My itinerary for the day was:

1. Fushimi Inari

2. Arashiyama

3. Nara

4. Tsujiri and Nishiki

5. Back to Tokyo and ready for departure

Since this is going to be my last travel fay in Japan, I packed my bag, check out from the hostel early in the morning and put my bag to the coin locker at the station (medium bag 500yen, only 100 yen could be used). Then I am free from my bag.

It was summer and I didn't want to be in Fushimi inari and Arashiyama packed with people, so I intended to go very early. From J Hopper's hostel I went at 7 .30 am, put my bag and arrived at Inari at 8 am. Take a picture of the vermillion gates is a must, I particullarly like senbon torii, one thousand red gates. I think that is the best spot to take picture. Since it was very early in the morning, not many people had come (yay). 

It was just 8 am but since it was Kyoto summer, its already hit 37 C. I was all sweaty, and I tried to hike the mountain. Alas, I should have come earlier to hike the mountain. So halfway I got down and head to the JR inari station (if you use JR pass from Kyoto station/Tofukuji, its free since it was coveted by JR pass. But be careful to take the local JR Nara line not the rapid one). 

From JR inari, back to Kyoto station, I took JR Sennin line towards Sonobe from platform 32/33 (its on different platform with other kyoto line) its a bit far. Stopped at Saga arashiyama station.

From there you can take the romantic train towards Kameoka, the station is next to JR Saga Arashiyama but the ticket is 620 yen and its like once per hour so I don't think its worthy if you want to go to Arashiyama only. Anyway since I got lost last night, I went with Toroko Arashiyama romantic train (its an old train solely purposed for sightseeing). 

I got to Arashiyama at 10 so there were a lot of people already. 

Since both inari and arashiyama are free and open for 24 hours, I suggest you to come early and take nice picture with less competition lol. 

Then at 12 I headed to Nara. If you have JR pass, then use Miyakoji special rapid train which only take 45 minutes rather than use local train bound to Nara which will take 75 minutes. Its on the same platform, 8,9,10 at Kyoto station all bound to Nara. Miyakoji special rapid train departs every 30 minutes, start at 9.09 and etc.

Then I arrived at Nara at around 1.15 pm,  then go down the stairs and head to the bus stop. Nara is a tourist city, so there is a sightseeing bus, and every bus should have stopped at least to one famous spot. Get a map from information center. Ask for Chizu or map at the information center. Anyway, take the bus stop no. 2, bus number 2, 70, 72, 97 will stop at Nara's top attraction: Deer park/Nara park, Toudaiji.

Recommended path: stop at N-4 Kencho-mae, then look at the deer and head to Koufukuji temple, where it has the 5 story pagoda, the highest in Nara, then walk to the Nara museum or cross the street to arrived at Toudaiji (500yen), the temple to the left of Toudaiji was also beautiful but idk why there is no one there, lol then end up at Kasuga shrine and go down and wait for the bus no 70 or 97 to get back to Nara station.  If you have time, then try visit Horyuji temple ( a nice obaasan told me).

Koufukuji 5 story pagoda

Toudaiji gate (from mononoke!)

The great Buddha in Toudaiji main hall

Kasuga Shrine

Tsujiri's matcha

Then head back to Tokyo for tomorrows departure back to my country. I took the shinkansen back to Tokyo and stayed at my friend's apartment. 

Kyoto souvenier suggestion:

Tsujiri matcha

Kyoto warabimochi

I was a bit behind schedule since I had to recharge my phone and power bank, because without all of those, I will be so lost.

Itinerary:

1. Kiyomizu dera

2. Chion in

3. Kinkakuji

4. Fushimi inari

5. Arashiyama (did not make it).

10 AM from my hostel, J Hoppers take 207 to Kiyomizu dera. Stop at Kiyomizudera mae. Follow the crowd, and you will have to go walk up hill for about 15/20 minutes to get to Kitomizu dera. The entrace for the terrace is 300 yen. I think the best time to see the view around is during fall, the momiji will be superb.

Then I went down, and headed to Yasaka Shrine, where I met English speaking geisha (who are tourist but rent kimono and make up to be geisha lol). It was interesting. Then I went to Chion in, which is one of the temple owned by Tokugawa. 

I originally planned to go eat lunch at Nishiki market and ate dessert at Tsujiri, but the sky was cloudy and I decided to go to Kinkakuji instead. Take a walk a bit and then took bus numbet 50 towards kinkakuji. 

I arrived at Kinkakuji at 4 pm and the people were so crowded. Took a picture of the temple and then wanted to go to Fushimi inari. It was almost dawn, so the lighting wasn't the best, but I decided yo get sunset photo there. Not good, since Fushimi inari is a mountain, it gets dark easily. I gave up and then wanted to try to go to Arashiyama since from Inari station, it is nearer if I went to Arashiyama by train. However, I pushed my luck too far and stopped at the wrong station so I got very late at Arashiyama, not to mention my handphone baterry was dead so I didn't know where to go to the bamboo path. So I gave up at around 9 pm (after lost and since Kyoto is a small city, there are no people near Arashiyama after 9 pm). And I didn't research enough to know where the bamboo path was, either its across from the bridge or near Nonomiya temple? (Ps: it was near nonomiya, toukakuji temple. Very near from JR Sagaarashiyama station. 15 minutes walk.)

I took bus number 11 and went back to J hoppers. 

Lesson from my half failed trip: 

It is possible to go to Kiyomizu dera, Kinkakuji, and Fushimi inari. But not Arashiyama since it was a bit further away from the city. Well maybe you can, if you use taxi. 

Tips: 

If you will take more than 3 time bus, get the one day buss pass. All bus have flat rate 230 yen and the day pass is 500 yen. I think its cheaper than buy the aight seeing bus.