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A Wonderful Half Day in Kyoto (North-west Kyoto) 4h
This tour is recommended for the first timers to Kyoto. Kyoto had been the capital of Japan for 1000 years and has many old temples and shrines to visit. You can visit three famous and popular sightseeing spots in Kyoto. All of these three places are registered as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.
Meeting Point
At your hotel (lobby)(in Kyoto)
Nijyojo Castle
This castle was built as a residence for shogun where he visited and stayed in Kyoto in the 17th century. You can see the authority of Tokugawa shogunate in this castle. The Ninomaru Palace in this castle has 33 rooms and 800 tatami mats. Mannequins displayed in the largest room (this room was actually used on the last day of Tokugawa shogunate) shows you how they looked like in those days. The corridor of Ninomaru Palace has a special security system called 'Nightingale Corridor' which creaks noises when someone walk on the corridor. You can also see many wonderful wall paintings. Please note that nobody is allowed to take pictures inside of the building.
In spring, you can enjoy walking around in the garden with stunning cherry blossoms.
Kinkakuji Temple(registered as World Heritage site)
You may have seen the picture of this pavilion in the book about Japan or Kyoto before. This temple is well known as 'Golden Pavilion' covered with pure gold leaves. 200,000 pieces, 20 kilo grams of the gold leaves are used for this 3-storied pavilion! It was first used as the villa of retired shogun in the 14th century. Gorgeous golden pavilion stands in the pond gives you such a stunning world! I will take good pictures of you here!
This temple is a 'Must see spot in Kyoto.'
Ryoanji Temple
This temple is very famous for its Zen rock garden. There are 15 rocks in the dry landscape garden, however, the last 15th rock is said to be seen only when you attained spiritual enlightenment. In this temple, you can also enjoy walking in its strolling type garden. In spring, you can enjoy many beautiful cherry blossoms in this garden. This temple became famous after Queen Elizabeth visited. This temple will give you the peaceful Zen time. Please enjoy its ultimate Zen spirit.
Ending Point
This tour ends at Ryoanji Temple, however, I can tell you how to go back to your hotel.
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Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee, hotel pick up in Kyoto area
Transportation fee (you and your guide)
Entrance fee: Nijyojo Castle, 600 Japanese yen
Kinkakuji Temple, 400 Japanese yen
Ryoanji Temple, 500 Japanese yen
Tour Important Information
Please note that you cannot see the inside of Ninomaru Palace every Tuesday in December, January, July and August, and between January 1-3, and December 26-28.
Especailly in spring (end of March to middle of April) and in autumn (middle of November to beginning of December), around Kinkakuji and Ryoanji, we have heavy traffic jam and buses are not serviced as scheduled, so, in such cases, you may need extra hours.
Please note that we use public transportation.
Important message from the guide
If you book me early, I can exchange mails with you many times to know what you want to do in details, collect information and prepare a lot for your plan. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything in advance.
I can guide you in the morning almost every day.(from 8:30 or 9:00 AM till 13:00 or 13:30PM)
This year, in case of the full day tour, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, are available.
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
Kyoto Tour Reviews
David T.
Visiting Nara and Fushimi Inari Shrine from Kyoto
Customized
“Nara with Tomoe”
Having lived in Nara 44 years ago, I was anxious to visit again with my wife and our 4 children along with each of their spouses. 10 people in a group can be a challenge, of course, but not for Tomoe. We took the Express Train from Kyoto to Nara early in the morning and returned late afternoon. In between we got the royal treatment in Nara, including all of the highlights. The udon lunch was amazing. It’s hard to beat a day in Kyoto followed by a day in Nara. Tomoe made us feel like we took a step back in time - many centuries. We added another stop to Fushimi Inari Shrine at the end of the day, exhausted but enlightened in the beauty of this country and its fascinating history. But the real highlight for us is we feel like we made a special new friend in Tomoe.
Tomoe S.
(100 reviews)Dear David and wonderful family, Thank you soooo! much for your warmhearted review again! (This review of yours is my 100th review! Thank you soooo! much!) I really! really! enjoyed Nara with you, too. I'm so happy to get your review, saying that 'the real highlight for us is we feel like we made a special new friend in Tomoe'. Thank you!!! I love all of your family, and will miss you so much. Please come back to my country again and see me as 'friends' next time! Please say to all of your family, '心から どうもありがとう!!!' TOMOE
David T.
Very Special 1 day Kyoto tour just for you (8H)
Customized
“Kyoto with Tomoe”
We arranged our tour well in advance with Tomoe for a tour of Kyoto and the surrounding area. Our schedule was a little bit up in the air since we were arranging to meet friends in the middle of the day. In the days and weeks leading up to our visit, Tomoe was in constant communication, urging us to get our Shinkansen tickets and dinner reservations made in advance since it’s a very busy time in Kyoto. Even with a two-hour lunch break to meet up with our friends, we were able to see the most important sites: Kinkagu-ji, Nijo-jo and Arashiyama. I lived in Kyoto 44 years ago, and visited again 22 years ago, but I was still interested in having the local knowledge of the history of each stop and how best to navigate the routes and times. Tomoe saved us a lot of stress, and that alone is worth the cost. But having a local guide with knowledge of the history of Kyoto was so important to our family. Tomoe won our hearts and minds, and I’m happy to give her my highest recommendation.
Tomoe S.
(100 reviews)Dear David and wonderful family, Thank you soooo! much for such a warmhearted review! What a wonderful time that you let me share! I was really impressed to be with you at your really precious time to see your old friends again after 22 years. We have exchanged more than 60 mails to make your trip in Japan better (wonderful, I hope). So, I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed Kyoto. (I'm sorry that I sent you mails because I knew it would make big problems to move around in Japan without booking anything during Golden Week Holidays.) Thank you very much for giving me the ultimate praise. TOMOE
“A very delightful and comprehensive Tour of Nara”
We had a fantastic day with Tomoe-san, who is a very knowledgeable and cheerful guide. Planning the day with her beforehand was simple and she responded very fast to any messages. Tomoe-san's explanations were never tedious, she knew the answers to all the questions we asked, kept a comfortable pace and found a nice place for lunch. Despite the many sights we covered, and the many tourists around, we had a relaxed day as she found ways to beat the crowds and took time to relax in beautiful Isuien Garden. It was great meeting you, Tomoe-san and we truly enjoyed chatting with you about many topics! Domo arrigato gosaimashita!
Tomoe S.
(100 reviews)Dear Martin, Thank you very much for such a warmhearted review. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed a day in Nara. It was a really fun time for me, too, to talk with you, such a nice couple. I was impressed that you and your friends have studied and know a lot about Japanese culture. Thank you very much for giving me such a precious meeting. I would love to see you again. TOMOE
