather sightsee than sit on a train for longer than is necessary.

I was worried the bullet train would feel stressful and crowded (like an airplane), but it really didn’t. Although it was pretty quiet, there were spaces to stretch your legs at the front/back of the train cars which really helped. I loved looking out the window and seeing more of Japan.

Here’s the Japan Rail Pass website where you can learn more about the Shinkansen bullet trains and purchase tickets.

That wraps up our list of 7 amazing sites to see while in Kyoto, Japan with little ones!

Have you been to Kyoto?? What did you love? If it’s on your bucket list, what sites are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear.

You may want to check out these other articles on traveling with littles, too:

Why Winter is a Surprisingly Great Time to Visit Japan

Why Travel with Kids?

Best Hotel Features for Babies, Toddlers & Kids