PhotoKyoto · Kyoto Prefecture

Honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto

In short

A honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto lasts 30 minutes in one setting, usually the riverbank between Sanjo and Shijo at sunset and blue hour; an extra hour ($150) adds the stepping stones at the Kamo Delta in late afternoon. It costs from $300 for 15 edited photos within 3 days, with no entry fees on the route.

Starting from: $300
Duration: 30 min
Edited photos: 15

Why here

Why choose Honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto?

A honeymoon is the one trip where nobody wants a 4:30 alarm, and Kyoto’s river is the part of the city that is best in the evening. The Kamo runs through the centre with free banks on both sides; at dusk couples sit along it at a polite distance from each other, and from May to September the Pontocho restaurants light their wooden platforms over the water.

How the shoot is planned

How a session in Kyoto is planned

The route

The base thirty minutes is the walk along the west bank from Sanjo towards Shijo as the sun sets behind the city. With an extra hour, we first meet at Demachiyanagi Station, where the Kamo and Takano rivers join, and start on the turtle-shaped stepping stones across the water — an easy way to get two people laughing — before a short taxi south to Sanjo. As the light goes, the Pontocho lanterns and, in season, the yuka platforms come on behind you, and the last frames are the two of you on the bank with the restaurant lights reflected in the river.

The timing

We start about 20 minutes before sunset — roughly 4:25 pm in December and 6:55 pm in late June — or an hour earlier with the Delta added. May to September brings the yuka platforms; late March to early April adds cherries along the banks, and November the yellow of the riverside trees. July and August evenings are humid, and the Gion Matsuri crowds spill onto the bridges in mid-July. The banks are free and open at all hours, so rain only means moving under the Sanjo bridge for a few frames.

What’s included

What Honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto includes

In the package

15 edited photos
One place and one outfit; a second with extra hours
Route planned from your hotel or ryokan
Private online gallery within 3 days

Fees and permits on the route

Kiyomizu-dera: About ¥500; opens at 6 am. No tripods; pre-wedding shoots need the temple’s prior approval
Kinkaku-ji: ¥500; 9 am–5 pm. One-way route, no tripods, no stopping on the path for long
Tofuku-ji: Tsutenkyo bridge and Kaisando about ¥1,000 in autumn. Photography is banned on the bridge itself during the November peak; shoot from Gaun-kyo bridge instead

Book online

Inspiration

Honeymoon photoshoot: ideas for your shoot

Frames by photographers on Unsplash, credited below — the mood to plan your own shoot against, not our portfolio.

Photos: Shino Nakamura, Graham Powell-Wood, Jonathan Borba, Nguyen TP Hai, Ashirani Murata on Unsplash

Before you book

FAQ — Honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto

How much is a honeymoon photoshoot in Kyoto?

From $300 for 30 minutes and 15 edited photos within 3 days. Hair and makeup are $100, and kimono for both of you $55 each, returned the next day for an evening session.

Can we have dinner on a yuka platform afterwards?

Yes, and it makes a natural end to the evening. Pontocho restaurants book up in summer, so reserve your table separately; we time the last frames so you are at the door on time.

Can we do a morning temple instead?

Yes. A common alternative is Kiyomizu-dera at its 6 am opening followed by the lanes below it. It is emptier but earlier; the river evening is the relaxed option.

Same shoot elsewhere