Grouping Kyoto sites

I require some assistance grouping the sites we would like to visit while in Kyoto partly because we are likely trying to take on too much, partly because I do not know how much time we need at each one and because I am not sure how long it takes to travel between them.

We have 4 nights and about 2.5 days in Kyoto (day trip to Nara planned). We are staying at the Royal Park Hotel The Kyoto.

The top sites we want to visit are:

Nishiki-Koji Dori
Nijo Castle
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kiyomizadera Temple
Sanjusangendo Hall
Kimkokuji
Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts
Walk around the Gion, Higashiyama areas, Philosopher's path

If we can fit them im:

Kyoto station
Ginkakuji
Heian Shrine and garden
Ryoanji Temple
Tenryuji Temple
Kamigamo

Can someone please suggest an itinerary for me, as well as how best to travel from place to place (which subway, bus). I know this is a lot to ask, but it is appreciated. Thank you.

You are trying to fit a LOT in. I doubt you will be able to do everything and even if you can you might find you dont enjoy it.

tips though:

Do Fushimi Inari Shrine on the same day as for Nara trip. They are on the same train line and depending how far up the path you want to go only needs an hour or so.

If you are going to do the philosophers path you should go to ginkakuji. I went in april and started at ginkakuji, walked the path and then went to Kiyomizudera. It all lines up pretty well. At night on that day we went to Gion to walk around and have dinner.

alternativly if you wanted to fit more in I would suggest:

Ginkakuji ... Philosophers path (walk) ... Kiyomizudera (We took a taxi or walk maybe bus) ... Sanjusangendo Hall (bus 100 or 206) ... Gion (again bus 100 or 206)

For your next day you can combine Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts and Heian together (bus 5 or 100)
The only way to do the rest is to head back to kyoto station, out to Nijo via train then either back to kyoto or take the tozai subway to karasumaoike then the karasuma line to shijo station.

You should take the time to look around kyoto station, its really nice, and you can visit mister donuts, which is by far the best donut place in the world.

Anyway, hope that helps, its a pretty full on trip but if its what you want to do then you can try.

Thank you for the response.

Does this mean that if I buy a JR or Kintetsu ticket from Kyoto to Nara, I can get off to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine and then get back on? How would this work?

JR Nara line leads you to Nara by way of Inari(Fushimi Inari) and Uji
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Line

Kintetsu doen't.

So how does that work in terms of buying my tickets? I will not have a JR pass. Do I justbuy tickets to Inari then tickets to Nara?

Buying single tickets each time is, of course, possible. It's something like
http://www.e-hdk.com/diary/20080328-kippu.jpeg

Instead, you can buy SUICA(JR East area) or ICOCA(JR West area) IC prepaid card and enter the station through automated ticket gate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICOCA

Go counter clockwise around the city - east, north, west...

I brought two tickets when I did it.

from Kyoto to Inari 140

From Inari to Nara 650

and return to Kyoto 690