Kansai · Day Tour
The most important shrine in Japan, torn down and rebuilt every twenty years.
From
¥22,000 per person
approx. US$139
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
Instant confirmation
A private Ise tour with a local guide. Ise Jingu — the Geku and Naiku shrines set in ancient forest — and the Okage Yokocho street outside it are the usual candidates. The shrine is the most significant in Shinto, and it is completely rebuilt every two decades.
Ise Jingu's main buildings are demolished and rebuilt on an adjacent site every twenty years, using new cypress and the same techniques, and the deity is moved across. It has been done this way for well over a millennium. Nothing here is ancient in material terms; the continuity is in the knowledge, which is passed on by doing it.
There are two main shrines several kilometres apart. Custom is to visit Geku, the outer shrine, before Naiku, the inner one, and your guide will keep to it. Both sit in old forest along gravel approaches, and both are deliberately plain — unpainted cypress, thatched roofs, no ornament. After the gilding of Nikko or Kyoto, the effect is startling.
The innermost buildings are screened and cannot be photographed or approached beyond a certain point. This surprises visitors who expect a monument. Your guide explains what is behind the fence and why the restriction exists, which is more interesting than seeing it would be.
The street on the approach to Naiku has been serving pilgrims for centuries and is rebuilt in the old style. Akafuku, the local mochi, has been made here since 1707. It is touristed and it is also genuinely old, and your guide will separate the two for you.
Meet your guide at the station.
The outer shrine, visited first by custom.
The inner shrine, along the forest approach.
The pilgrims' street, and lunch.
Iseshi Station, Ise, Mie. Your guide will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand to agree the plan.
The price covers your private English-speaking guide. Entry fees, transport and meals are paid as you go, and by convention you also cover your guide's. Bring cash.
Around ninety minutes by limited express from Nagoya, or a little over two hours from Osaka and Kyoto.
Custom is to visit Geku before Naiku, and most guests do both. If time is short your guide will prioritise Naiku.
Along the approaches, yes. Close to the main sanctuaries, no. Your guide will make the boundary clear.
Yes. The wedded rocks at Futami are a short ride away and often added to the morning. Say so when you book.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
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