Kyoto Airport Guide: Transport to Kyoto & Where to Stay

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by Zora

July 3, 2026

Airport to CityAirportsKyotoKansai International Airport
Kyoto Airport

Kyoto is served by two primary gateway airports, offering different benefits depending on your flight type and airline choice: Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka International Airport (ITM), also known as Itami.

Kyoto Airport Introduction

Kyoto Airports

Arriving at Kansai International Airport (KIX) - Inside Kyoto

  • Kansai International Airport (KIX): As the region's main international hub, KIX is where most overseas travelers arrive. It offers a wide range of global connections and direct express trains to Kyoto.
  • Osaka International Airport (ITM): Primarily handling domestic routes, Itami is often the most convenient choice if you are transferring from another city within Japan, as it is located closer to Kyoto's city center.
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Book Hotel in Kyoto

Cheapest Flights to Kyoto

How to Get to Kyoto from Kansai Airport (KIX)?

How to Get to Kyoto from Kaisai Airport?

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There are three primary ways to travel from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Kyoto. Here is the breakdown for each option:

Feature

HARUKA Express

Limousine Bus

Local Train

Direct?

Yes

Yes

No (1 Transfer)

Best For

Speed & Comfort

Heavy Luggage

Budget / Flexibility

Price (USD)

~$14.70

~$18.70

~$12.70

Duration

75 mins

100 mins

116 mins

Kansai Airport Express "HARUKA" (Top Choice)

The HARUKA is the fastest and most comfortable direct link to Kyoto Station.

  • Pros: Direct, fast, spacious with luggage racks, and features the famous Hello Kitty themed livery.
  • Travel Time: Approx. 75 minutes.
  • Cost: Approx. $14.70 (¥2,200 discounted price for tourists).
  • Ticketing: After booking online, exchange your QR code for a physical ticket at the green machines or JR ticket office at the airport.
  • Boarding: Terminal 1, 2nd Floor (JR Gates).

Airport Limousine Bus

Best for travelers with multiple large suitcases or those staying near the bus drop-off points.

  • Pros: No stairs or station transfers; staff handles your luggage for you.
  • Cons: Higher cost; potential for traffic delays entering Kyoto city.
  • Travel Time: Approx. 1 hour 40 minutes.
  • Cost: Approx. $18.70 (¥2,800), half price for children.
  • Ticketing: Purchase at automated vending machines located just outside the arrival hall.
  • Boarding: Terminal 1 (Bus Stop #8) or Terminal 2 (Bus Stop #2).
  • Drop-off: Kyoto Station (Hachijo-guchi Exit).

Local JR Trains (Kansai Airport Rapid)

A budget-friendly backup option that doesn't require pre-booking.

  • Pros: Frequent departures; no reservations needed.
  • Cons: Requires 1 transfer at Osaka Station; no dedicated luggage racks; standard subway-style seating.
  • Travel Time: Approx. 1 hour 56 minutes.
  • Cost: Approx. $12.70 (¥1,910).
  • Ticketing: Buy at the station or use IC cards (Suica/ICOCA).
  • Transfer Point: You must change trains at Osaka Station to the JR Kyoto Line.
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Kyoto Airport: Recommended Japan Transit Apps

Kyoto’s efficient transport system makes city travel easy. With real-time transit apps, visitors can quickly plan routes across trains, buses, subways, and taxis, including fare details and transfer guidance. Trip.com recommends essential apps to help you navigate in Kyoto.

Kyoto Airport: Recommended Japan Transit Apps

Kyoto Airport: Japan Travel

Developed by Japan’s official tourism authority, the Japan National Tourism Organization, the Japan Travel App is an essential tool for navigating the country. It offers comprehensive details on major attractions, seasonal events, and dining options, along with useful transportation tips. Thanks to its multilingual interface, the app is easy to use for visitors from around the world. From trip planning and restaurant searches to accommodation selection and route transfers, it brings dependable travel information together in one convenient platform.

✨We’ve rounded up more super handy apps, all in one place! Want to explore Japan the easy way? Start here!

How to Get to Kyoto from Osaka Airport (ITM)?

How to Get to Kyoto from Okasa Airport?

Itami Airport (Osaka Airport, ITM)

Osaka International Airport (Itami/ITM) is mostly used for domestic flights from other Japanese cities. It is closer to Kyoto (approx. 50km).

Feature

Option A: Limousine Bus

Option B: Shared Shuttle (MK / Yasaka)

Best For

Speed & Convenience

Door-to-Door Service

Travel Time

~50–55 minutes

~1 hour (varies by traffic)

Cost (USD)

~$9 USD (¥1,340)

~$20–$25 USD

Why Choose It

The only direct way to Kyoto Station without multiple train transfers.

Takes you directly to your hotel or Airbnb; no need to carry bags from the station.

How to Use

Purchase tickets at the vending machines. Buses depart every 20 mins from outside the terminal.

Must be booked online at least 2 days in advance.

Option A: Limousine Bus (Most Convenient)

  • Time: ~50–55 minutes.
  • Cost: ~$9 USD (¥1,340).
  • Why choose it: It is the only direct way to reach Kyoto Station without multiple train transfers.
  • How to do it: Buses depart frequently (every 20 mins) from the bus stops outside the terminal.

Option B: Shared Shuttle (MK Taxi / Yasaka)

  • Time: ~1 hour (depending on traffic).
  • Cost: ~$20–$25 USD.
  • Why choose it: It is a door-to-door service that will take you directly to your hotel or Airbnb in Kyoto.
  • How to do it: You must book this online at least 2 days in advance.
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Car Hire at Kansai Airport

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Recommended Hotels in Kyoto

Recommended Kyoto Hotels

5 star

RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto

8.8/10Very Good2520 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|3.13km from city center
It is a very nice hotel with attentive staff! The hotel is about a 7 minutes walk from Kyoto station. It’s a very convenient place to stay if you’re catching an early train or arriving from a late one. I don’t know if I’d recommend it for a longer stay since the area is quite boring. There’s plenty of restaurants and shops within the station but they’re very crowded and more expensive. It’s also quite far away from the main sights of Kyoto, so for a longer stay I’d recommend staying downtown. The included room amenities are good but nothing special. There’s shaving kits, towels, haircare, skincare, tea, water, and yukata robes (the robes are not souvenirs). There’s a pool, a spa area, and a restaurant, which all have an additional fee. My room was clean, but I found some scuff marks on the walls and a crack in my bathtub. From Kyoto station you can see Kyoto tower but it’s not an amazing sight hahaha. It takes about 25 minutes to downtown Kyoto from the hote
FromBRL 188

Hotel Granvia Kyoto

9.3/10Great569 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|2.98km from city center
Expensive but excellent! The transportation here is very central. I've noticed that Japanese people's English has improved, and there are more vegetarian options. The politeness is still there, and the vibe is still the same – a mix of joy and sorrow 🎭. The train ride was a lot of fun.
FromBRL 618

GOOD NATURE HOTEL KYOTO

9.4/10Amazing1315 Reviews
Kawaramachi Kyoto|1.01km from city center
Pros: The hotel is very close to major attractions and shopping areas. Yasaka Shrine, Takashimaya department store, and Shinkyogoku Market are all within walking distance. Kamo River is also just a five to six-minute walk away. A taxi to JR Kyoto Station costs 1700 yen and is about 2.5 kilometers. The hotel lobby is on the fourth floor, and there's a direct passage on the third floor to Takashimaya. Takashimaya's B1 level has a supermarket and restaurants that are popular with locals. The hotel service is excellent, and the environment is very good. The room size is quite spacious for Japan. You can refill your thermos at the water dispenser on each floor daily, which is very eco-friendly. There's a laundry room on the third floor that accepts WeChat Pay, so no coins are needed.
FromBRL 1,000

Hotel the Celestine Kyoto Gion

9.6/10Amazing913 Reviews
Gion/Kiyomizu Temple Kyoto|1.54km from city center
I booked a king-sized bed room, but when I arrived at the hotel, I was told only twin rooms were available. After some discussion, they changed it to a twin room. The mini-fridge snacks in the room were all complimentary. You can also enjoy the hot springs for free in the evening, though I didn't get around to trying it. About 80% of the guests were Westerners, and the housekeeping staff were all from Southeast Asia. The hotel staff's attitude was excellent, which I really appreciated, but I noticed their attitude was even better towards Western guests... Most people walking around seemed to be Western tourists. The hotel isn't too far from nearby attractions; walking to Shijo and Kiyomizu-dera Temple is quite manageable. If you have the means, you could hire a car to visit other attractions, but it's not very friendly for those with luggage, as the sidewalks are incredibly narrow and you have to dodge both cars and people.
FromBRL 718

The Thousand Kyoto

9.6/10Amazing797 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|2.87km from city center
We are highly recommend to stay in this hotel, while the location, room size, cleanliness, design, and service are excellent. Moreover, the breakfast style is enough to choose, you can either enjoy in western or Japanese style breakfast per day. And we have encountered a traffic jam issue when we are coming back from Nara Station, something bad happened and the train was suddenly stopped. So we cannot be able to back to hotel on time for retrieving our packed luggages in room. We called to the hotel and explained this unexpected situation. The staffs show understand and offered free late check out one more hour for us, we know it is not easy to have free late check out at Japan but they did treat us so well. Thank you so much, we appreciated and we will stay in future as well. Thank you!
FromBRL 879

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Business travel

Hotel Keihan Kyoto Grande

9/10Great1231 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|3.18km from city center
The biggest advantage is the location—Kyoto Station is just across the street, making it very easy to get around the city and travel to other destinations. The room was clean, comfortable, and had everything I needed. Staff were polite and check-in was smooth. There are plenty of restaurants, convenience stores, and shopping options nearby. The room size is typical for Japan, but it was well maintained and quiet. Overall, a great choice for travelers looking for convenience and good value in Kyoto.
FromBRL 288

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo

9.1/10Great532 Reviews
Kawaramachi Kyoto|0.43km from city center
We stayed at Hotel Gracery Kyoto for two nights and overall had a very comfortable stay. The hotel has two sections, and we stayed in the South building. The room was very clean, and the space was used efficiently, which is typical for Japan. The bathroom layout was a bit unusual. The toilet and shower are separate, which is convenient, but the toilet cubicle itself is extremely small. The shower is positioned in an odd space between the bath and what seems to be the shower floor, and the shower head cannot be adjusted up or down. That said, the water pressure and temperature were excellent, which made up for the layout. Bottled water was provided on the first day, which was appreciated. The TV, however, was very limited with only Japanese channels and no access to Netflix or other streaming services. The location is excellent. The hotel is right by Nishiki Market and surrounded by shops and restaurants, with multiple subway lines nearby. There are also many fantastic local restaurants in the area, which we highly recommend, especially when the market gets overwhelmingly busy. The hotel provides a wide range of amenities in the lobby, including face wash, toner, lotion, razors, combs and mouthwash. While convenient, the large amount of individually packaged items does not feel particularly environmentally friendly. We checked out the breakfast one morning but decided not to purchase it as it was 2750 yen per person, and there are plenty of better and more affordable options nearby. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, and we also appreciated that the hotel offers free umbrella use on rainy days, which was a thoughtful touch. One downside was the room cleaning timing. We left early in the morning and only returned after 3pm, but the room was still being cleaned when we got back. We were asked to wait around 30 minutes, which was quite inconvenient after a long day when we wanted to rest, shower and freshen up before heading out again. Overall, a clean and well-located hotel with a few minor design quirks and service timing issues, but still a very pleasant stay.
FromBRL 233

Sora Niwa Terrace Kyoto

9.4/10Amazing954 Reviews
Kawaramachi Kyoto|1.02km from city center
Excellent location in Central Kyoto, right in the heart of shopping district, plenty of food options, and a short walk to Gion on the East. Very near to Hankyu train station that goes to Osaka Umeda. Staff were so friendly, always smiling and ready to assist. Rooms on the smaller side, not sure if it's the layout that made it feel more cramped, but Japan hotel rooms are generally like that. Best thing about this hotel is the open air natural hot spring! Amazing view of the mountains and you can even see Kiyomizu Dera temple in the distance. The water temperature was also not burning hot like some other public baths. There are complimentary drinks (including alcohol) on the rooftop terrace everyday from 4.30 to 6pm. Also free drinks from coffee machine all day in the lounge. I did not take hotel breakfast as I saw it is only simple bento box instead of buffet, so you can get better food outside.
FromBRL 585

Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi

9.3/10Great900 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|3.47km from city center
Environment: The location is quite convenient, not far from Osaka's transportation hub. Facilities: The hotel facilities are comprehensive, especially the hot springs on the first floor which are great for relaxing. Most other amenities are self-service. Cleanliness: The cleanliness is good, and it's well-maintained. Service: No late check-out, and only one bottle of water per night. These two points were a bit disappointing.
FromBRL 259

Hotel Keihan Kyoto Ekiminami

9.4/10Amazing1897 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|3.22km from city center
Extremely convenient! Cross the zebra crossing right outside the hotel and you're at Kyoto Station. There are tons of restaurants nearby, and a 7-Eleven is just 20 meters down the alley to the right of the hotel entrance. The dining options are varied, catering to all budgets. The Kyoto-exclusive plum wine is super delicious; it tastes sweet like a soft drink, but don't let that fool you – it's stronger than beer, so it's easy to get tipsy!
FromBRL 257

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Breakfast

Tennen Onsen Renka no Yu Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo

9.3/10Great2382 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|2.56km from city center
I initially booked for only two nights before my trip, and later when I wanted to extend my stay, I found the price had doubled, which I regretted. However, the actual experience was excellent. The hotel's hot spring was free to use and very relaxing. The complimentary matcha in the lobby was available anytime and was a lovely touch. The breakfast spread over three days was never the same, with a rich variety of seafood, hot dishes, and fruits that were all delicious. Looking back, even though the room rate increased, considering all these amenities included, it was still quite reasonable. Next time, I'll book for a longer duration in advance to avoid similar issues.
FromBRL 355

HOTEL TAVINOS Kyoto

9.1/10Great871 Reviews
Kawaramachi Kyoto|1.69km from city center
We enjoyed the stay in Hotel TAVINOS Kyoto! Price is very reasonable, and there is a convenient store-7-11 just at level 1 of the hotel! Hotel provides place for you dining as well ! However the laundry room is always full and the room is the size what you see from the picture. Location is near the bus stop and a famous ramen store too!
FromBRL 104

Miyako City Kintetsu Kyoto Station

9.1/10Great1647 Reviews
Kyoto Station and surrounding areas Kyoto|3.15km from city center
I've stayed at this hotel twice now, and its location right inside Kyoto Station is incredibly convenient. You don't really hear any train noise either, which is great. The rooms and overall environment are excellent. My only minor complaint is that the front desk staff seemed a bit perfunctory.
FromBRL 299

HOSHINOYA Kyoto

8.2/10Very Good33 Reviews
Arashiyama/Sagano/Takao Kyoto|8.29km from city center
I am from Yangzhou, Jiangsu. Although Yangzhou is a garden city, there are many such style escape hotels in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Hongxi Noya of Hoshino Group is definitely worth living. The overall health is very good, the facilities are well maintained and there is no musty smell. That is, all the windows can be wiped clean. This time I checked in in the evening. When I took a taxi, I saw the sunset of Lushan, which was a value-added item. The reception staff was very polite and welcoming. At night, the girl was invited to drive us to the hotel entrance. This road was too standard, almost standing on the mountain, and there was a feeling of adventure. When I checked out, I felt the ship of Hoshino. By the way, I recommend the dyeing workshop and Zhai Pavilion are diagonally opposite. If you like the scenery, it is worth seeing.

Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto

9.1/10Great426 Reviews
Kawaramachi Kyoto|0.21km from city center
The room is spacious. Everything is great. Only they don’t have hot water dispenser. The cleanliness is superb. Location is very convenient for us, as it is near to everywhere. Not so near to the metro station but is okay, the walk is nice with beautiful surrounding with good vibes. Love Kyoto. Walkable to the beautiful karmo river
FromBRL 144

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FAQs about Kyoto Airport

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