Arashiyama is the hottest tourist destination. It is incredibly beautiful in spring and fall because of its cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
In the fall, the leaves turn brown or red! In the outstanding Tenryuji, you will see a beautiful garden with beautiful mountains in the background. There are many other beautiful places with touching stories in this area. On the way back to downtown, we can visit two world heritage sites, Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. What a wonderful route!
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At you hotel lobby
Your hotel or the station
At your Hotel Lobby in Kyoto, etc.
Togetsukyo Bridge
Symbol of the Arashiyama area. The moon crossing bridge.
Tenryuji Temple
You will see the beautiful garden with beautiful Arashiyama and Kameyama in the backdrop.
The Bamboo Grove and the Kameyama Park
A Hot spot among foreign tourists! You must feel it's exotic.
And panoramic views from the Kameyama Park.
Lunch
We can spend time in a small, quiet, home-like restaurant
We will use some gorgeous restaurants when we need to book during the high season.
Jojakkoji Temple/ or other temple
Beautiful temple with stunning autumn foliage.
Ryoanji temple
Zen Buddhist temple, famous for its dry garden, admired by Queen Elizabeth. Please feel the universe of Zen Buddhism.
Kinkakuji Temple
Golden Temple. Top of the must-see list in Japan.
Visit at the best time of the day.
Hotel
Your hotel or the station
Ending Point
At you hotel or train station
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
guide fee, hotel pick-up
transportation fee (you and the guide): taxi(about 4,800 yen) bus or metro( depends)
lunch (you and the guide) of about 3,000 yen /per person, or a more reasonable lunch of about 1,200 yen
admission fees of about 3,000 yen (Tenryuji 500, Jojakkoji 500, Kinkakuji 500 yen)/per person, no guide required
If you have any food allergies, please let me know at least 3 days in advance.
This tour is mostly flat or downhill, but there are a few uphills. Please wear comfortable walking shoes.
To avoid being in a hurry, let's use taxis. Taxis are not expensive in Japan, and you can easily catch one in Kyoto.
We will visit many must-sees efficiently in limited hours.
I will plan to visit scenic beauties at a good time of the day.
I will take some photos of you, and you will see a lot of photogenic spots.
You will have a happy time in Kyoto.
Hi, I am Shuji, a licensed tour guide living near Kansai International Airport.
I taught world history in high schools for four decades. So, I can explain Japanese culture or history in an easier way tailored to you who have different cultural and historical backgrounds.
I also practiced Kendo, Japanese fencing, for more than four decades, and now I enjoy growing vegetables and going fishing. Therefore, I can also share some Japanese culture and its nature.
I have traveled to more than 25 countries and all over Japan. I’m also passionate about photography and know many photogenic places in Japan.
If you prefer to go off the beaten track, I can take you to hidden gems, including some cozy restaurants. Of course, I also know how to enjoy the crowded, most popular tourist sites. I am here to make your trip stress-free. See you soon!
Megan M.
“We had a wonderful day!! Highly recommended! ”
My husband and I highly recommend this tour. We started early - ahead of both the heat and the crowds - and wandered through the most beautiful parts of Eaatern Kyoto. Shujio was an excellent guide - we really enjoyed his company and his deep knowledge of the area. We saw hidden spots, quiet gardens and ate delicious food in local restaurants for breakfast and lunch. We highly recommend this day and enjoyed Sujio’s company immensely.
Shuji O.
Thank you very much for the great review. You got ready really well for this tour. We started very early in the morning so that we could enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the Higashiyama district. This area is usually very crowded during the day. But today it was as if we were in a different world. We talked about our jobs and even our grandchildren. Thank you for the happy time.
Jolie K.
“Wakayama Tour - Castle and Meet the Cat Stationmasters”
We had an amazing time on our Wakayama tour with Shuji! We told him what we wanted to see, and our dietary needs, and Shuji came up with the perfect itinerary for our day including a stop for lunch where we enjoyed excellent food suited to our requests. He is very kind and knowledgeable of the places we visited. He went above and beyond to make good use of our time and to make us as comfortable as possible, considering the very hot weather we experienced. What really brought us to Wakayama was to see the cat stationmasters and ride the Tama trains of the Wakayama Electric Railway’s Kishigawa Line. We had a wonderful time visiting, seeing the cats, and riding the different themed trains. Thank you Shuji for an unforgettable experience, and for the great photos we have to remember that very special day!
Shuji O.
Thank you so much for your amazing review! I usually like dogs, but I had fun at the cat stationmaster Tama's amazing stations and railways. It was an unforgettable experience for me too. I felt as if I were in a fairy tale. Thank you very much for such a wonderful tour!
Renee M.
“This was goid”
This was a nice tour. Suji- San took care to suggest changes to the itinerary that were best. A guide is a hard job as there are many things not in direct control.
Shuji O.
Thank you very much for the review! We had a wonderful time on our tour of Kyoto. The scenery was stunning, especially the lush greenery. We enjoyed visiting many places, although it started to rain at the end. Please remember this tour through the lovely photos. Thank you!
$349/ per group