Visit Nara and Osaka must-see sites in one day including Nara "deer" park, Great Buddha at Todaiji Temple, Osaka Castle, and Dotonbori for the evening. Tour itinerary is flexible so you can focus on one of the two areas. Good for those who have a limited time and start to feel you've seen too many shrines and temples in Kyoto.
JR Kyoto station, Osaka station (exact location to be sent by email), Kintetsu Nipponbashi/Namba station or at your hotel (extra fee)
Namba area or Osaka/Umeda station
Guide fee, hotel meet-up in Kyoto and Osaka
Transportation fee (you and guide), lunch/dinner (you and guide), entrance fee
1. You will be walking a lot during the tour, so please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes and bring an umbrella or poncho in case of rain.
2. Transportation fee and lunch/dinner for you and guide is not included. Even if you have a JR pass or IC card, you'll be asked to purchase tickets for the guide in cash. With the standard itinerary, the total transportation cost for this tour per person will be around 1,500- 2,200 yen per person from Kyoto station to Osaka via Nara without JR pass. With JR pass, it will be about 500-1,000 yen, but please note that you still have to cover guide's transportation fee which is 1,700-2,200 yen. It varies depending on your choice of using bus/subway or walking at certain points and tour-end point.
If we meet at Kintetsu Namba or Nipponbashi Station, additional transportation fee of 500 yen have to be covered for the guide's transportation fee.
3. If you'd like to enjoy the illuminated Dotonbori during April-October, I recommend starting the tour at 10:00 am
Please note below before booking and contact me first for availability:
1. My schedule on GoWithGuide site is open for the next 3-month only.
2. All my listed tours include hotel pick-up fee and guide fee. Please ask for quote for custom tours.
3. For tours in the peak season, I am currently prioritizing mult-day tour requests (at least two "full-day" tours per group) and accept one-day request between the booked tours etc.
***Excursions ***
I can guide you in Okayama (including Naoshima and Kurashiki), Hiroshima (Onomichi, Shimanami islands cycling, Miyajima, etc.) and Shikoku (Iya valley etc.) if you pay for my transportation.
The above areas can be visited from Osaka/Kyoto in one or two days.
“Half day tour around Kyoto”
Seiko was an excellent tour guide for Kyoto with broad and deep knowledge about everything from the specialized shrines to history of sake distilleries. She met us at our hotel and even adjusted our schedule on the fly to try and avoid the expected rain that day. We toured the Fushimi Inari Shrine, explored the Fushimi district and ate at a local yakitori restaurant, went to Kimozu Dera, and explored the streets and alleys in Ninenenzaka/Sannenzaka. It was a very full 6 hours covering a lot of areas and we thoroughly enjoyed it all.
Seiko T.
(89 reviews)Thank you Tuan for your kind words. With your flexibility, no hesitation to walk further to see more, and trusting my recommendations, we could see both major attractions and true local scenes. Lucky us, we didn't get much rain during the tour despite the almost hopeless forecast:) Hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Kyoto and your family trip in Japan! Best reagards to all of your sweet family members. Seiko
“Amazing, highly recommended!”
Seiko, my family and I can't thank you enough for such an amazing, information Kyoto cultural experience. Our tour was above and beyond our expectations, with bonus hidden attractions on the day that we would never of seen without you. I wouldn't hesitate booking with you again and highly recommend you to anyone looking for a friendly knowledgeable guide. Thank you again.
Seiko T.
(89 reviews)Thank you Alison for your kind words! It was the busiest week in Kyoto I've ever seen but thanks to your flexibility and willingness to walk extra miles to see hidden attractions, the tour went smoothly and most importantly, I am very happy that your whole family enjoyed the day in Kyoto! Hope you also had a great time in the other destinations of Japan. Seiko
Kim D.
Fushimi & Uji -Local Delicacy of Sake and Green Tea!
“Fantastic time in Fushimi and Uji with Seiko!”
We had an outstanding experience with Seiko-san as our guide to visit Fushimi and Uji! She's such a fun and super friendly person to show you around the sights, and she's fluent in English since she lived in the U.S. We spent the whole day with her learning about matcha and sake, and she took us to a wonderful sake tasting bar in Fushimi that we would have never discovered on our own! We are sad we did not book her for more days while we were in the Osaka/Kyoto area. She's the best guide we had while visiting Japan! Sorry for forgetting to submit the review sooner, Seiko, but we will definitely call you when we come back to visit - hopefully this year! Kim, Gary, and Sandra
Seiko T.
(89 reviews)Hi Kim! Super excited to hear from you about our tour in Fushimi and Uji as I also enjoyed the time with you guys so much! Glad to know it was not my one-way love, hahaha! I was also impressed how much planning you've done, which led to your having a great time in this special area. I also felt we didn't spend enough time together and have more to show, so hope to see you again in Japan! Seiko