Useful Bus for Visitors : Kyoto City Bus Rakuraku Line / All Routes & Guide
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4. Fares & Passes
4-1 Fares a ride
4-2 Type of Passes you can use
1. What is Kyoto City Bus Rakuraku-Line ?
Kyoto City Bus Rakuraku-Line is produced for tourists to go sightseeing easily in Kyoto. These buses will be (have been) in service from (since) June 1, 2024.
This Rakuraku-Line bus services have 6 routes, and various types, including limited express, express, semi-express, and stops at all bus stops.
One thing to note is that they run only on weekends & holidays (or only on peak season) or very infrequently even if they run daily! Specifically, 4 lines of them usually run on weekends and holidays throughout the year, 1 line runs only during major spring holidays and the fall foliage season, and the other 1 line runs every day but are extremely infrequent at the moment! So, please check the bus schedule in advance if you plan to use Rakuraku-Line buses.
The fares vary depending on bus type! They are ¥500 for limited express buses, and ¥230 for others such as express, semi-express and normal type buses per ride.
The Subway & Bus One-day pass (¥1100) also allows you to take an limited express bus, which is very convenient.
English, Chinese and Korean announcement and sightseeing information ara available while you ara on the bus. And, also staff will guide you at the stops of the limited express buses.
2. Operation Routes / Hours
The map above is all Rakuraku-Line Bus routes.
Rakuraku-Line Bus have 6 routes, bus No. EX100 , EX101 , 102 , 105 , 106 and 109 .
( EX100 and EX101 are limited express type buses.)
Bus No. EX100 , EX101 , 102 and 105 are operated only on weekends & holidays.
Bus No. 106 is operated daily but very infrequent bus service.
Bus No. 109 is operated only on spring long holidays and weekends of autumn leaf season.
♦ No. EX100
No. EX100 connects Kyoto station and Ginkakuji temple (silver pavilion) by way of Kiyomizu temple, Gion area and Heian Jingu shrine (Okazaki area).
This bus is limited express, so only stop near Kiyomizu temple, Gion area, Heian Jingu shrine in Okazaki area and Ginkakuji temple.
No. EX100 usually run only on weekends and holidays throughout the year.
The bus fare is ¥500 per ride for an adult, ¥250 for a child (age 6 to 11).
The Subway & Bus One-day Pass(¥1100) is accepted.
It takes about 10 min to bus stop near Kiyomizu temple, 13 min to Gion area, 18 min to Heian Jingu shrine and 24 min to Ginkakuji temple. Usually 44 min between Kyoto Sta. and Ginkakuji. So, it is fast!
For more information, please check this page!
♦ No. EX101
No. EX101 connects Kyoto station and Kiyomizu temple directly. (It is also limited express bus, and only stop at the bus stop near Kiyomizu temple, named “Gojo-zaka”.)
No. EX101 usually run every 15 minutes only from morning to noon on weekends and holidays throughout the year.
The bus fare is also ¥500 per ride for an adult, ¥250 for a child (age 6 to 11).
The Subway & Bus One-day Pass(¥1100) is accepted.
It takes about 10 min to Gojo-zaka bus stop near Kiyomizu temple.
For more information, please check this page!
♦ No. 102
No. 102 connects Subway Kitaoji Station and Ginkakuji temple (silver pavilion) by way of Kinkakuji temple (golden pavilion), Kitano-hakubaicho Station of Keifuku railway (Randen), Kitano Tenmangu shrine, Kyoto Imperial and Demachiyanagi Station of Keihan railway.
This bus is semi-express type, meanings express service available only between Kitaoji Station and Kinkakuji temple, and stop each on the rest of the route.
No. 102 usually run every 30 minutes in the daytime only on weekends and holidays throughout the year.
The bus fare is normal ¥230 per ride for an adult, ¥120 for a child (age 6 to 11), since it is not an limited express.
Of course, Subway & Bus One-day Pass is accepted.
For more information, please check this page!
♦ No. 105
No. 105 connects Kyoto Station and Ginkakuji temple by way of Shijo-Kawaramachi (downtown area) and Heian-jingu shrine (Okazaki area).
This bus stops at all bus stops on its entire route.
No. 105 usually run every 30 minutes in the daytime only on weekends and holidays throughout the year.
The bus fare is normal ¥230 per ride for an adult, ¥120 for a child (age 6 to 11).
Of course, Subway & Bus One-day Pass is accepted.
For more information, please check this page!
♦ No. 106
No. 106 connects Kyoto Station and Sanjo Station of Keihan railway by way of Kiyomizu temple and Gion area. This bus is operated everyday, and stops every bus stop on its whole route. However, at the moment, it runs only twice a day, so it is actually better to take another bus with a higher frequency, such as No.206 or limited express bus No.EX100 and No.EX101 .
The bus fare is normal ¥230 per ride for an adult, ¥120 for a child (age 6 to 11). Of course, Subway & Bus One-day Pass(¥1100) is accepted.
♦ No. 109
No. 109 connects Kinkakuji temple (golden pavilion) and Arashiyama area by way of Ryoanji temple, Ninnaji temple and Daikakuji temple.
This bus is operated only during Japan’s major spring holidays and the fall foliage season. For example, this spring, it operated on weekends and holidays in late April and early May, and last fall, it operated on weekends in mid to late November.
This bus is an express, but not a limited express, so the fare is the normal ¥230 per ride for an adult, ¥120 for a child (age 6 to 11). Of course, Subway & Bus One-day Pass is accepted.
It is convenient, but please note that there are not many bus services.
The each bus operating hours is …
♦ No. EX100
9:00 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. (only weekends & holidays)
every 15 min in the morning, every 30 min in the afternoon
♦ No. EX101
9:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. (only weekends & holidays)
every 15 min in the morning
♦ No. 102 :
9:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. to Kinkakuji, golden pavilion, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to Ginkakuji, silver pavilion (only weekends & holidays)
every 30 min in the daytime
♦ No. 105 :
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(only weekends & holidays)
every 30 min in the daytime
♦ No. 106 :
7:00 a.m. (weekdays) or 8:00 a.m. (weekends & holidays) and 3:00 p.m. (every day)
only 2 times a day at the moment!
♦ No. 109 :
Undecided at this time (only Japan’s spring holidays & weekends of fall foliage season)
probably every 1 hour
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3. Attractions you can visit by Rakuraku-Line Bus
What attractions can you visit by Rakuraku-Line Buses ?
You can go to most of major attractions such as…
Kiyomizu temple, Ginkakuji temple, Kinkakuji temple, Gion area, Yasaka jinja shrine, Heian-jingu Shrine, Nanzenji temple, Eikando temple, Kyoto City Zoo, Philosopher’s walk, Shimogamo jinja shrine, Kyoto Imperial, Kitano tenmangu shrine, Nishiki market and so on.
Arashiyama area is covered only during Japan’s major spring holidays or during fall foliage season.
On the other hand, Fushimi-inari shrine are not covered by Rakuraku-line Bus.
How long dose it take to attractions by Rakuraku-line Buses ?
The followings are the main sections.
♦Kyoto station — Kiyomizu temple :
at least 20∗ to 23 min (∗in case of limited Exp. Bus No.100, 101)
(bus ride 10 to 13 min, get off at Gojozaka bus stop, walk 10 min)
♦Kyoto station — Ginkakuji (silver pavilion) temple :
at least 29∗ or 49 min (∗in case of limited Exp. Bus No.100)
(bus ride 24 or 44 min, get off at Ginkakuji-mae bus stop, walk 5 min)
♦Kyoto station — Heian Jingu shrine (Okazaki area) :
at least 21∗ or 35 min (∗in case of limited Exp. Bus No.100)
(bus ride 18 or 32 min, get off at Okazaki-Koen Bijutsukan Heianjingu-mae bus stop, walk 3 min)
♦Kyoto station — Gion area / Yasaka jinja shrine :
at least 14∗ or 22 min (∗in case of limited Exp. Bus No.100)
(bus ride 13 or 21 min, near Gion bus stop, walk 1 min)
♦Ginkakuji temple — Kinkakuji temple :
at least 38 min
(bus ride 26 min between Ginkakuji-michi and Kinkakuji-michi bus stop, walk 12 min in total)
♦Subway Kitaoji station — Kinkakuji temple :
at least 14 min
(bus ride about 10 min, get off at Kinkakuji-michi bus stop, walk 4 min)
Please note that…
on peak season such as cherry blossoms (from the end of March to the beginning of April) or autumun leaves (November), it takes more time to get to each attractions becouse of heavy traffic jam.
4. Fares & Passes
4-1 Fares a ride
As I mentiond above, there are two types of fares.
One is, the limited express bus No.100 & No.101, ¥500 for an adult / ¥250 for a child (6 -11 years old) per ride.
All the other buses, including express bus No.109, are ¥230 for an adult / ¥120 for a child.
No matter where you get off, the fare is the same.
If you plan to take other buses or subways especially in addition to the limited express bus during the day, Subway & Bus One-Day Pass (¥1100 for an adult / ¥550 for a child) is recommended.
4-2 Type of Passes you can use
