Lonely Planet Pocket Kyoto & Osaka (Pocket Guide)

I bought this for a friend who traveled to the Kyoto area, and he said it was functional yet compact. Had just the right amount of information without being overwhelming.

Excellent pocket size guide complete with maps, concise details on the attractions and sights with good suggestions on walking routes to maximise the limited times you may have available. Focuses more on Kyoto so probably not suitable if only travelling to Osaka. A little lacking on practical guidance on how to navigate the public transport systems but all in all a very useful publication and recommended if you only want to purchase a single guide book for your travels.

Used this to plan our recent trip. As always, the lonely planet full of pictures and useful information and didn't disappoint.

I found this book useful during my trip to Kyoto. Brief and to the point

Its for my son so we shall see after this next month

great tour guidebook

Contains little important info, sketchy was not at all helpful.

A lot of information, but hard to actually use when in Kyoto. Needs to have a better organization and ease of reference. Somehow it was like the information was disconnected and hard to actually use once in Kyoto. Needs to be organized based on a person's preferences. Then, the streets are very confusing and the directions need to be very clear with a map.

As described

A bit disappointing, because I expected the book to be about both cities but it is more focused on Kyoto.

Tucked it in my backpack and took it everywhere! Handy to look up restaurant recommendations and tips and tricks wherever you end up. Yes, you can get all the information online now, but it's good to have the additional reference and expert curation.

Growing up, Lonely Planet guidebooks offered a tantalizing glimpse into far off destinations. I’d walk over to a local library, where shelves filled with the familiar blue tomes promised a peek into lands I could only dream of visiting, pick one, and be transported. All that has changed. Within seconds the videographic escapades of hundreds of travel vloggers can be enjoyed from a phone along with the addictive but sometimes empty doomscrolling of bite sized shorts. If you’re asking yourself if there is still a place for guidebooks, then this pocket sized, colorful, entertaining, and informative pocket-sized book is the answer, with a resounding yes. Leaf through the opening pages and one is introduced to individual pages dedicated to the best Temple, Garden, Culture, Foodie, Outdoors, After-Dark, History and Art Experiences, followed by suggested itineraries, before each region of Kyoto and Osaka is summarized in succinct detail, with the various experiences, how to get there, and their cost clearly and eloquently described in small, easily digestible paragraphs. The information is so clearly displayed, the vivid photographs so vibrant and interesting that it really does feel like it allows you to “Discover twice the place in half the time.” Nostalgia aside, I enjoyed having the book as part of preparation for a month-long trip in Kyoto and Osaka recently, and it is easier to flip through and navigate than scrolling through sometimes bewildering pages on a screen. Highly recommended.

Useful sized book to carry during the day sightseeing!