What a great way to see a beautiful city on a snowy evening. The night we went it wasn't overly busy as we went early so we had no issues waiting for lifts. The staff we interacted with were lovely and informative. You can buy some souvenirs up the top as well as in the shop.

This was the very first attraction that I saw when I got out of the Kyoto Station. Located just accross from the station, you can’t miss it due to its height and orange color. There are shops, restaurants, offices, bus tops, grocery stores, etc near it. As I visited various attractions in Kyoto, I could see it from the distance, like a beacon calling my attention.

It's a place I've always wanted to go to because you can see the cityscape of Kyoto. You can look through the telescope and explore various things. I was able to see Higashi Honganji, Toji, Nishi Honganji, and many other temples and shrines. It has a retro atmosphere and is popular with foreigners and school trip students, so it was very lively.

It took me until my fourth visit to get there but I think getting there at the beginning of my stay in Kyoto can help to understand the extent of things to visit. Privilege the fact of day, 30 minutes before sunset. Very powerful and free telescopes... the kids loved it!

Its official name is Nidek Kyoto Tower, not Kyoto Tower, but it seems to have become Nidek only recently, so it appears in internet searches as usual in Kyoto Tower, and it also appears on car navigation systems, so it may be good either way. Kiyomizu-dera Temple is the first place I can think of because it offers a panoramic view of the city of Kyoto, but I decided to visit it partly because I wanted to avoid walking outside due to the huge congestion caused by overtourism, which has a bad reputation, and partly because the day I visited was extremely hot and sweltering. Since this is a place where you can get a view, there's not a hint of Kyoto-like atmosphere by walking around the city, but it's satisfying enough for observational purposes only, as you can get 360 degree panoramas from the center of Kyoto and even see famous facilities and temples in various directions crowded with telescopes. However, the observation deck is not large enough and has a limited capacity, so I don't think you'd be forced to visit when it's crowded or there's a waiting time.

This hadn't been in our plans but we found ourselves at Kyoto station with 1.5hrs to spare and thought why not. Turned out to be a great decision. Not to busy and stunning views of Kyoto and in the distance Osaka. Loved watching the bullet trains going to and fro from the station. And all for about a 10th of the cost of going up either of the Tokyo towers

Not that it is the best view, not the best place, not the best care, not the best food/drink. It's just to meet the Kyoto tower. We ordered snacks and drinks like martinis and Gin and tonic, they were fine. Very basic service, nothing special as Japanese service usually is. We went at night and the atmosphere was a little more effusive with large groups of adults already or shortly into the party and we went a second time for sunset and it was almost empty.

Kyoto Tower offers breathtaking views of the city and surrounding mountains. The observation deck is modern and well-designed. It’s a great spot for sunset photos. The tower’s location near Kyoto Station makes it super convenient.

The Kyoto Tower is right in front of the train station and is one of the city’s must-sees. The tower, built in 1964, is 131 metres high and welcomes visitors to the observation deck, 100 metres high. Admission costs ¥900 per person, and is accessed by lift in the shopping centre on which the tower stands. We went there at sunset, dusk to see Kyoto and the surrounding area at night. The weather being clear, we could see the buildings of Osaka and the metropolitan area, located about 50 km to the south. The binoculars located inside sound free which allows to see far enough. From above, the view of Kyoto is splendid and most of the city's points of interest can be distinguished. Allow 45 min.