What's a good 3-day itinerary for Kyoto?

Day 1 stays east of the Kamo River, all within Higashiyama ward. Kiyomizu-dera opens at 6 AM, and at that hour the only sound on the wooden veranda is pigeons and the creek below the 13-metre stilts. The ¥400 entry fee gets you 30 minutes of near-solitude before tour buses start unloading at 8. Walk south down Sannen-zaka, where the flagstones are uneven enough to feel underfoot even in sneakers. Skip the matcha soft-serve stands (¥450 each, identical product) and save your appetite for Omen near Kodai-ji on Shimokawara-dori, a soba place where the cold noodles arrive with a dozen small dishes of sesame, ginger, shiso, and nori for ¥1,650. After lunch, walk through Gion toward Yasaka Shrine, then take a bus north to Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion, founded 1465, ¥500). The moss garden there smells like wet cedar after any rain. Come back to Nawate-dori for dinner, and around 6 PM you might catch the click of wooden geta sandals as maiko pass through Hanamachi on the way to evening appointments.

Day 2 heads 30 minutes west by JR San-in Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama, ¥240 one way. The bamboo grove beside Tenryu-ji Temple (founded 1345) is best before 8 AM, when the hollow trunks creak in the wind and the light filters green through the canopy. Tenryu-ji's entry is ¥500, and the Sogenchi garden behind the main hall is worth the extra 15 minutes most visitors skip. Cross the Togetsukyo Bridge (155 metres, rebuilt 1934) for a view of Mount Arashiyama, then take Bus 28 north to Kinkaku-ji. The Gold Pavilion was built in 1397 and rebuilt after an arson fire in 1950. It sits across a mirror pond that smells faintly of algae in warm weather. Entry is ¥500. Walk 15 minutes southwest to Ryoan-ji and its 15-stone rock garden, set on raked white gravel. The garden is only 25 by 10 metres, but you can sit on the wooden ledge for as long as you like. Take Bus 59 back to Shijo-Kawaramachi and eat dinner on Pontocho, a narrow riverside lane between Shijo and Sanjo bridges where most restaurants post picture menus outside.

Day 3 opens at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a 5-minute walk from JR Inari Station, two stops south of Kyoto Station at ¥150. The shrine is free and open 24 hours. Arrive at 6:30 AM and the lower torii tunnel has maybe 20 other people. The full loop through over 10,000 vermillion gates to the summit of Mount Inari takes 90 minutes and 4 km of stone steps. The air at the top smells like hinoki cypress and incense from the smaller sub-shrines. Come back down by 9 AM and catch the train north to Shijo Station for Nishiki Market, a 390-metre covered arcade between Teramachi and Takakura streets. Graze on dashimaki tamago (rolled egg, ¥200) from the egg specialists near the Takakura end, pickled Kyoto vegetables, and grilled mochi skewers for ¥150. After the market, walk 15 minutes north to Kyoto Imperial Palace, where the grounds are free and the 45-minute English tour runs at 10 AM and 2 PM. Close the trip at Kyoto National Museum (founded 1897, ¥700 entry), a 10-minute walk east of Shichijo Station, where the Meiji-era red brick wing alone is worth the stop.

The single best transit buy is a prepaid ICOCA card (¥2,000 deposit, sold at Kyoto Station vending machines), which works on JR, Hankyu, Keihan, and city buses. Kyoto's bus network covers most temple zones, and a one-day bus pass costs ¥700 at the station information desk. June in Kyoto currently sits around 22°C with 68% humidity, so the mornings feel cool but midday gets sticky. Pack a small towel. Temples close between 4:30 PM and 5 PM with few exceptions, so the afternoon squeeze is real. Plan your last temple visit by 3:30. Total walking across all three days is about 28 km, with most of it on stone paths and wooden stairs that get slippery when wet.