Kyoto Custom Tour: Temples, Culture & History

Explore Kyoto your way with a private driver-guide. Customize your tour to visit temples, shop, and dive into Japanese history and culture.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Arashiyama - TOGETSUKYO BRIDGE Arashiyama’s most iconic landmark is the Togetsukyo Bridge, also known as the “Moon Crossing Bridge.” It was last reconstructed in the 1930s, having originally been built during the Heian Period (794–1185). The bridge is particularly beautiful against the backdrop of the forested slope. Nearby, a riverbank park is…
What's Included
  • Private transportation with air conditioning
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Complimentary pickup from Kyoto, Osaka, or Nara
  • English-speaking driver
What's Not Included
  • Any Special Ride or Cruise not Included in this Package
  • Lunch
  • Entry tickets
Additional Information

Embark on an unforgettable journey through the enchanting sights of Kyoto with our customizable sightseeing tour! Picture having your own private driver-guide ready to bring your dream itinerary to life. Whether you’re captivated by stunning temples, vibrant culture, bustling shopping areas, or the rich tapestry of Japanese history, this tour is…

Location
Arashiyama
Ukyo-ku,
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(173 Ratings)
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Kateli1362qz
Jan 26, 2025
Kyoto tour by NOMI! (A Must!) - We had the most unforgettable day travelling around with Nomi. He made sure to check in the night before about our preferred locations and came ready with a plan of how best to spend our time. Not only did we see everything we wanted, we also saw it with expert information and additional local advice. The friendliest and more carefree tour guide you could hope for. Took our suggestions on board and offered up amazing things we didn’t know about- such as Sake Tasting in Fushimi. Not only is Nomi a phenomenal driver and guide he is also UNREAL at photography and will ensure you have the best pictures of your trip. I cant recommend this highly enough! An absolute must for Kyoto!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicole
Jan 25, 2025
Fabulous day ticking all the boxes - We covered a lot of sights! A lot!!! It was expensive, but satisfying to see so many culturally significant temples, shrines, wildlife & bamboo forest in one day. It was a 25,000 step day. So not for the elderly. Our driver was great, felt safe & he was knowledgeable & gave us answers when asked. Perhaps some more historical backstories on the way to each shrine could have made it even better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brucejohnston
Jan 25, 2025
Fun and educational day with Malik - We had a great day with Malik, who although relatively new to Kyoto, was knowledgeable, as well as highly professional and a pleasure to be with.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Merrinda
Jan 22, 2025
Kyoto in 1 day - We had limited time so we organised a tour to show us all the Kyoto highlights in 1 day. After clarifying our 'must visits', our English speaking guide Hashan, provided us with the information we needed to understand and enjoy each location. Took the hassle out of it and we could relax and enjoy the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tariqk436
Jan 20, 2025
Kyoto custom tour - One time and accommodating. Allowed us to customize our tour to suit us. Also helpful information. Regarding th rest of our tour. Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandeep_t
Jan 20, 2025
Great experience - This was a great experience and we enjoyed with our family. Highly recommended for first time tourist in Kyoto. Dhanush was amazing and had a good knowledge about places in Kyoto and their history
Review provided by Viator
Dianafaithg
Jan 19, 2025
Fabulous tour of Kyoto in one day! - Fabulous customized tour of Kyoto! Highly recommend- especially the monkey park! It’s a week worth of sightseeing in one day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louisabtraveling
Jan 18, 2025
Make the most of 1 day in Kyoto - We had a great tour with Dhanu. We didn’t have a set agenda beforehand, but the tour included a good variety of major sites in Kyoto and made the most of our one day of sightseeing. It was a great value for maximizing our time and energy. Dhanu showed us ideal spots to take photos and also provided some interesting facts about each site, while also giving us the opportunity to explore on our own.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Craig_b
Jan 19, 2025
Customisable tour of Kyoto allows you to see what you want at your pace - My families driver for the day was Dhanu. He was on time at our pickup location and the vehicle was clean and provided a warm retreat from the cold day for the tour. Since this tour is customisable, we visited the Arashiyama (Bamboo Forrest), Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) then had lunch at the Nishiki Markets. After lunch, we then visited to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and finished at the Fushimi Inari-Tanisha Shrine (red tortilla gates) at dusk. To visit the monkey park, and get an impressive view of Kyoto, at Arashiyama, requires a steep climb of stairs and paths which was beyond some members in our group's capacity. Dhanu allowed those who didn’t take in the views the opportunity to experience the food and drink of the teahouses by the river. Dhanu is knowledgeable about the Temples and Shrines we visited. Other than at Arashiyama, Dhanu guided us to the entry at the itinerary point, provided an overview of the history, and the key things to take in. He then left us to take in the sites at our own pace. This worked well for our group. If you are expecting a big tour group experience with a leader holder a stick with a flag which is schedule driven this is not your tour. Factor in admission tickets are via cash only. At Arashiyama to visit the temple, gardens, and monkey park ~3000yen per adult. Kinkakkuji Temple ~1000yen per adult. No fees at Kiyomizu-dera and Fushim Inari-Tanisha Shrine, which means expect lots of people.
Review provided by Viator
Jane
Jan 27, 2025
Disappointing - Very disappointed, the driver did not engage in conversation and was not from Japan . I thought we would have had a guide with local knowledge and was able to tell us about the history of Kyoto and the wonderful sights.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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January 2025
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