Kyoto transport: City buses, one-day subway passes and rail access

Learn how to board Kyoto city buses, compare current subway and bus day passes with discontinued tickets, and check rail access to Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari and Uji.

Last checked:

  • Kyoto
  • Transport
  • Buses

Kyoto transport planning starts with understanding how to board and leave city buses, which one-day passes are still sold, and the rail options for Arashiyama, Fushimi and Uji. This page draws on official Kyoto City Transportation Bureau and tourism association pages (checked 2026-10-28). Prices may change, so check official websites before departure. Return to the Kyoto travel guide.

Key points

  • The flat-fare zone on city buses costs 230 yen for adults and 120 yen for children; fares outside the zone depend on distance.
  • On ordinary city buses, board at the rear, leave at the front and pay when getting off.
  • EX100 and EX101 sightseeing buses work the other way: board at the front, leave at the rear and pay when boarding. Fares are 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children.
  • The bus-only one-day pass stopped being valid on 2024-03-31. The current combined pass includes the subway.
  • One-day passes are valid until the end of service that day, not for 24 hours.

How to use city buses

Item Ordinary city bus EX100 and EX101
Boarding Rear door Front door
Getting off Front door Rear door
Payment When getting off When boarding
Fare Flat-fare zone: adults 230 yen, children 120 yen; distance-based outside that zone Adults 500 yen, children 250 yen

For EX100 and EX101 operating days and routes, see the official Kyoto City Transportation Bureau page.

One-day pass comparison (checked 2026-10-28)

Pass Adult Child Coverage
Subway and Bus One-Day Pass () 1,100 yen 550 yen All subway lines (Karasuma and Tozai), all city bus routes, and some Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus and JR Bus routes
Subway One-Day Pass 800 yen 400 yen Subway lines only
Subway and Randen 1day Pass () 1,300 yen Not listed on the official page Subway and Randen; not valid on city buses; on sale from 2026-04-01 to 2027-03-31
Bus-only One-Day Pass Discontinued Discontinued Validity ended on 2024-03-31

The official source does not calculate whether a one-day pass pays for itself, because that depends on how often you travel. Add up the separate bus and subway fares you expect to pay and compare them with the pass price.

Destination Official information
Arashiyama Take the JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama Station (), about 11 minutes by rapid train; the walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station to the Togetsukyo Bridge area takes about 8 minutes
Fushimi Inari JR Nara Line Inari Station () is immediately beside the shrine, about 5 minutes from Kyoto Station; from Fushimi-inari Station () on the Keihan Main Line, walk east for about 5 minutes
Uji About 16 minutes by rapid train on the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station
Nishiki Market Take the Karasuma Subway Line from Kyoto Station to Shijo Station (), then walk
Kinkakuji Get off a Kyoto City Bus at Kinkakuji-michi (); the official site lists routes 12, 59, 205 and M1, among others; alternatively travel to JR Emmachi Station and change to a bus

Journey times are official estimates and may vary with services and road conditions.

Further reading

Sources