Visiting the Kyoto Tower: My Experience, Review, and Tips

My main reason for visiting Kyoto was, if I’m honest with you, to see the city’s many temples. I achieved that goal, but at the same time, I also really enjoy seeing cities from above. Even though I actually think that much of Kyoto is utilitarian and not very pretty (yes, I’m serious), I was never going to say no to an opportunity for a nice view. 

I actually debated visiting the Kyoto Tower for a long time, but eventually, we decided to go ahead and do it. I’m not going to say it isn’t touristy to some extent, because it somewhat is. However, it’s nowhere near as popular as other attractions in the city, like Kiyomizu-dera. So, I figured that it would be worth reporting back to help you plan your own visit. 

In this guide, I’ll outline whether I think you should visit the Kyoto Tower. On top of that, I will give you some of my main tips to help you enjoy your visit more. By the end of this guide, you should have a better understanding of whether you’d like to add this to your Kyoto itinerary. 

Here’s What My Experience Visiting the Kyoto Tower Was Like

My girlfriend and I visited the Kyoto Tower on a December trip around Japan’s Golden Route. We went there on a Friday around midday; it was quite sunny, and as someone who enjoys photography, I was admittedly quite skeptical. While I think you can take good photos in any weather, midday is often not the best time, in my opinion. 

Nonetheless, we were heading to Osaka in the evening and therefore could not be flexible. After arriving at the Kyoto Tower, we took the elevator to the observation deck. It didn’t take too long, and there was nobody in the queue in front of us. This was a huge contrast to when we visited the Skytree in Tokyo, where we had to wait quite a while for the elevator to go up and down. 

What Can You See From the Top of the Kyoto Tower?

I mentioned earlier that Kyoto is, for the most part, not a pretty city, in my opinion. The temples are wonderful, and the same goes for the districts and streets where you’ll find older houses. But when it comes to the skyline, it looks the same as many other major cities in Japan. 

At the same time, you can still see many of Kyoto’s great temples. For example, my personal favorite view was of the beautiful Higashi Hongan-ji temple—which is very close to the Kyoto Tower. As a side note, you 100% should also make some time to visit that particular temple while you’re in the city. It was one of my absolute favorites, and I preferred it to some of the more popular spots we went to. If you want extra help planning your trip, you can always check out my Kyoto itinerary. 

You can also see the pagoda at To-ji from the tower, along with getting a great view of Kyoto Station. I do have to say that I found the mixture of modern and old architecture much more interesting from above. You’ll get some excellent views of the mountains surrounding the city from the observation deck, too. 

Reasons You May or May Not Want to Visit the Kyoto Tower

Now that I’ve talked about my experiences at the Kyoto Tower, I wanted to share what I think are the biggest pros and cons of visiting. I’ve broken these down into separate sections to help you make a better decision. 

The Biggest Pros Are…

1. The Tower Is Very Easy to Find

I have spoken in other articles about how much I dislike public transport in Kyoto. Public transport in Japan is amazing, but I was not a fan of it in Kyoto. The main reason was that I just don’t think the infrastructure can handle a city of its size, along with the fact that Kyoto is more spread out than you might think. 

Luckily, you will have zero issues at all finding the Kyoto Tower. First of all, you can see it from many places in the city. Alongside that, it’s right next to Kyoto’s main train station. This is good for two reasons: You’re very close to many of the main hotels in Kyoto, and if you happen to be close to a Subway or train station, you won’t be second-guessing how to get there. 

Unlike some other attractions in Kyoto, you also won’t need to walk very long after getting off the train before finding the tower. It was by far the easiest place we found in the city while we were staying there. 

2. Tickets Aren’t Expensive

I know I’m speaking as someone who lives in Northern Europe here, but I did not find Japan expensive in general. But even for the prices we paid, the Kyoto Tower was very affordable. Tickets cost less than $10 each when we were there, and it was significantly cheaper than, for example, the Skytree in Tokyo.

Because of this, I don’t think that you really need to second-guess whether you should go or not. At the very worst, you’re not going to lose a huge amount of money. So, if you’re already thinking that you might go, I recommend just booking the tickets. 

3. The Kyoto Tower Is Less Touristy Than Other Attractions in Kyoto

It was quite easy to find places in Kyoto away from the crowds—much more than people make it out to be. But I’m also not going to lie: The major tourist spots, such as the starting point of the gates at Fushimi-Inari, were *very* busy. 

In comparison, I found that the Kyoto Tower was one of the least crowded places we went to in the city. At least, it’s one of the least crowded from the spots that are well-known. We did also find lots of shrines and temples with nobody else there. 🙂

I was more than happy to deal with crowds in Japan; it was my first trip, and I wasn’t going to avoid places just because others would be there. At the same time, it was admittedly nice to not be around lots of other people when visiting the Kyoto Tower. 

4. You Will Get the Best Views of Kyoto, IMO

You can find great views of Kyoto in lots of places, but in my opinion, the best ones are at the Kyoto Tower. I really enjoyed taking photos of the city from above here, much more so than in any of the other spots we visited. 

The obvious disadvantage is that the Kyoto Tower won’t be included in your shots. The tower is very polarizing, but I’m one of those who actually likes it. At the same time, you’ll see plenty of other interesting buildings, temples, and mountains. 

While at the Kyoto Tower, you’ll also see precisely what I mean when I say that Kyoto is more spread out than you might originally have thought. 

You’ll Need to Consider These Cons, Though

While I enjoyed my visit to the Kyoto Tower, you will need to consider a handful of drawbacks. 

1. On a Sunny Day, the Observation Deck Can Get Warm

The observation deck is indoors, which is great if the weather isn’t playing fair outside. But at the same time, it can get pretty warm on a sunny day. 

When we visited, the sun was glaring quite a lot off the windows. As a result, I found that it got quite hot. This wasn’t a major issue with few other people around, but I can imagine that it wouldn’t have been so comfortable if the crowds were bigger when we arrived. 

This isn’t a huge issue, and you will find some places to sit down if you want to get out of the heat. At the same time, I also think that dressing in layers is a good idea to avoid overheating. 

2. There Isn’t a Lot of Space to Move Around

While there weren’t so many other people when we visited, the observation deck itself is quite small. It was by far the smallest out of the ones we went to in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. 

If you’re claustrophobic, you might not have the most fun time here. Otherwise, there’s still space to move around—but it’s not on the same level as some of the other observation decks you’ll find.

3. Advance Tickets Are Non-Refundable

This is the case at many observation decks you’ll visit in Japan, but tickets for the Kyoto Tower are not refundable. While they aren’t very expensive, this can be quite annoying. 

If you want some more time to decide, you can always buy your tickets at a later date. Otherwise, it’s possible to purchase them from the ticket office when you arrive. 

4. I Found the Music Somewhat Annoying After a While

When we were at the observation deck, an ad for an anime show kept running on repeat in the background. This was charming at first, but after a while, I must admit that it started to become annoying to me. 

I guess that there isn’t a huge amount that you can do about this, and you might not also experience it when you visit. But if you do have some kind of music, you might start to find it irritating. Then again, maybe this is what noise-canceling headphones were invented for?

My Top Tips for Visiting the Kyoto Tower and Enjoying Your Experience

If you’ve decided that you want to visit the Kyoto Tower, I’ve added some other recommendations below. 

1. I’d Recommend Visiting on a Weekday

I am certain that the Kyoto Tower would have been busier if we were there on a weekend. The same goes for if we had chosen to visit at Golden Hour instead. Even if it wouldn’t have been as crowded as other tourist spots in the city, it would have been busier. 

If you have a decent chunk of time in Kyoto, I strongly recommend visiting the tower on a weekday. And if you can visit during the middle of the day, even better. Bonus points if you also happen to visit the city outside of the peak tourist season. 

2. You Don’t Need to Spend a Huge Amount of Time at the Kyoto Tower

Compared to the other observation decks we visited in Japan, we spent the least amount of time at the Kyoto Tower. We were only here for around an hour or so, and I personally felt like that was enough for me. This was ideal for taking photos and also actually enjoying the views. 

For context, we were at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo for over two hours. The Kyoto Tower is very much something you can do if you have some extra time, and even if you’ve got a busy day, you can still visit. 

By the Way: If you’re arriving in or leaving Kyoto on the same day that you visit the tower, you should not bring your suitcases to the observation deck. You can either leave these at your accommodation or use a luggage transfer service.

3. I Recommend Checking Out the Kyoto Tower Sando Souvenir Shops After You Visit

You’ll find a food court at the Kyoto Tower on the same floor as the ticket office, along with places to buy some nice souvenirs. I recommend the latter, in particular. We bought some crackers and ingredients to make ramen with when we went back to Europe. 

Once you’ve been to the observation deck, I recommend spending a bit of time browsing your options here before moving on. 

4. … You Can Also Stay at the Tower’s Hotel if You Want

Many hotels in Kyoto are close to the Kyoto Tower, and staying in this part of town is convenient if you want to get around more easily. One of these is the Kyoto Tower Hotel.

If you stay at the Kyoto Tower Hotel, you can actually get a discount on the observation deck. Beyond that, you can use the main station to reach other parts of Kyoto and also easily take multiple nearby day trips. 

So… Do I Think the Kyoto Tower Is Worth Visiting?

I personally enjoyed my time at the Kyoto Tower, and if you’re staying for three days or longer, I’d say that it’s a nice extra addition to your itinerary. Visiting doesn’t take a huge amount of time, and the views from the observation deck are great. 

While the sun can be annoying, the flipside is that you are protected from the rain since the observation deck is indoors. Tickets are also affordable, making it a great activity if you’re visiting Kyoto on a budget. 

The only time I wouldn’t recommend visiting the Kyoto Tower is if you only have one or two days in the city. To be honest, I suggest spending longer if possible because there’s *a lot* to see in Kyoto. But if you don’t have that luxury, you’re better off focusing your attention on other parts of the city. 

If you definitely want to visit the Kyoto Tower, you can check prices and availability for tickets here. 

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