Wabi & Sabi -temples with gardens in Kyoto Higashiyama and more
Joined 2019
This tour focuses on the Zen temples with Wabi-Sabi gardens in Higashiyama such as Tenju-an, Nanzen-ji and Ginkaku-ji the Silver Pavilion.
We will walk on Higashiyama where we can sense the Higashiyama Culture which is a fusion of the samurai, imperial court and Zen.
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 Kyoto or JR Kyoto station
Nanzen-ji Tenju-an
This is a temple built by order of an emperor in the first half of the 14th century and is a subsidiary temple of Nanzen-ji. This temple has two gardens, a dry landscape garden made of moss and cobblestones and a pure land garden with a pond (ticket JPY500).
Nanzen-ji Hojo and its Hojo Garden
This temple was originally an emperor's palace and converted to a Zen temple at the end of the 13th century. It is positioned as the highest rank of Zen temples in Japan and has a strong influence of samurai culture in its simplicity. A dry landscape garden in this temple is has very strong influence from Zen. This temple also has a subsidiary temple Nanzen-in with a beautiful pond strolling garden and Water Bridge that bring water to Kyoto from Lake Biwa. (ticket JPY600)
Eikando (Zenrin-ji)
In Buddhism it is taught that our souls will be guided to the Pure Land after death by Amida Buddha. The garden of this temple was built to image the Pure Land where this Buddha lives. (ticket JPY600)
Lunch
Philosopher’s Walk
This is a beautiful path leading from Nanzen-ji to Ginkaku-ji, so named because a famous philosopher took a walk on this path every day. (free)
Ginkaku-ji
This Zen temple was established by the 8th Shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1490.
It is so called Silver Pavilion in contrast to the Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji Temple.
Two storied Ginkaku-ji is a simple, modest but beautiful building, and it is said that is the embodiment of a sense Wabi-Sabi, which sees beauty in simple and modest things. (ticket JPY500)
Ending Point
At your hotel in Kyoto or downtown Kyoto
Want to personalize this tour?
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
Insurance
Transportation fee
Entrance fee
Lunch for guests and guide
Tour Important Information
As we will walk a lot, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Transportation fare, entrance fees and lunch are NOT included in the guide fee.
Direct payment for tickets , lunch and others will be occurred in CASH on the spot on the day of the tour.
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
Joined 2019
About Tour Guide Hiroyuki T.
Hi!
I had been working for Wakayama Prefectural Government for 38 years, mainly in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am a national certificated English guide and I have a lot of knowledge and experience in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations.
I am very good at cultural heritages.
And Koyasan and Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture are inscribed in the World Heritage List as parts of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". I was a project manager of "the Koyasan and Kumano World Heritage Inscription Project” at Wakayama Prefectural Government. I know inside and out of Koyasan, Kumano, Wakayama and other places in the Kansai area.
I have a lot of experience of guiding as I was also in charge of international relations for a long time at the government.
I will be able to provide interpretive guiding service for you around Koyasan, Wakayama, Osaka and other places in the Kansai area as I am a cultural heritage management and international relations professional.
I am sure you will be able to get deeper understandings on Japanese culture and that your trip with me will be memorable one.
Reviews
Stephanie W.
“Tour of Nara”
Hiro was a wonderful guide, very friendly and exceptionally knowledgeable. Thank you for our day in Nara !
Hiroyuki T.
Stephany san, Thank you very much for your kind message. It is very good to know that you liked the tour. It was fun to feed deer there, wasn't it? Hiro
Tien N.
“An excellent excursion with Hiroyuki san”
Many thanks to Hiroyuki San for a very informative excursion with a delicious Zen vegetarian meals for lunch. My family was raving about the tour and I was so glad of my decision to book this Kyoto tour with Hiroyuki San .
Hiroyuki T.
Tien san, It was really nice to meet you and the group in Kyoto. I am glad to know you liked the tour. It was also nice that you liked the Zen Tofu Lunch. It was delicious, wasn't it? Thank you Tien san and the group.
Melinda A.
“Hiroyuki is the Zen master of tours”
We had so much fun with Hiroyuki. He was flexible and made sure we didn't see anything we already saw. But more importantly, he made the temples and shrines so much more than what we would have experienced if we toured them by ourselves. He taught us the complex history, politics, and social practices involved with everything we saw. I'm very curious and had many specific questions. He knows so much that he was able to answer and explain everything in detail and in such a way that we were able to understand the development of Japan and how it relates to the temples and shrines we saw. Thanks Hiroyuki! You made our visit so meaningful, educational, and fun!
Hiroyuki T.
Thank you very much for your kind message. I am glad to know that you liked the Zen tour. Our sense of beauty in Japan is based on Zen, now you all understand it. If you have a chance to come back to Japan, I will show you more.
$336/ per group
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Mt. Koya is a very important part of the World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains”. Mt. Koya is in Wakayama Prefecture and I used to work for Wakayama Prefectural Government as a general manager of Cultural Heritage Division and I was also in charge of the World Heritage Project. I know this sacred mountain very well.
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There are a lot of Buddhism temples and Shinto Shrines in Kyoto. This tour focuses on three UNESCO World Heritage temples with beautiful gardens, Fushimi Inari Shrine which is famous for a lot of red Torii gates and Bamboo Forest in Arashiyma to feel the profundity of Kyoto. If you are interested in the places which are not listed here, like Nijo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Gion, Nishiki Market, Sanjusangen-do, Kiyomizu-dera and others, just let me know, I will customize a tour for you.
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