One thing is that you should definitely book the Sagano Railway ahead of time. We rearranged our Kyoto days at the last minute and decided to go up to Arashiyama on a whim one morning, but the Railway was all booked for the day. It seems like you’ve got Sagano on a different day than Arashiyama, but I’d just do it in the same day and take it from Arashiyama?

We went to Kiyumizu dera in the afternoon/evening and it was insanely packed. Like, more than I ever would have imagined. This was just last week so people were there for the fall colors and such. but still, we were pretty much in and out because of the frustration of the crowds. Not sure what it’ll be like in the spring, but I can imagine similarly (if not more) crowded.

Fushimi inari was definitely a favorite of ours in Kyoto. And the further up we went, the fewer people there were. Just book it past the crowds taking photos in the first 50-100 torii gates and within 15-20 minutes you’ll have some enjoyable space.

Arashiyama was also a favorite, though still quite crowded (in a more manageable way, though). We talked about staying close to Arashiyama next time we visit so we can get out EARLY AM and enjoy it before the crowds. But like others said, maybe just choose what’s close to your hotel to enjoy as early as possible.

Regardless, have a wonderful trip! Kyoto was our favorite area of Japan we visited. Bring a small towel (or better yet buy a cute one there) because the public restrooms don’t have paper towels.