• Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine - Experience a unique glimpse into Japan’s heritage, typically inaccessible to regular tourists, after the tour. This brief excursion offers an exceptional and valuable way to explore Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine!

Discover new experiences with us, as Fushimi Inari Shrine offers much more than its iconic vermillion-red torii gate tunnels. While many are content with its scenic beauty, the shrine holds numerous stories that connect visitors to Japan’s rich history and culture, which the guide will delve into. Learn about the intriguing origins of the shrine dedicated to the god of grains, “Inari,” and understand why fox statues, representing “Kitsune,” the clever servants of Inari, are prevalent around the shrine. These cunning creatures are seen as ideal guides in the challenging business world, and you might find yourself wanting their favor after the tour.

• Nijo Castle - Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was constructed in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867).
• Gion - Navigating the narrow alleyways of Kyoto’s Geisha District—Gion can be intimidating for newcomers. A guided tour eliminates the stress of getting lost and is a fantastic way to uncover hidden gems cherished by locals while learning about Kyoto’s ancient history. Highlights include insights into Geisha culture and rituals, and visits to Gion, Pontocho, and Miyagawacho.
• Nishiki Market Shopping District - Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki Ichiba) is a bustling, five-block-long shopping street lined with over a hundred shops and restaurants. Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” this vibrant market specializes in all things food-related, including fresh seafood, produce, knives, and cookware. It’s an excellent place to discover seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood, and sushi.

Nishiki Market offers a lively yet welcoming atmosphere, perfect for those eager to explore Kyoto’s renowned culinary delights. The market features a range of store sizes, from small stalls to larger two-story shops, with most specializing in a specific type of food. Nearly everything sold is locally sourced and produced.

• Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Explore one of Kyoto’s most beloved temples—Kiyomizu-dera Temple with a comprehensive 1-hour guided tour. Touring the temple grounds with a guide allows for a deeper understanding of Japan’s history and culture while admiring the magnificent architecture. Enjoy insights from your English-speaking guide, ensuring you don’t miss any significant features.
• Kyoto Imperial Palace - The Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho) was the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. It is situated in the expansive Kyoto Imperial Park (京都御苑, Kyōto Gyoen), a beautiful park in the city center that also includes the Sento Imperial Palace and other attractions.
• Pontocho - Pontocho (先斗町, Pontochō) is one of Kyoto’s most charming dining areas. This narrow alley stretches from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of the Kamogawa River, and is lined with restaurants offering a wide array of dining options, from affordable yakitori to traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine, international dishes, and exclusive venues requiring connections and a generous budget.

The business hours and closing days of Pontocho’s restaurants, bars, and shops vary, but most are open from around 17:00 to 23:00, with some also serving lunch. An increasing number of establishments provide English menus.

• Higashiyama Ward - The Higashiyama District (東山) along the lower slopes of Kyoto’s eastern mountains is one of the city’s best-preserved historic areas. It offers a wonderful opportunity to experience traditional old Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine, where narrow lanes, wooden buildings, and traditional merchant shops evoke the old capital’s charm. Recent renovations, including the removal of telephone poles and repaving of streets, have enhanced the district’s traditional ambiance.
• Ginkakuji Temple - Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple nestled in Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa constructed his retirement villa on the grounds of today’s temple, inspired by Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather’s retirement villa at the base of Kyoto’s northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was transformed into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa’s death in 1490.

As the retirement villa of an art-loving shogun, Ginkakuji became a hub of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture, contrasting with the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather’s era. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained confined to Kyoto’s aristocratic circles, the Higashiyama Culture had a widespread influence across the country. The arts developed and refined during this period include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design, and architecture.

• Nanzenji Suirokaku - Nanzenji Temple (南禅寺), with its expansive grounds located at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of Japan’s most significant Zen temples. It serves as the head temple of one of the schools within the Rinzai sect of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, making the already large complex even more extensive.

Nanzenji’s history dates back to the mid-13th century when Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple’s current location, later converting it into a Zen temple. After its founding, Nanzenji grew steadily, but its buildings were destroyed during the civil wars of the late Muromachi Period (1333-1573). The oldest existing buildings were constructed after that period.

• Tofuku-ji Temple - Tofukuji (東福寺, Tōfukuji) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto, renowned for its stunning autumn colors. The temple was established in 1236 at the request of the influential Fujiwara clan. Its name combines the names of two great temples in Nara, Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple, also associated with the Fujiwara. Historically, Tofukuji has been one of Kyoto’s principal Zen temples and is a head temple of one of the Rinzai sect’s schools of Zen Buddhism.

In autumn, visitors from across Japan flock to Tofukuji to admire its vibrant autumn foliage. The most popular view is from the Tsutenkyo Bridge, which spans a valley of lush maple trees. The view from the bridge is equally breathtaking, and the 100-meter-long covered walkway becomes extremely crowded when the colors peak, typically around mid to late November.

• Toji - Toji Temple (東寺, Tōji), meaning “East Temple,” was founded at the start of the Heian Period shortly after the capital moved to Kyoto in the late 700s. The large temple, along with its now-defunct sister temple Saiji (“West Temple”), flanked the city’s south entrance and served as guardian temples for the capital. Toji Temple is one of Kyoto’s many UNESCO World Heritage sites.

About thirty years after its establishment, Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, was appointed head priest of Toji, making it one of the most important Shingon temples besides the sect’s headquarters on Mount Koya. Kobo Daishi also added many of the large wooden buildings that stand on the grounds today.

• Kinkakuji Temple - Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, with its top two floors entirely covered in gold leaf. Officially known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will, it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji inspired the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu’s grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the opposite side of the city a few decades later.

Kinkakuji is an impressive structure overlooking a large pond and is the only remaining building of Yoshimitsu’s former retirement complex. It has been rebuilt several times throughout its history, including after being destroyed twice during the Onin War, a civil war that devastated much of Kyoto, and once more in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The current structure was rebuilt in 1955.

• Ninna-ji Temple - Ninnaji (仁和寺) is one of Kyoto’s many esteemed temples listed as World Heritage Sites. It is the head temple of the Omuro School of the Shingon sect of Buddhism and was founded in 888 by the reigning emperor. For many centuries, a member of the Imperial Family served as Ninnaji’s head priest, and the temple was also known as Omuro Imperial Palace.

Due to the numerous wars and fires that have ravaged Kyoto throughout its history, none of the original buildings from the temple’s foundation in the 9th century survive. The oldest buildings date back to the early Edo Period in the 1600s, including the main hall (Kondo), the Kannon Hall, the Niomon front gate, the Chumon inner gate, and the five-storied pagoda.

• Shugakuin Imperial Villa - Shugakuin Imperial Villa (修学院離宮, Shugakuin Rikyū) was constructed in the 17th century by Emperor Gomizuno and is now managed by the Imperial Household Agency. It comprises the Upper, Middle, and Lower Villa areas, each featuring gardens and buildings in the traditional imperial style.

Shugakuin’s name originates from a former temple built on the same site in the tenth century. The Imperial Villa was constructed between 1655 and 1659, with a palace for Gomizuno’s daughter added ten years later. In 1964, the surrounding farmlands were acquired by the Imperial Household Agency and are leased to local farmers who continue to cultivate the fields.

• Kibune River - Kibune (貴船) is a quaint town nestled in a forested valley in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, developed around Kifune Shrine. According to legend, a goddess traveled by boat from Osaka up the river into the mountains north of Kyoto, and Kifune Shrine was built at the site where her journey ended.

Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain and is believed to protect those at sea. Here, visitors can obtain a unique type of fortune written on paper slips (omikuji) that reveal their messages when dipped in water. Okunomiya, the inner sanctum and original site of Kifune Shrine, is located about one kilometer further up the valley. It features a large rock, known as the boat stone, said to be where the goddess’ yellow boat is buried.

• Kurama-dera - Kurama (鞍馬) is a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, less than an hour from the city center. Kurama is renowned for its temple Kurama-dera and its hot spring, one of the most accessible hot springs from Kyoto.

Visitors can enjoy both outdoor and indoor baths at Kurama Onsen, a ryokan located at the upper end of Kurama town. It is a 10-minute walk from the train station along the town’s only road or a nature trail following the river. Guests staying at the ryokan can use the baths for free, while day visitors pay 2500 yen to access all baths or 1000 yen for just the outdoor bath (rotemburo).

• Ryoanji Temple - Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺, Ryōanji) is home to Japan’s most famous rock garden, attracting hundreds of visitors daily. Originally an aristocrat’s villa during the Heian Period, the site was converted into a Zen temple in 1450 and belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, whose head temple is just a kilometer to the south.

The history of Ryoanji’s renowned rock garden is somewhat mysterious. The garden’s construction date is unknown, and there are various theories about its designer. The garden features a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by low earthen walls, with 15 rocks arranged in small groups on patches of moss. An intriguing aspect of the garden’s design is that from any vantage point, at least one rock is always hidden from view.

• Arashiyama - Arashiyama (嵐山) is a charming, tourist-friendly district on the western outskirts of Kyoto. The area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural beauty. Arashiyama is especially popular during the cherry blossom and fall color seasons.

The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama’s iconic central landmark. Nearby, visitors can find numerous small shops, restaurants, and attractions, including Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves, and pleasure boats available for rent on the river.

• Katsura Imperial Villa - Katsura Imperial Villa (桂離宮, Katsura Rikyū) is a prime example of Japanese architecture and garden design. The villa and garden, in their current form, were completed in 1645 as the residence for the Katsura Family, members of Japan’s Imperial Family.

Visiting Katsura Imperial Villa requires joining a tour, which follows the garden’s circular walking trail around the central pond. The palace buildings can only be viewed from the outside, and photography is permitted only from designated spots. Tours in English are available.

• Daikaku-ji Temple - Daikakuji (大覚寺) is a large temple in the northern part of Kyoto’s Sagano district. It was initially built in the early 800s as the detached palace of Emperor Saga, who enjoyed spending time in this serene area on Kyoto’s outskirts. Thirty years after the emperor’s death, the palace was converted into a temple and has since been one of the highest-ranked temples of Shingon Buddhism.

Daikakuji has played a role in several significant historical events. A succession of retired emperors reigned from here, and in the 12th century, the temple hosted peace talks that reunited the Northern and Southern Imperial Courts after 50 years of civil war. Daikakuji is also featured in the Tale of Genji, the first novel in Japanese literature. Today, the temple is one of the best places to experience the ancient court atmosphere described in the novel and is often used for filming historical dramas.

• Tenryuji Temple - Tenryuji (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most significant temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city’s five great Zen temples and is now a registered world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Tenryuji was constructed in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji, who dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had recently passed away. The two historic figures were once allies until Takauji turned against the emperor in a power struggle over Japan. By building the temple, Takauji aimed to appease the former emperor’s spirit.

• Yoshimine-dera - Yoshiminedera (吉峰寺) is a temple of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism located in Kyoto’s western mountains. Similar to Kiyomizudera on the opposite side of town, Yoshiminedera is built along the mountainside and offers views of Kyoto. The temple grounds are expansive, with many buildings scattered up the mountainside.

A priest from Enryakuji, named Gesan, established Yoshiminedera as a personal retreat in 1029. The temple was destroyed in the Onin War in 1467 but was rebuilt in 1621. The temple’s main objects of worship are a Kannon statue carved by Gesan and a Kannon statue given to the temple by Emperor Gosuzaku in 1042.

• Kennin-ji Temple - Kenninji Temple (建仁寺) is located near the bustling Hanamikoji and Shijo streets. The grounds of Kenninji Temple are expansive and pleasant to walk through, and the two karesansui (dry landscape gardens) offer visitors an oasis of tranquility. It is considered the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

• Private vehicle
• Customizable Walking Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

• Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Kyoto is a city that beautifully preserves its traditional arts and charm, though navigating the buses and subways can be tricky, especially for those with mobility challenges. At Japan Guide Agency, we are dedicated to ensuring everyone can enjoy Kyoto, which is why we offer this customizable, private guided tour complete with a vehicle!

Embark on a journey through Kyoto to witness the majestic Kiyomizu Temple overlooking the historic Gion district, renowned for its rich geisha heritage. Explore the enchanting bamboo forest of Sagano, along with Kyoto’s gardens, shrines, and temples, offering a glimpse into ancient Japan.

After booking, a guide will reach out to help you tailor your tour. Select 4 to 5 destinations from our ‘Tour Details’ to explore. Whether you’re passionate about history, fascinated by Japanese architecture, or simply wish to savor a green tea parfait, Kyoto has something special for everyone!

The tour accommodates a maximum of 15 participants. If your group includes children, please inform us of their number and ages.

• There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

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