Kyoto Sakura Mystery Tour (Cherry Blossom Season Only)
This tour is available only for cherry blossom season - I will take you to the best spots at the timing you are in Kyoto while visiting 1-2 "must-see" sites and experience Hanami, cherry blossom viewing, just like the locals. You'll also try some street foods, sweets and learn about sake (including tasting) and/or green tea during the tour.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
JR Sagano or Hankyu Arashiyama station or your hotel
Arashiyama (including bamboo forest)
Local sakura spot 1 (I will pick one local area depending on the timing of full bloom)
Fushimi sake district (local lunch and visit Gekkeikan sake museum)
Local sakura spot 2 (I will pick one local area depending on the timing of full bloom)
Option: Fushimi Inari shrine or Gion at the end of the tour (if you have enough time & energy)
Ending Point
At the last visiting spot or your hotel
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
Guide fee
Transportation fee (you and guide), lunch and/or dinner (you and guide), entrance fee, etc..
Tour Important Information
1. You will be walking a lot during the tour, so please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes and bring an umbrella or poncho in case of rain.
2. Transportation fee and lunch/dinner for you and guide is not included. Even if you have a JR pass or IC card, you'll be asked to purchase tickets for the guide in cash. With the standard itinerary, the total transportation cost for this tour per person will be around 1,000-1,500 yen from the meeting to the last spot. With the hotel meet-up option, additional transportation fee between the hotel and Arashiyama will be added.
During the peak season of cherry blossom, many popular spots get very crowded and sometimes we may not get on city buses. I will try to avoid using buses in the city center but please note that we may need to use a taxi when it seems most efficient.
3. We will visit 2-3 temples for this tour, and admission fee for each is 500-600 yen. Gekkeikan sake museum is 300 yen with a small souvenir bottle of sake.
4. Please pick 7:00 am or 7:30 am for the start time if you book hotel meet-up option in Osaka station or Namba area, 7:30 am or 8:00 am for Kyoto and Shin Osaka area.
Only available in cherry blossom season. Calendar will be updated in March based on the forecast of full-bloom timing
Important message from the supplier
Please note below before booking and contact me first for availability:
1. My schedule on GoWithGuide site is open for the next 3-month only.
2. All my listed tours include hotel pick-up fee and guide fee. Please ask for quote for custom tours.
3. For tours in the peak season, I am currently prioritizing mult-day tour requests (at least two "full-day" tours per group) and accept one-day request between the booked tours etc.
***Excursions ***
I can guide you in Okayama (including Naoshima and Kurashiki), Hiroshima (Onomichi, Shimanami islands cycling, Miyajima, etc.) and Shikoku (Iya valley etc.) if you pay for my transportation.
The above areas can be visited from Osaka/Kyoto in one or two days.
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 Seiko T.
**Pleaase note that I am not available for tours in Kyoto-Osaka area in Jan-Mar**
**My booking calendar is open only one month ahead**
Hello! I am Seiko, National Licensed Guide since 2007.
I was born and raised in Kurashiki (Okayama pref.), spent my college days in Kyoto, lived in Osaka for more than 15 years and recently moved to a city near Nagano (guiding in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara etc during peak season).
I studied in Wisconsin, USA and worked as a translator/interpreter, market researcher, and executive assistant for global companies for many years where I enjoyed spending a precious time with people from different backgrounds and cultures and broaden my world and horizons.
I myself am a traveler for life, been to more than 30 countries and all the prefectures in Japan, and always excited to help my clients with their planning. I am also a hiker, kayaker, scuba diver, and snowboarder enjoying myself mostly outdoors in every season.
Besides city tours in Osaka and Kyoto, my tours can stretch to introducing local food and drinks, sake/beer brewery visit, visiting less-touristy areas, excursions to enjoy the nature such as walking/hiking tours, baseball games, tours for kids, onsen day-out, and more!
Let's have a fun time and unique experience with me!
Important Notes before booking:
1. Please check availability with me, even for open dates, before booking!
2. Transportation fee, entrance fee, and lunch/dinner for you and guide during the tour are NOT INCLUDED in the guide fee and to be paid at each site. Please bring enough cash to separately pay them during the tour. (Licensed guides get free admission at temples/shrines/castles and most tourist attractions, except for some facilities like aquarium, zoo, amusement parks, etc.)
3. Please let me know IN ADVANCE if anyone in your group has any physical challenge and/or food allergies.
Thank you!
Reviews
Deepa V.
“Pleasant and energetic guide!”
We had a great time touring Osaka with Seiko! She was accommodating and flexible and incorporated places the kids wanted to visit like a cat cafe. It was interesting to learn about the history and significance of the city. She even introduced us to special foods which was a treat! We spent a long day with her but she was always upbeat and cheerful and gave us a memorable day in Osaka. Thank you Seiko!
Manuela G.
“Mount Myoko at its best ”
This was our first time in the Myoko kongen area and Seiko has been the perfect host for us. Friendly, kind and well organised, she took care of all logistics including bringing us to a nice local place serving specialties of the region for lunch. Seiko knows herself best around the area and knows the best views and spots to visit . We absolutely loved it and would recommend it anytime :)
Tuan P.
“Half day tour around Kyoto”
Seiko was an excellent tour guide for Kyoto with broad and deep knowledge about everything from the specialized shrines to history of sake distilleries. She met us at our hotel and even adjusted our schedule on the fly to try and avoid the expected rain that day. We toured the Fushimi Inari Shrine, explored the Fushimi district and ate at a local yakitori restaurant, went to Kimozu Dera, and explored the streets and alleys in Ninenenzaka/Sannenzaka. It was a very full 6 hours covering a lot of areas and we thoroughly enjoyed it all.
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Seiko T.
Thank you Tuan for your kind words. With your flexibility, no hesitation to walk further to see more, and trusting my recommendations, we could see both major attractions and true local scenes. Lucky us, we didn't get much rain during the tour despite the almost hopeless forecast:) Hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Kyoto and your family trip in Japan! Best reagards to all of your sweet family members. Seiko
$282/ per group
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