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Historic Himeji Castle w/Guide Photographer

Highlights

Himeji

Japanese (Native), English, French

6 hours

Private tour (only you and your group)

Up to 3 people

We will go to Himeji Castle, KOUKOEN Garden(next to the castle), and Enjyoji Temple.

Himeji Castle is also called White Heron/Eagret Castle. As its name signifies, the palace's white plaster walls beautifully mixed with four seasons-Cherry Blossoms in spring,-summer greens, -autumn foliage,-fresh snow in winter.

Ai A.

4.78 / 5

(32 reviews)

Meeting Point

At your hotel or Shin-Osaka Station

12:00 PM

Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle(UNESCO World Heritage) visit

01:30 PM

Lunch at KOUKOEN Garden

Near the castle

03:00 PM

Engyoji Temple (optional)

A temple where the movie, Last Samurai was shot.

Ending Point

At your hotel or Shin-Osaka Station

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Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

★Hotel pick-up & drop off

★all taxis during the tour (around 2,000 JPY to 10,000 JPY, depending on whether we go to Engyoji Temple or not)

★My guiding and photography fee

(free & unlimited photo taking & sharing by an award-winnng photographer)

★My meals and transportations during the tour, EXCEPT roundtrip Shinkansen Super Bullet Train tickets from your hotels nearest Shinkansen Station, such as Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe

What‘s not included

★all public transportations, including Shinkansen Super Bullet Train (11,600 JPY/per) for both you and me

★Entrance fees of Himeji Castle (1,050 JPY/per), Engyoji Temple (1,000 JPY/per) and its roapway (1,000 JPY/per) only for you because the guide is free

★Your lunch…1,000～3,000 JPY/per

(special menu for dietary restrictions, such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free is available)

(Small purchases, such as snacks, drinks, souvenirs, if any.)

Important Information

【Familiar towns】

My main areas are Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Himeji.

Since I used to live in Tokyo and travel around Metropolitan area very often, if you could cover my transportations(+ accomodation if necessary), I can travel(+stay) with you.

【Anyone is welcome!】

If you or your family members/friends are:

Vegetarians/vegans,

LGBTQ,

physically challenged people,

senior citizens and/or babies,

don't hesitate to ask me special requests.

I'm willing to help these guests:)

【Insurance】

Please take out your travel insurance. My insurance will NOT cover your sickness, injury, and/or accident during the tour.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Himeji Tour Reviews

Romina A.

3 / 5

Oct 10, 2023

“ Tour feedback from a group of 46 people. ”

Hi Ai, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share some feedback from our recent tour. Overall, we appreciate your efforts in managing a group as large as ours — it's no small feat, and you handled it admirably. However, there are a couple of areas where we believe there's room for improvement. While your interactive approach of asking questions was engaging, we noticed that the responses given by participants weren't always repeated into the microphone. This made it challenging for those at the back of the bus to follow the conversation. Perhaps a slight adjustment in amplification or repeating crucial responses could enhance the overall experience for everyone. Another point is that we felt a bit underinformed about the places we visited, particularly Kinkaku-Ji and Arashiyama. It would have been beneficial to receive more detailed briefings before arriving at these locations. For instance, a pre-visit overview would have greatly assisted us in navigating Arashiyama, what to see, expect and look for. While we did receive information after the visits through a flyer, having you telling us a story, facts or experiences beforehand would have added to the experience. We understand the complexity of managing such a large group and acknowledge your overall great job. These suggestions are merely aimed at enhancing the experience for all participants. We look forward to future opportunities with improved logistics and communication. Thank you for your understanding and for your services accommodating our requests and managing our group. We appreciate your help. Best regards, Romina

Malose K.

5 / 5

Oct 3, 2023

“ AI - a great tour guide who fits in with young people ”

It was great to have a tour guide who was able to connect with my 16 and 14 year old kids. Initially the idea of using public transport / rail to go to our excursions seemed a bit too much but it was the best idea. We were after that able to use rail to move around which saved us time. Her tips for the rest of the travel were invaluable. And what an amazing photographer. We got very beautiful pictures taken with her camera.

Ai A.

Dear Malose, Thanks for having me and writing me a great review. It was a great place to have your family all the way from South Africa. I hope to meet you again when your children enter universities in NYC and/or study in Japan in the near future. Visiting your country has become my bucket list. Until then, please keep in touch. Thank you very much once again. your guide and new friend, Ai

Zain G.

5 / 5

May 19, 2023

“ 100% Would Recommend and Use Again ”

The highlight of our trip. We had an amazing time working with Ai to create a custom trip for our group for 3 days. The photos she took were such high quality which was a great perk of booking with her. She showed us places and gave us the history, as well as helped us book private taxis to make it easier to keep the whole group together. We 100% recommend working with her!

Zain G.

5 / 5

May 19, 2023

“ Amazing Tour Guide and Excellent Photos! ”

Ai A.

Dear Zain, Thanks for having me three days! I really enjoyed the trip very much.　This is because all the guests are professionals in their fields(former lawyer, flight attendant, consultant, accountant etc.), everybody came from the cities where I've been to(three of them are my neighborhood in Manhattan lol), and we are around the same generation; that made us share the same values and beliefs in life. The highlights of Kyoto was not only visited iconic spots, such as Golden Pavilion and vermillion Torii Gates Fushimi Inari Shrine; but also we enjoyed tea ceremony experience, Gekkeikan Sake Brewery and Museum, and high-end Tempura Endo Restaurant in Gion in just a day. Yes, we'll definitely work together in the future.　If you enjoy your hobby, that could be your job, and, if you work hard, that could be your vocation.　Ai