Special train and bus tickets in Kyoto city, one-day tickets for traveling around Kyoto, include:
1. Kyoto Sightseeing Card(now sold as the Subway & Bus One-Day Pass, 1,100 yen; the 2 day pass has been discontinued)
Use it on Kyoto's 2 subway lines, Kyoto City Buses and Kyoto Buses in the city center and outskirts, including unlimited travel to Arashiyama, Takao and Ohara for 1-2 days
It also offers discounts at some tourist attractions in Kyoto. It can be bought from ticket vending machines at subway stations, bus ticket centers, and some hotels. This card is great value, especially if you're traveling to Takao or Ohara, and it's also convenient to use.
2. Kyoto One Day Bus Card (sales ended in September 2023)
Use it for unlimited rides on Kyoto City Buses and Kyoto Buses in Kyoto city and Arashiyama for one day. The difference from the Kyoto Sightseeing Card is that it doesn't cover areas outside the city (Takao and Ohara). It was sold at bus counters, subway counters, and by bus drivers. This card is worth it if you take 3 or more rides, but the downside is that buses can be fairly slow when traffic is congested, especially on weekends.
3. Kyoto Subway One Day Card 800 yen
Use it for unlimited rides on Kyoto's 2 subway lines within one day. It can be bought at ticket vending machines in every subway station. It's worth it if you use it 3 or more times.
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Rechargeable Cards
1. IC Cards
Kyoto's rechargeable IC cards are divided into 2 types: Icoca can be bought from ticket vending machines at every JR station in Kyoto, and the other type is Pitapa, a local card from a company other than JR. However, PiTaPa works much like a credit card, so it's better suited to residents than tourists.
Icoca and Pitapa cards can be used on JR trains and buses, the Eizan Railway to Kurama and Hieizan, and green buses in and around Kyoto city (and in major cities across Japan), except red buses in Kyoto. In addition, 8 other IC cards can also be used in Osaka, such as Suica, Pasmo, Kitaca, Toica, Manaca, Sugoca, Nimoca and Hayakaken
2. Surutto Kansai Miyako Card(1,000 2,000 and 3,000 yen)
This is an older prepaid card that cannot be topped up, and it must be inserted rather than tapped at the gate. However, it could be used on trains and buses in Osaka city, except JR trains.
The one advantage this card has over ICOCA is that it can be used on buses in Kyoto and the Eizan Railway.
Note: The Surutto Kansai Card has different names depending on the issuing company. For example, on Hankyu it's called the Lagare Card, the Osaka subway card is called the Rainbow Card, and the Kyoto subway card is called the Miyako Card
