Local Bus Fares in Kyoto

A bus fare in Kyoto depends on areas whether your destination is within Flat Fare Zone or not.

Flat Fare Zone means that no matter where you get off, and no matter which bus company you ride (actualy 4 different bus companies operated in Kyoto such as Kyoto City Bus, Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus and west JR bus), the fare is ¥230 for an adult / ¥120 for a child (6 – 11 yares old) per ride within the zone.

Of course, extra fare is needed if you ride beyond the zone.

In fact, most of attractions are located within the Flat Fare Zone.

For example, Arashiyama, Kinkakuji temple, Ginkakuji temple, Fushimi-inari shrine, Kiyomizu temple, Gion, Nijo castle, Ryoanji temple are within the flat fare zone. So if your destination is typically famed place in kyoto, the fare must be ¥230 per ride.
From Mar. 2021, Takao area having Jingoji temple or Kouzanji temple turnds into the Flat Fare Zone.

The fare for limited express buses is an exception. It is ¥500. (Bus  ExNo.100 ,  ExNo.101 )

The map above shows the Flat Fare Zone with some famous spots, please check.

If you ride a bus beyond the Flat Fare Zone, the fare gets higher depending on the distance.

Famous attractions or areas located outside the zone, for example, are…

•Sanzenin Temple / Ohara area

•Kuramadera Temple / Kurama area

•Kifune Shrine / Kibune area

•Daigoji Temple / Yamashina area

The map above shows those attractions and areas located outside Flat Fare Zone, so please check.

♦ Kyoto station

 ⇔ Sanzenin Temple / Ohara area (¥630 / ¥320)

♦ Kyoto station

⇔ Daigoji Temple / Yamashina area (¥260 / ¥130)

♦ Subway Kokusai-kaikan station

⇔ Kifune shrine via Eizan Railway Kibune-guchi Sta. bus stop (¥510 / ¥260)

♦Subway Kokusaikaikan station

⇔ Kuramadera temple (¥370 / ¥190)

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If you ride Kyoto City Bus or Kyoto Bus within the flat fare zone, touch an IC Card onto an IC card reader located next to a bus driver only when you get off.

Some buses running beyond flat fare zone such as Kyoto Bus No.17 for Ohara, you need to touch it onto another IC card reader located near an entrance door when you get on, too.

Buses running beyond the flat fare zone are, for example, Kyoto City bus No.19, 20, 22, 23, 29, 33, 42, 69, 70, south 1, south 2, south 3, south 8, west 1, west 2, west 3, west 4, west 5, west 6, west 8 and west 9, and Kyoto Bus No.10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 32, 34, 51, 52, 54 and 95.

If you ride Keihan Bus or west JR local Bus, please touch an IC card onto each IC card reader both when you get on and when you get off.

Subway & Bus One-day Pass is valid for Kyoto City Bus, Kyoto Bus, JR Bus and Keihan Bus.

For the first ride of Kyoto City Bus or Kyoto Bus, insert the Pass into the card slot beside IC card reader to print the date when you get off. In case of buses also having the card slot at entrance door, insert the pass when you get on, too.

If you ride JR Bus or Keihan Bus for the first time of the day, you need to write the date by yourself on the pass, and print the date if you have a oppotunity to ride other Bus lines or City Subway.

For next bus ride after printing the date, just show the date to the driver when you get off. (for subway-ride, insert the pass every time when you use)

But if you ride a bus from pass valid area to invald area, you need to insert this pass both when you get on and get off, and pay extra fare.

For example, Kyoto Bus No.52 from subway Kokusai-Kaikan station to Kurama where Subway & Bus one-day pass is not valid for, you need to insert both when get on and get off, and pay extra fare ¥200 by cash for invalid sections, between Ichihara bus stop and Kurama-onsen.

Unfortunately, this Kansai Thru Pass is no longer available in March 2024. 

Since December 2024, Kyoto City Bus have updated their equipment to provide change when paying fares. So, you don’t need to change money beforehand.

But, if you ride Kyoto Bus running only within the Flat Fare Zone,  pay a bus fare into a fare box with exact amount (¥230) when you get off.

If you don’t have exact amout coins, you need to change money by changing machine beforehand.
The machine is next to an IC card reader, the same equipment as the fare box.

On some Kyoto Buses such as No.17 for Ohara, running beyond Flat Fare Zone, you need to take a numbered ticket from a ticketing machine near the entrance door when you get on. 

The fare is displayed on the monitor near the exit door, and determined by the number. The longer you ride, the higher the fare gets. So check the final fare by your number when you get off, and pay.

If you ride Keihan Bus or west JR local Bus, basically you need to take a numbered ticket when you get on. The fare is determined by the number when you get off. Please note that when you ride the bus from the first bus stop, or the bus running only within Flat Fare, there may be no numbered ticket.