For our last day in Kyoto, we choose Nijo Castle for the day, and Gion Corner for the evening. At the end of this article, I’ll list some ideas of things in Kyoto we didn’t get to do.
Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is a large complex near downtown Kyoto.
Getting to Nijo Castle
From Kyoto Station, the easiest way is to take the Kyoto subway. The subway entrance is at the east end of Kyoto Station. Take the subway towards Karasuma-Oike, the transfer point to the other line. Transfer to the Tozai line and just go one stop west to Nijojo-mae.
When you exit the subway, you are on the south side of Nijo Castle (or maybe the SE corner depending on the exit you happen to pick.) Head towards the SE corner and turn left (north) – the entrance is on the east side of the castle.
Touring the Castle
The tour begins with the main castle building. You wind your way the building seeing one tatami-covered room after another. Unless you are really into the details, the rooms pretty much look alike. Each room has a specific function but they are generally unfurnished so it’s hard to imagine what’s really going on in each room.
The floors are famous for squeaking – a feature, not a bug, to catch intruders.
After touring the building, you follow a long trail that goes thru a series of gardens, such as this one: 
After crossing over an inner moat, you tour around another castle.
Unfortunately this one is generally not open to the public.
Overall, it’s worth a visit, and it’s a very different type of visit from the temples and shrines elsewhere in Kyoto.
Gion Corner
A confession – my wife and daughters went to Gion Corner, but I skipped. I had seen it 15 years ago and thought it was pretty expensive for a 45 minute cultural exhibition, but the kids wanted to go.
Getting there: for a change, we took a taxi. There are reasonable bus routes, but we wanted to experiment. A taxi isn’t much more expensive for 4 than a bus, and obviously it’s more comfortable and convenient.
Gion is an interesting neighborhood in Kyoto. First, it preserves a distinctive style of buildings. Second, it has a number of very high-end resturants. Finally, there are a number of geisha to be seen. The most amazing thing I saw was tourists acting like paparazzi, waiting for geisha to be dropped off so they could take their picture.
A short walk from Gion puts you back near the Shijo station and the river the leads to the main shopping area (see Kyoto Sightseeing 1). You can walk along the river – it’s quite beautiful especially at night.
Other Kyoto Ideas
You can get other ideas from the main Kyoto article in japan-guide.com. There are MANY more temples and shrines to choose from. A little more off beat is to take the train out to the Hozugawa river and ride the river for a few hours.
The Kyoto city website offers a number of walking tours.