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[Black_Beer_Man]

This month I want to show a friend the temples in Kyoto. Was wondering which time was better, weekdays or weekends?

We are not party people, so we have no plans to head to the bars.

Would weekdays have better public transit because there are more buses? Or would weekends be better because we'll avoid the weekday commuters on the buses?

Is there more going on in general on weekends? Like events at temples? Festivals?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[JimSwill]

I'll give you my two cents. (living in Kyoto going on 4 years).

Weekends are great for people watching. There will be crowds at all the major tourist attractions and catching a bus will be a nightmare. Nightmare. (it needs repeating). I guess it's not that bad. Some people might like being jammed into a bus. At least it's not Korea.

Anyhoo, the subway is your friend.

Renting a bicycle might be a good idea, too. Don't know what your interests are, but it's an option.

I've seen everything in this city, as far as World Heritage sites - they are all awesome - I love history and architecture and landscaping, so I am in heaven.

Anymore specific questions?

[Black_Beer_Man]

You recommend the subway? Does it go to the most popular temples? The last time I went there, I went to Kiyomizu Temple and Kinkakuji Temple by bus. The information guy at the train station told me to take buses.

Thank you for your answer. It is helpful.

[move]

Take the subway if you can, if not take buses. Buses get stuck in traffic of course. Of course, this all depends on where you want to go. I recommend Fushimi Inari, it's like visiting a temple (which gets old after the 4th one) and going for a hike combined into one. I don't think you need to worry about whether to visit on a weekday or weekend, it doesn't get Tokyo crowded here.

[mitsui]

Weekdays are less crowded.

Buses cannot be avoided since trains don`t always go where you want to go.
I used to take the train then walk a lot.
I think bikes can be rented, but I don`t know where.