Originally Posted by
italdesign
Interesting. I usually find no need for taxis in developed historical Asian cities since 1) they tend to have excellent public transportation, 2) the history is clustered around one area. Maybe Kyoto is an exception. Do they have an equivalent of Uber? Is taxi reliable and haggle-free like Singapore?
Taxis in Japan can be expensive. Not sure the current fares in Kyoto, but high prices seem to be a prevailing belief. I found the existing public transit to be sufficient. Bus, subway and train services were more than sufficient. If you're willing to walk a bit, you'll rarely if ever need a taxi. On my walk up to the golden pagoda, I came across a ramen shop with a long line. After visiting the pagoda, I went back and got in line. I was the one westerner amongst a horde of high school students on lunch break. It was such a memorable experience.
My advise, use public transport to get to the desired district, then walk the rest of the way.