Kyoto · Day Tour
Five of Kyoto's best-known places in a day, without a single timetable.
From
¥13,000 per person
approx. US$81
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
A Kyoto bus tour covering Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji and Arashiyama, with Nijo Castle explained on the way past. At each stop your guide sets the scene, then you choose between a guided walk and free time. Admissions to three of the temples are included.
The thousands of vermilion gates run up a mountainside, and the further you climb the fewer people there are. Starting the day here means you are on the path before it fills. Your guide explains what the gates are, who paid for them and why they are still being added.
The wooden terrace juts out over the hillside and was built without nails. From it you get the whole city. Your guide explains how the structure holds itself up, which is more interesting than it sounds, and what the temple was founded for in the eighth century.
The golden pavilion is the photograph everyone wants. Ryoan-ji, ten minutes away, is the opposite — fifteen stones in raked gravel and no explanation offered. Seeing them in sequence is the point, and your guide uses Ryoan-ji to introduce what Zen gardens are actually doing.
The last stop is the bamboo grove and the river district on the western edge of the city. By late afternoon the coach traffic has thinned and the light through the bamboo is at its best.
Meet your guide at Hotel Vischio Kyoto.
The torii gates, early.
The wooden terrace over the city.
Explained from the coach as we pass.
The golden pavilion, then the rock garden.
The bamboo grove and the river, to finish.
Hotel Vischio Kyoto by Granvia, beside Kyoto Station. Your guide carries a Travel Japan Together sign and will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand.
The coach, your English-speaking guide and admission to Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji. Lunch and anything you buy are your own.
No. The full circuit takes two to three hours. You go far enough up to leave the crowds behind, and your guide explains what is further on.
Yes. Every stop has free time as an alternative, and plenty of guests mix the two through the day.
A fair amount, with slopes and steps at two sites. Comfortable shoes matter on this one.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
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