Nijo Castle to Nishiki Market, Kyoto: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Nijo Castle to Nishiki Market in Kyoto: 5 stops, about 4.1 km, about 55 minutes of walking plus about 30 minutes of listening. Start at Nijo Castle, the Tokugawa shoguns’ flatland castle in Kyoto, finished in 1626, with corridors that chirp underfoot. Just south is Shinsen-en, the last pond of the Heian Palace grounds of 794 and the city’s oldest garden. Walk east to the Kyoto International Manga Museum, a former primary school with about 50,000 volumes to read, then to Honnō-ji, moved here after Oda Nobunaga died at its earlier site in 1582, and end in Nishiki Market, Kyoto’s kitchen.
- Stops:
- 5
- Distance:
- about 4.1 km
- Walking:
- about 55 min
- Listening:
- about 30 min
Two ways to do this walk
Kyoto with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsNijo Castle to Nishiki Market, Kyoto: how long does the walk take?
About 85 minutes in all: about 55 minutes on foot over about 4.1 km, plus about 30 minutes of audio at the 5 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Nijo Castle to Nishiki Market, Kyoto: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Nijo Castle, Shinsen-en, Kyoto International Manga Museum, Honnō-ji, and Nishiki Market. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.3 km, about 17 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
The Tokugawa shoguns’ flatland castle in Kyoto, finished in 1626 and now World Heritage, where the Ninomaru Palace floors chirp like birds as you walk.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Shinsen-en · about 1.0 km, about 14 min on foot
Stop 2
Kyoto’s oldest garden, the last remnant of the Heian Palace grounds laid out in 794, a Shingon temple whose spring-fed pond was once a place to pray for rain.
about 5 min of audio
Next stop: Kyoto International Manga Museum · about 1.3 km, about 17 min on foot
Stop 3
Japan’s largest manga museum, opened in 2006 in a former primary school, holding about 300,000 items with roughly 50,000 volumes free to pick up and read.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Honnō-ji · about 1.0 km, about 14 min on foot
Stop 4
The Hokke temple whose name recalls the night of 1582 when Oda Nobunaga met his end; it was later moved to this Teramachi site, where he is still remembered.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Nishiki Market · about 0.8 km, about 11 min on foot
Stop 5
Kyoto’s kitchen, a covered lane of about 390 meters and some 130 shops of fish, Kyoto vegetables, pickles and obanzai, where restaurants and households both buy.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Kyoto?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
More walking tours in Kyoto
Kiyomizu-dera to Gion, Kyoto
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5 stops · about 2.0 km · about 25 min on foot · about 32 min of audioArashiyama Bamboo Grove → Ōkōchi Sansō → Nonomiya Shrine → Tenryū-ji → TogetsukyoFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeFushimi Inari to Chishaku-in, Kyoto
3 stops · about 3.3 km · about 45 min on foot · about 21 min of audioFushimi Inari Taisha → Tofuku-ji → Chishaku-inFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeSeimei Shrine to Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto
4 stops · about 4.2 km · about 55 min on foot · about 25 min of audioSeimei Shrine → Shiramine Jingu → Kyoto Imperial Palace → Shimogamo ShrineFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the route
Plan more days in Kyoto
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Kyoto. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Nijo Castle: guided tour with entryViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Nishiki Market: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Nijo Castle and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Route checked by Mappu on November 1, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.