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Ise Jingu: Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
5.0
17 Ratings
Ise
Immerse yourself in the ancient traditions and spiritual significance of Ise Jingu on this half-day private tour. Explore the sacred shrine, indulge in traditional Japanese cuisine, and discover the rich history of Okage Yokocho street.
Immerse yourself in the ancient traditions and spiritual significance of Ise Jingu on this half-day private tour. Explore the sacred shrine, indulge in traditional Japanese cuisine, and discover the rich history of Okage Yokocho street.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Ise Jingu - The Ise trip is incomplete without paying respect to the supreme deity Amaterasu Omikami (the sun goddess) enshrined at Naiku. Naiku is one of the two major shrines of Ise Shrines and is officially known as Kotai Jingu. This is considered as the most sacred shrine in Japan where millions of visitors arrive every month to worship for prosperity, peace and spirituality.
- Ise Jingu - The Ise trip is incomplete without paying respect to the supreme deity Amaterasu Omikami (the sun goddess) enshrined at Naiku. Naiku is one of the two major shrines of Ise Shrines and is officially known as Kotai Jingu. This is considered as the most sacred shrine in Japan where millions of visitors arrive every month to worship for prosperity, peace and spirituality.
What's Included
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Ise
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 2-3 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Ise
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 2-3 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
What's Not Included
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private transportation
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private transportation
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Additional Information
This journey, filled with added value and led by an official, experienced English-speaking tour guide, offers a fantastic and effective exploration of the Ise region!
This city is home to the Japan’s most holy Shinto shrine, which is approximately 2000 years old. This shrine is a hub for significant religious and spiritual events. A visit to Ise is not…
This journey, filled with added value and led by an official, experienced English-speaking tour guide, offers a fantastic and effective exploration of the Ise region!
This city is home to the Japan’s most holy Shinto shrine, which is approximately 2000 years old. This shrine is a hub for significant religious and spiritual events. A visit to Ise is not complete without honoring the highest deity Amaterasu Omikami (the sun goddess). The tour also showcases traditional Japanese foods and history as you visit the Okage Yokocho street.
Please let us know any specific requests for your day, and we will tailor your itinerary accordingly!
Please note that this tour involves walking and using public transportation. Long walking distances are also necessary at Ise Jingu Shrine.
- The pick-up/meetup for this tour is on foot/public transport.
Location
Ise Jingu
1 Ujitachicho,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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_q5375rv
Oct 12, 2025
Jingu Half Day Tour - It was a very good experience.
First of all, I booked my reservation date by mistake for one day, and I noticed it when I received the confirmation email the day before. I thought it would be impossible to cancel and reschedule the day before, so I contacted him at the wrong time, but he was happy to reschedule the day after because his schedule was also available. I don't think we can handle this every time, but I would like to first thank you for arranging this. I was very happy because I was about to give up being a guide.
On the day of the tour, we took 4-5 hours to show them around, but we stopped at a place where they would pass without a guide, told us about the history and what was said, and got a lot of emotion that we couldn't feel just by going around. I feel that the shrines of Ise are too wasteful to simply go around. The content that clearly shows why it has Jingu, the highest shrine in Japan, is a must-see. It was a profound and abysmal experience to learn why I have been here for 2,000 years and why I have been able to continue my Shikinen Sengu for nearly 1,500 years.
I would like to thank Mr. Kurata for guiding me carefully. Thank you very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jmntravel
Aug 28, 2025
Learning About Ise Shrines - Very good tour to the shrine complexes in Ise. The larger complex is set in a beautiful forest adjacent to an old traditional shopping street. Our guide (Kaori) taught us about Shinto history and rituals including minor shrines that i may have not seen without her knowledge. She also knew the key places to take pictures (where allowed), helped us use the optimal mix of train/bus/taxi to get between locations, and took us to the best shaved ice matcha in the town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_b3371um
Apr 26, 2025
Yoshi was our wonderdul. Indispensable co-pilot at Izu Shrine - Mr Yoshi’s knowledge about the Izu Shrine and its history is impeccable. He was our co-pilot every step of the way. He even went out of his way to make sure we stood at the right bus line so that we would get to sit in an otherwise crowded bus on the first day of the tourist-heavy golden week holiday in Japan. This we were ensure a seat to sit down during the 15 minute bus ride to the inner shrine from the outer shrine. I would suggest being proactive asking Yoshi a bunch of question if you’d like to know more than the standard details he shared which is already a lot. You will get more enjoyment by being curious about Japan, the shrine and its amazing legends and history. We were short on cash for part of the trip and Yoshi happily gave us a small “loan” before we found an ATM. Go prepared with cash as there are quite a few places (like the museum) that did not accept cards. All in all we were very pleased with the service we received and we would highly recommend having Yoshi be your co-pilot on your journey through Izu.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R3803tf_
Mar 9, 2025
Thank you for your guide's care! - I booked this private tour because I was with a family who were too old to walk fast. I visited Geku, Sarutahiko Shrine, Akafuku, Naiku, and Okage Yokocho on the dissolution course.
I told them beforehand that I couldn't walk early, so they walked slowly and were able to turn everything around safely. I had a great time being a cheerful guide! Thank you for all your care.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ursinr
Sep 8, 2024
Excellent! - Tatsuya Ito was a really good and friendly guide. He had a lot of details ready about the Grand Shrine and explained a lot about the religious and historic aspects of it. (as i requested beforehand). After visiting Naiku and Geku we explored the food stands nearby, where he showed me typical dishes for Ise and we tried a few of them. I enjoyed that a lot!
He also had good tipps for my further trip through Japan. I would recommend tours with him to anyone.
I also had to postpone my tour on short notice due to a taifun. He managed that easily and i could take the tour a day later than originally planned.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Naohisao869
Jul 31, 2024
Deep history - He was a wonderful guide.
It made me want to study a little bit about Japanese religious history.
The four-hour course doesn't have enough time, so next time I come, I'm going to stay overnight for two full days.
Kyoto and Nara are also good, but if you are coming to Japan, why not stop by Ise too?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander13034522955
Jul 31, 2024
Wonderful and Fruitful Tour - Yoshi is my tour guide for the half-day Ise tour. From the start to the end, he has taken care of me and made very good recommendations about food and transport. He is funny, knowledgeable yet highly interesting in his presentation style. I never get bored the entire time and I also feel very relaxed to conduct the tour at my own pace. It's a wonderful experience, and a guide is definitely needed to understand the meanings of Ise shrines.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S647fcjohns
May 21, 2024
Yoshi was a highlight of our vacation in Japan, and Ise is a must-visit location - If you have the great fortune to be guided by Yoshi, you will be very happy. Yoshi clearly took the time to tailor our tour to our interests, and we had an experience we never could have had on our own or with a large group tour. He was both professional and friendly.
Could we have given ourselves a tour with a booklet? Yes.
Would that have been a great mistake? Yes. He helped us navigate the sacred sites without being offensive, and pointed out fun little things like meaningful rocks, as well as extra info about different rituals. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yasuk_12
May 5, 2024
It's efficient and the explanations are very detailed. It's the best. - Since it was my wife's first time at Ise Shrine, we booked a half-day private guide course. Once the reservation is made, you can leave the management site and contact the guide (Mr. Nishio) to discuss the meeting time, place, tour contents, etc. individually. This time, we visited the Inner Shrine, the Outer Shrine, and Sarutahiko Shrine on the way in 4 hours, so we saved the special prayer for next time. We started from Ise-shi Station and walked to the Outer Shrine. On the way, we passed through the townscape that felt Showa retro (including Edo and Meiji) to the beautiful shrine forest of the Outer Shrine. As with the Inner Shrine, there are many shrines scattered within the grounds, and the background of each one was explained to us. The Inner Shrine has a Sengu Museum, which is an absolute must-see. You can learn about the Sengu and many other Shinto deities, and you can also learn about the construction of the main shrine in a very easy-to-understand way.
It was during Golden Week, so there were a lot of people everywhere, such as Okage Yokocho, but we managed to go around everything as planned, and it was a good opportunity to learn more about Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, up close and in depth. I can only be grateful to Mr. Nishio, our guide. Please take care of yourself and continue guiding as long as possible to make as many people happy as possible. Thank you for all your help.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Excursion24460816616
Mar 24, 2024
An enriching and insightful spiritual experience - We had a wonderful and insightful time with our local guide Yoshi San. Yoshi was great at explaining the general information about the Geku and Naiku, as well as very proficient with the history and myths of the Amaterasu if one needed additional cultural aspects. The pace of the half day tour was relaxing and allow enough time to take in the sights, scenery and photo moments where camera is allowed. Thanks to Yoshi San, we also got to experience eating Ise Udon in a local shop off the beaten path too! I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
