Originally Posted by
jib71
... your short stay with a very early morning departure is one of the cases where I think the Granvia hotel has some strong advantages. ...
Under these circumstances, I agree. The Granvia is a bit more expensive than I prefer but it certainly would be a good choice here.
Although I prefer to use the excellent subway/bus system when in Kyoto, for a very short stay, it might be more efficient to spend a little more and move between major attractions by cab. You could cram one or two more sites into a day by skipping the 20 to 30 minute bus trips. The cabbies will get you right to the front entrance at each place, so no walks from the nearest station. You would have to carry several thousand yen for cabs in that case in addition to the entrance fees of a few hundred that most sites charge.