Exploring Kyoto in Rakusai (West) and Rakuchu (Central)
Kyoto is known as exotic sightseeing places and numerous historic, quaint old monuments are seen all over the town. This tour covers part of Rakusai (West district) and Central district. Visiting Rakusai , Tenryu-ji temple represents the Kitayama culture. Nijyo-jo castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace in Rakuchu (Central district) are the cultural center during Heian, Momoyama and Edo periods.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel in Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Kyoto or Nara)
To meet you at your hotel lobby, with Gowithguide welcome sign board your name on. Followed after brief tour orientation, we start the tour of the day
We take you to Osaka METRO station or JR, private railway station to lead JR Osaka station whichever closer to your hotel. If you stay in Kyoto or Nara, we can save 30 ~ 45 min travel by train to JR Saga Arashiyama Station. 20 min walk from JR Saga Arashiyama Station to Bamboo Grove. Tenryu-ji Temple is located annexed in halfway walking through Bamboo Grove.
Bamboo Grove, Arashiyama and Tenryu-ji Temple
Nijo-jo castle
30 min ride from Arashiyama station, Keifuku line to Nijo-jo-Mae, Kyoto METRO station.
Kyoto Imperial Palace
10 min ride from Nijo-jo-Mae Kyoto METRO station to Maruta-machi Kyoto METRO station.
End of this day tour at your hotel in Osaka. Will arrive at your hotel earlier if you stay in Kyoto or Nara.
Ending Point
At your hotel in Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Kyoto or Nara)
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included:
*Guide fee, hotel pick-up fee in Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Nara and Kyoto)
*Travel expense for the guide as required to travel with customers by means of public transportation such as train, subway, bus.
Travel expenses included herein are limited within Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Nara, Kyoto)
*Admission fees, tickets for the guide as might be incurred at temples, shrines or the like.
*Meals , drinks or the like for the guide during the tour
*Any tax or the like as might be incurred by the guide in Japan
*Gratuity
Not included:
*Fees to cruise river or sea or the like for the guide
*Tickets for Universal Studio Japan, museum or the like as might be required for the guide at private or public entertainment facilities.
Tour Important Information
Arashiyama changes its color from season to season and Sagano is a tranquil spot, beloved by emperors and nobles. Bamboo grove make you feel romantic and become a movie star. A shrine called Nonomiya-shrine built in the midst of grove, may help you find a partner for life soon. Fantastic to walk a beautiful bridge, Togetsu Bridge and listen to the murmuring of the Katsura river. Carefully maintained and preserved Bamboo grove is also a must-see spot. The head temple of the Tenryu-ji branch of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism has both a botanic garden and a gorge-water garden, borrowed landscape from Mt Arashiyama to part of the garden. Tokugawa shogunate came to an end in this castle, Nijo-jo castle in 1867 with the announcement of hand over the authority back to the Emperor by last Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Kyoto Imperial Palace was partly open to public from July 26, 2016 and is held in high regard as a piece of Japan’s cultural heritage. Nijo-jo castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace will tell you long historical tale in Kyoto from 794 to 1867.
- IMPORTANT -
Not suitable for tours with infants, children, senior people, wheelchairs and strollers.
Take your shoes off before stepping on designated area (Nijo-jo Castle) and tatami mat.
Be quiet and respectful in Shrines and Temples
Remove hats and sunglasses in front of main sanctuary in Shrines and Temples
Not to touch old buildings, old remains and objects
Not to take pictures where prohibited in Shrines, Temples, Castles and Imperial Palace.
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
About Tour Guide Masahisa M.
Lived in Chicago (5 years), Toronto (1 year), Singapore (2 years), Indonesia (4 years) and Birmingham, UK (11 years) to construct business platform, now retired after 40
years employment in Japan. Dynamic tour guide who develops many different ways along with rich experience overseas to entertain large or small tour groups. Enjoys the interaction with tour groups, very strong group presentation and communication skills, finds each guest question as an opportunity to learn anything new. Constantly learning information about each tour spot to enhance tours. Guided 9,618 guests all over the world across Japan as of September 30, 2026 since Feb 2015.
Reviews
Therese K.
“Two intense days exploring Kyoto”
Masahisa was a fantastic guide and gave all of the details of the city and the culture which was totally amazing.
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Masahisa M.
Therese I was delighted that I had the opportunity to show you some landscapes that still retains, at least to some extent, the court culture and atmosphere of Kyoto as an ancient capital. I was truly amazed when I witnessed a gigantic passenger ship navigating the waterways of Stockholm, reaching areas remarkably close to the heart of the city. Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit us here, especially after traveling such a long distance. Thanks Masahisa
Audrykho C.
“Nara with thousands of Deers”
We had a wonderful experience with Mike as our tour guide! He was punctual, professional, and very knowledgeable about all the places he took us to. He explained the history and interesting facts about each location, making the tour both enjoyable and informative. What made the experience even better was that Mike went the extra mile by recommending additional places to visit and great spots to eat. His helpful suggestions made our trip even more memorable. Overall, we had a great time with Mike and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, reliable, and friendly tour guide. Thank you, Mike, for making our trip such a wonderful experience!
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Masahisa M.
Audrykho It was a real pleasure showing you and your husband around Nara, and I’m delighted that you enjoyed the tour. Meeting you both brought back many fond memories of my own visits to your country in my active days, including trips to Kuala Lumpur and Kemaman, Terengganu as well as a holiday on Tioman Island. I still remember how I spent an entire day lying on the Tioman Island beach, only to suffer such severe sunburn that I ended up groaning in bed and ruining my whole holiday !!! I also fondly remember driving along the beautiful beaches, Club Med Cherating Beach. It was also lovely to meet you both again by chance during your sightseeing the following day in Kyoto. Thank you again for your visiting us all the way. I hope our paths will cross again someday. Masahisa
Vanessa A.
“Koyasan Day trip”
We really enjoyed our time with Masahisa; he is full of energy and keeps a great pace. He has amazing planning skills and was able to fit all our tour wishes for Koyasan. He picked us up at the hotel and dropped us back off there. He provided so much history and great explanations. He even gave us an extra plan to visit Osaka on our own. Even though we had rain during our tour, we saw so many places and truly enjoyed his knowledge and company. From the very first time that I asked about the tour, he was extremely detailed and super helpful with his research. We really enjoyed Koyasan with him!
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Masahisa M.
Vanessa Thank you again for visiting Japan from so far away. I truly appreciate the time and effort your family made to come all the way to Koyasan. It was unfortunate that our tour took place during the heavy rain as Typhoon No. 7 approached, and I am sorry that the weather was not ideal. Even so, I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed Koyasan and that the Goma Fire Ritual experience was meaningful for your family to some extent. I was also relieved to learn that, despite the typhoon’s impact on transportation between Osaka and Tokyo, your return flight was not affected and you were able to travel home safely. I had been worried about possible delays or cancellations, so your safe return is truly wonderful news. News of the major earthquake in your home town is still being reported here in Japan from time to time, and I feel deep concern whenever I see it. I sincerely hope that your relatives and friends are all safe. Thanks Masahisa
$285/ per group
More tours by Masahisa M.
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Exploring Kyoto in Rakutou (East) and Rakuchu (Central)
Kyoto is known as exotic sightseeing places and numerous historic, quaint old monuments are seen all over the town. This tour covers part of Rakutou (East district) and Central district. Visiting Rakutou, Gion, Yasaka-jinja shrine, Kodai-ji temple, Kiyomizu-dera temple are the most famous sightseeing spots in Kyoto. Particularly well known for the deity of love and marriage in Rakutou area.
Exploring Kyoto in Rakutou (East) and Rakuchu (Central)
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Exploring Osaka
8,000 years ago, Osaka slept under a large seashore lake. This city of lake later turned to a city of smoke and eventually grew into the 2nd key international city after Tokyo. Birth place of industry in Japan, such as bank, insurance, steel, machinery, spinning, medicine, ship building, electrical appliance, etc. Touching days of Osaka ,Then and Now.
Exploring Osaka
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Exploring Nara, Nara Pref
Nara is ideal for those who wish to see not only numerous historical structures but also to touch, feed wild deers roaming freely around in the Nara Park. There are 8 UNESCO heritages in Nara spotted sparsely in the historic regions which have full of rich tales in Nara period (from 710 to 794). Visiting 4 UNESCO heritages (3 temples and 1 shrine) in this tour in addition to one Japanese garden.
Exploring Nara, Nara Pref
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Exploring Kobe, Hyogo
Kobe come to a vital life again from intense earthquake that hit on Jan 17, 1995. Kobe always creates us a resplendent, exotic mood that the cosmopolitan city has. The old foreign settlement where sophisticated modern architecture still remains upper town must be the reason to ferment that atmosphere and give the period of cosmopolitan flavor. At Meriken Wharf, you can hear the whistles of ships and touch cultural history in this city.
Exploring Kobe, Hyogo
Other Popular Highlights Tours in Kyoto
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Let's enjoy your Half-day Kyoto Tour!
Half-day Kyoto Tour would be personalized according to your interests and preferences. If you don't like the busy sightseeing spots, I'm happy to suggest the suitable itinerary for you on your requests. Let's enjoy your own tour to experience a wider variety of cultures in Kyoto! The meeting time would be flexible based on your schedule, for example, 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM (or 1:00 PM) would be available. === I would appreciate it if you could visit my page on Facebook by my name "Tohru Shimagaki".
Let's enjoy your Half-day Kyoto Tour!
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Experience the BEST of KYOTO!
For 8 hours, we will explore Kyoto's symbolic places and marvel at its over 1100-year-old history, culture, traditions, and food. This tour is perfect for those who want to experience this wonderful former capital of Japan with only a day or two to spare for traveling in the region.
Experience the BEST of KYOTO!
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Kyoto beginner’s tour
Kyoto popular spots & must visit spots -Fushimi Inari 1000s Ted Torii gate shrine -Kiyomizudera temple (world heritage) -Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka -Gion geisha district -Nishiki food market
Kyoto beginner’s tour
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Kyoto Perfect Day tour : all the highlights included
Discover Kyoto’s highlights in one day! We’ll start at your hotel and visit Nishiki Market, Yasaka Shrine, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, and Kiyomizu-dera. After enjoying lunch at a local Japanese restaurant, we’ll finish the tour at Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of red torii gates. A perfect tour to experience Kyoto’s culture, history, food, and beautiful scenery in one day!
Kyoto Perfect Day tour : all the highlights included
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