This tour is to enjoy the less busy area near the popular spot. We walk along the beautiful downhill course in Toriimoto, which is listed as a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings. You will see another bamboo forest. We finish in the busy and popular Arashiyama area.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your Kyoto hotel Suiran
- At the lobby of the Suiran
Otagi Nenbutsuji
It's a unique, quiet, lovely, atmospheric place.
Toriimoto
The beautiful downhill course in Toriimoto is listed as a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings.
Adashino Nenbutsuji
You will see another bamboo forest, which differs from the famous one. This place was a graveyard long ago.
Toriimoto
Downhill course again
Jojakkoji Temple
It has a large breathtaking garden, which is very beautiful, especially in the fall.
Or you can change it to other places like the Okochi Sanso Villa, Giouji Temple, etc.
Bamboo Forest
Very popular among tourists
Tenryuji Temple
A World Heritage site. It has a beautiful garden with beautiful Arashiyama and Kameyama mountains in the backdrop.
We will enter the north gate from the Bamboo Forest.
Togetsukyo Bridge
The central place of this scenic area.
We will walk along a busy street and enjoy some food.
Or, please have lunch after we say goodbye. I will recommend some restaurants to you.
Ending Point
at the train station or at your favorite restaurant
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
guide fee
insurances
Transportation fee (you and the guide);
taxis(Approx. 7000 yen per taxi, round trip)
or train(480 yen per person) and taxi(Approx. 1500 yen per taxi)
Lunch
Admission fee: about 2000 yen per person; no guide is required
This ending point is very busy in the cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons.
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!
Kathleen S.
“Mount Koya and Koyasan Temple complex ”
Shuji was an exceptional guide for our excursion to Mount Koya. He met us in Kyoto and road the bus up with us (3 hours) then provided a very thorough tour. Sushi is very knowledgeable and a charming companion. Our tour included the Danjo Garan complex of temples, the Chuman and Daiman Gates, Kongobubuji and then an unexpected hike along a section of the Nyonin-michi Trail, which links the original 7 entrances into the complex. I had expressed an interest in doing this and he managed to incorporate a rather rigorous section of the trail for about an hour. We stayed the night in a Shukubo but Shuji helped us plan our agenda for the next day and purchased our tickets for us and made sure we knew how to get back on our own. The communication in advance of the trip was excellent. Shuji reserved the bus tickets and took care of all the details. It is an out of the way place and it was comforting to have him taking the lead. I always received a reply from Shuji very promptly as we planned the trip. It was an exceptional excursion and Shuji made it very memorable. He followed up with pictures and some additional advice for our travels. Highly recommend the destination and Shuji as a guide.
Shuji O.
I am so thrilled to receive such a wonderful review! Although the Mount Koya tour from Kyoto is inherently time-sensitive, you had done such thorough research on Mount Koya that I just needed to pull everything together to create the itinerary. It was like a treasure chest full of treasures. You certainly know how to enjoy a trip. You turned even a little hard Nyonin-michi walk into a nice hike surrounded by the sounds of wild birds. You also enjoyed the lunch, which made me enjoy it too. Yes, we had a great time! Travelling is really fun!
Beate H.
“„Wonderful Day“ in Kyoto”
My wife Beate and I had a wonderful day with Shuji. He is a perfect guide and very knowledgeable in respect of tradition and history. He took us to many wonderful places and hidden gems around Kyoto. The Tofu lunch was wonderful. We had such an enjoyable day. Thank you.
Shuji O.
Thank you for your great review. I also enjoyed this "hidden gem" that was the best time to visit there. Yes, we rarely experience such a beautiful tour. If it was not so crowded, we could have enjoyed more. I hope this would be a dream like memory for both of you.
Katherine L.
“Fantastic ”
Shuji is a wonderful tour guide spoke English very well. I would recommend him to anyone. He is very knowledgeable and excellent historian explaining the history of temples and shrines as we visited. Lunch was lovely. Thank you
Shuji O.
Thank you for your kind words. We enjoyed eastern Kyoto with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Every place was so beautiful and you were so curious about the history. I also enjoyed the tour very much. It really was the best season to visit Kyoto!
$245/ per group