Kyoto Train Tour: Discover Ancient Culture

Experience the charm of 8th-century Japan in Kyoto, the former capital. Explore Gion’s cobbled streets, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, and immerse yourself in the beauty of Arashiyama bamboo grove.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Kobe Sannomiya Station Hanshin Electric Railway Service Center - With your local host leading the way and taking care of transport, travel to Sannomiya station from Kobe Port via a taxi, and to Kyoto from Sannomiya station (Kobe) on public transport
    IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from…
What's Included
  • Return train transport via regular train to Kyoto and back
  • 8 hours with a host (including travel time) – customizable
  • Return taxi transport from Kobe Port to Sannomiya station
  • Hotel meet-up available on request for central location
  • Private and personalized walking tour with a passionate local
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Transportation (primarily a walking experience however public transport may be used)
  • Tickets to any attractions
  • Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

Take the train to Kyoto with your local host, and discover another side of Japanese culture in its 8th-century capital. Explore the cobbled streets of traditional entertainment district Gion, see the famous flame-colored tunnel of Fushimi Inari Shrine, or visit the Arashiyama bamboo grove in western Kyoto. At dusk, when the city’s iconic paper lanterns…

Location
KOBE PORT TERMINAL
(The host will be waiting in the arrival lobby) After booking, you can adjust the meeting point to fit your preferences with the help of our Experience Planners.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(10 Ratings)
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William_e
Apr 12, 2025
Elliott’s tour of Kyoto - Tiago was an excellent guide. very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. Did a good job of showing historic and cultural sites.
Review provided by Viator
Eileen_s
Apr 9, 2025
We took the bullet train!! - We decided to upgrade and do the trip to Kyoto by bullet train. Firstly because of time saved in travelling and secondly because I always wanted to try it. Ryan met us at our cruise terminal and we went by taxi to the train station. We went to buy tickets and navigated to our platform. I was relieved Ryan was there to guide us through everything. We took a metro and a regular train before taking the bullet train. We didn’t have reserved seats….sometimes easier than searching for your seat, though we did have to stand sometimes. Ryan took us through some back streets in Kyoto to avoid the crowds and explained the culture. We visited Shrines and Gardens and did a bit of souvenir shopping…he was very patient :). Our time was short as we had to be back on our cruise ship but Ryan had it worked out. We took a taxi to the station and then back in the bullet train and taxi to the port. A short but full day with no anxiety thanks to Ryan.
Review provided by Viator
Lotario_c
May 29, 2024
Tour was very good!... - Tour was very good! Marwan was very friendly and adapted to our group very well! We enjoyed kyoto and nara
Review provided by Viator
Andrew_d
Apr 12, 2024
Recommended. - Great day out. Very different from a ship excursion, only the 3 of us and Ryan the guide. Saw much more, travelled and ate with the locals and no waiting for everyone to catch up. Great experience and a great guide.
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_c
Apr 3, 2024
Our guide Taiga was... - Our guide Taiga was absolutely fantastic He took the time to get to know us and made sure the tour was catered to our liking. A very knowledgeable man with a great sense of humour A brilliant day!
Review provided by Viator
Mengyu_h
Mar 14, 2024
Fantastic time exploring highlights of Kyoto - Hugo was a wonderful tour guide who shared with us the historical and cultural significance of the places we visited, showed us the local shops to sample mochi and other snacks along the way, and expertly navigated through the metro, train, and streets from the port of Kobe to Kyoto. I visited Kinkakuji and the Higashiyama areas of Kyoto where we also visited Kiyomizu-dera and the Gion district. Hugo gave us flexibility to plan our itinerary while sharing with us practical tips to map out the distance between stops. On our way back, he also gave us advice on places to see the next day when we planned to explore Kobe.
Review provided by Viator
Jamesmichael_t
Apr 14, 2023
Making the most in Kyoto with limited time. - Being able to see some of the must-see attractions in Kyoto when doing a shore excursion from Kobe is great and involves expertise in riding trains and subways. Our guide Michelle was fantastic, she made it look easy, was able to make adjustments when needed. She was very friendly and had good knowledge of the sites we visited. She was also expense conscious. We truly made the most of our limited time in Kyoto. We highly recommend Michelle as a guide.
Review provided by Viator
Trish_p
Apr 2, 2024
Disappointed - Guide was very friendly and personable. Also, adaptable as the cruise changed our port at last minute. However, he seemed unaware of the form we previously completed listing our preferred activities for the tour. When we arrived at the Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park area, he was unfamiliar with the location which resulted in significant wasted time walking around looking for the entrances. This cut short our ability to see any more of the landmarks we had listed. Overall, we felt this was not worth the money we paid.
Review provided by Viator
Deb7111
Mar 31, 2024
A Disappointment - This trip fell far short of its promise. Our guide worked with us via email to plan our trip. We were very impressed by him. However, reality intervened. The day before our trip, he totally changed our itinerary. Instead of taking the bullet train one way and the local train for our return, he announced he’d pick us up in his private car. Therefore, we spent over five hours getting back and forth to Kyoto. Five tedious hours on highways equals vacation time poorly spent. Our guide was ill prepared to discuss the sites he showed us. While the two sites were worth seeing, our guide had few stories to share. He instead would quietly read random facts from his phone. Sorry. This is not guiding. Finally, he committed the cardinal sin of a cruise port guide: he returned us to port thirty minutes later than committed. Japan does not require guides to be licensed. This is dangerous for visitors accustomed to traveling in Europe with top guides. Our Japanese tour guide was inexperienced and the tour company itself holds responsibility for allowing him to be our guide. Nice guy, for sure, but ill suited for this work.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $232
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).