Kyoto · Backpacking

Dorm beds cluster in Shimogyo, south and east of the station — plain, clean guesthouses within ten minutes of every bus and train you need.

Reckon ¥7,000–11,000, roughly $45–75: dorm ¥3,000–4,500, konbini and noodle-shop food ¥2,000–3,000, buses ¥700–1,200, one temple entry ¥400–600.

The flat-fare city bus network reaches most temples; an ICOCA card saves fumbling for coins, and a day of bike hire runs ¥800–1,500.

Fushimi Inari's torii tunnels cost nothing, nor do the Imperial Palace grounds, the Philosopher's Path or a browse through Nishiki Market.

From late afternoon the west bank fills with students, buskers and travellers sitting in a neat row — cheapest social life in the city.