• Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine - Renowned for its tunnels of vibrant vermillion-red torii gates, the Fushimi Inari Shrine offers a deep connection to Japan’s rich history and culture. A knowledgeable guide will enhance your experience by sharing the intriguing story of the shrine’s origin, dedicated to the god of grains. Statues of foxes, known as “Kitsune,” serve as messengers to the god Inari, and you might find yourself wanting their favor after this enlightening tour.
• Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Embark on a comprehensive 1-hour guided tour of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of Kyoto’s most beloved sites. With a guide, you’ll delve into Japan’s history and culture while exploring this magnificent temple. Your English-speaking guide will ensure you don’t miss any significant features.
• Nijo Castle - Discover new experiences at Nijo-jo Castle, where the stunning architecture reflects the prestige of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616). Learn why this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a prime example of feudal-era castle architecture and its importance in history, culture, and art. Enjoy the tour, the best way to explore Nijo-jo Castle!
• Gion - Navigating the narrow alleyways of Kyoto’s Geisha District, Gion, can be challenging for newcomers. A guided tour eliminates the worry of getting lost and reveals hidden gems cherished by locals, while sharing insights into Kyoto’s ancient history.
• Nishiki Market Shopping District - Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki Ichiba) is a bustling, five-block shopping street with over a hundred shops and restaurants. Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” it specializes in food-related items like 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’s lively atmosphere invites exploration of Kyoto’s famous 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, all locally sourced.

• 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 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 atmospheric dining areas, a narrow alley from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, just west of the Kamogawa River. The alley is lined with restaurants offering a wide range of dining options, from affordable yakitori to traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine, foreign dishes, and exclusive establishments.

Business hours and closing days vary by establishment, but most places are open from around 17:00 to 23:00, with some also open for lunch.

• Higashiyama Ward - The Higashiyama District (東山), along Kyoto’s eastern mountains, is one of the city’s best-preserved historic areas. It’s an ideal place to experience traditional Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine, where narrow lanes, wooden buildings, and traditional shops evoke the old capital’s charm. Recent renovations have enhanced the district’s traditional feel.
• Ginkakuji Temple - Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple in Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). Built in 1482 by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa, it was modeled after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather’s villa. After Yoshimasa’s death in 1490, it became a Zen temple.

Ginkakuji, a center of contemporary culture known as Higashiyama Culture, contrasted with the aristocratic Kitayama Culture of his grandfather’s era. The arts developed during this time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design, and architecture.

• Nanzenji Suirokaku - Nanzenji Temple (南禅寺), located at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, is a significant Zen temple in Japan. It is the head temple of a Rinzai sect school of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, expanding the already large complex.

Nanzenji’s history dates back to the mid-13th century when Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa here, later converting it into a Zen temple. Despite destruction during the late Muromachi Period’s civil wars, the oldest current buildings were constructed afterward.

• Tofuku-ji Temple - Tofukuji (東福寺, Tōfukuji) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto, renowned for its stunning autumn colors. Founded in 1236 by the powerful Fujiwara clan, its name combines those of two great Nara temples, Todaiji and Kofukuji. Tofukuji is a principal Zen temple in Kyoto and a head temple of a Rinzai sect school.

In autumn, visitors flock to Tofukuji for its vibrant colors, especially the view from the Tsutenkyo Bridge over a valley of lush maple trees. The 100-meter-long covered walkway becomes crowded when the colors peak, usually in mid to late November.

• Toji - Toji Temple (東寺, Tōji), meaning “East Temple,” was founded at the start of the Heian Period after Kyoto became the capital in the late 700s. Along with its now-defunct sister temple Saiji (“West Temple”), it flanked the city’s south entrance, serving as guardian temples. Toji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About thirty years after its founding, Kobo Daishi, the Shingon sect’s founder, became Toji’s head priest, making it a key Shingon temple alongside the sect’s Mount Koya headquarters. Kobo Daishi also added many large wooden buildings still present today.

• Kinkakuji Temple - Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, with its top two floors covered in gold leaf. Originally the retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, 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.

Kinkakuji is an impressive structure overlooking a large pond, the only remaining building of Yoshimitsu’s retirement complex. It has burned down several times, including during the Onin War and in 1950 when 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 World Heritage Sites. It is the head temple of the Omuro School of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, founded in 888 by the reigning emperor. Historically, a member of the Imperial Family served as Ninnaji’s head priest, and it was known as Omuro Imperial Palace.

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

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

Shugakuin’s name derives from a former temple on the site in the tenth century. Constructed between 1655 and 1659, a palace for Gomizuno’s daughter was added ten years later. In 1964, surrounding farmlands were acquired by the Imperial Household Agency and leased to local farmers.

• Kibune River - Kibune (貴船) is a quaint town in a forested valley in Kyoto’s northern mountains, developed around Kifune Shrine. Legend says a goddess traveled by boat from Osaka up the river to the mountains north of Kyoto, where Kifune Shrine was built at her journey’s end.

Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain, protector of seafarers. Here, unique fortunes on paper slips (omikuji) reveal messages when dipped in water. Okunomiya, the inner sanctum and original Kifune Shrine site, lies about a kilometer up the valley, featuring a large rock said to be the goddess’ boat’s resting place.

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

Kurama Onsen, a ryokan at the town’s upper end, offers outdoor and indoor baths. It’s a 10-minute walk from the train station along the town’s main road or a nature trail by the river. Guests stay free, while day visitors pay 2500 yen (Weekday), 2700 yen (Weekend) for all baths or 1400 yen (Weekday), 1600 yen (Weekend) for 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, it became a Zen temple in 1450, part of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.

The history of Ryoanji’s rock garden is uncertain, with unknown construction dates and designer speculations. The garden features a rectangular plot of pebbles with 15 rocks on moss patches, surrounded by low earthen walls. An intriguing design aspect is that from any viewpoint, at least one rock is always hidden.

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

The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama’s iconic landmark. Nearby are small shops, restaurants, and attractions, including Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves, and pleasure boats 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. Completed in 1645 as the Katsura Family’s residence, members of Japan’s Imperial Family.

Visiting Katsura Imperial Villa requires a tour, following the garden’s circular walking trail around the central pond. Palace buildings are viewed only from the outside, with photography allowed only at designated spots. English tours are available.

• Daikaku-ji Temple - Daikakuji (大覚寺) is a large temple in Kyoto’s northern Sagano district. Originally built in the early 800s as Emperor Saga’s detached palace, it became a temple 30 years after his death and is a high-ranking Shingon Buddhism temple.

Daikakuji played roles in significant historical events, hosting peace talks in the 12th century that reunited the Northern and Southern Imperial Courts after 50 years of civil war. Featured in the Tale of Genji, the temple offers a glimpse of the ancient court atmosphere and is often used for filming historical dramas.

• Tenryuji Temple - Tenryuji (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most important temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. Ranked first among the city’s five great Zen temples, it is a world heritage site and the head temple of its own Rinzai Zen sect school.

Built in 1339 by shogun Ashikaga Takauji, Tenryuji was dedicated to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had recently passed. The two historic figures were allies until Takauji turned against the emperor in a power struggle. The temple was built to appease the former emperor’s spirit.

• Yoshimine-dera - Yoshiminedera (吉峰寺) is a Tendai sect temple in Kyoto’s western mountains. Like Kiyomizudera on the opposite side of town, Yoshiminedera is built along the mountainside, overlooking Kyoto. The spacious temple grounds feature many buildings up the mountainside.

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

• Togetsukyo Bridge - The Togetsukyo Bridge (“Moon Crossing Bridge”) is Arashiyama’s iconic landmark. Originally built during the Heian Period (794-1185), it was reconstructed in the 1930s. The bridge is particularly picturesque with the forested mountainside backdrop. A riverside park with cherry trees is adjacent to the bridge.
• Bamboo Forest Street - The walking paths through the bamboo groves offer a pleasant walk or bike ride. The groves are especially beautiful with a light breeze, gently swaying the tall bamboo stalks. Bamboo has been used for centuries to craft products like baskets, cups, boxes, and mats at local workshops.
• Okochi Sanso Garden - This former villa of popular actor Okochi Denjiro (1896-1962) is located behind Arashiyama’s bamboo groves. Okochi Sanso features various gardens and buildings, including living quarters, tea houses, and gates. Buildings are viewed only from the outside, with admission including matcha green tea and a snack.
• Jojakkoji Temple - Founded in 1596, this mountainside temple has small, charming buildings and gates, creating a serene atmosphere. Maple trees and moss line the paths and stairs across the temple grounds. Visitors can enjoy views over Kyoto from several spots.
• Nisonin - Similar to Jojakkoji, Nisonin Temple is a hillside temple with larger, more imposing buildings. The understated atmosphere is enhanced by overhanging trees along the approach. Founded in the mid-9th century, Nisonin is a Tendai sect temple with views over the city from the upper grounds.
• Gio-ji Temple - Gioji is nestled deeper into the forest than Jojakkoji and Nisonin, known for its moss garden punctuated by tall maple trees. The temple’s entrance gate and small main hall have thatched roofs, with the latter featuring a round window overlooking the gardens.
• Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple - Located at the end of Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street, Adashino Nenbutsuji was founded in the early 9th century by monk Kobo Daishi, who placed stone statues for the souls of the dead. Today, the temple grounds are covered with hundreds of stone statues. A short path leads through a bamboo forest at the back.
• Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple - A ten-minute walk north of Adashino Nenbutsuji, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple is famous for its 1200 stone statues of rakan, devoted Buddhist followers, each with a unique expression. Created in the 1980s and early 1990s, the statues are spread across the temple grounds on a forested mountain slope.
• Daitoku-ji Temple - Daitokuji (大徳寺) is a large, walled temple complex in northern Kyoto, the head temple of the Rinzai sect’s Daitokuji school of Japanese Zen Buddhism. With nearly two dozen subtemples, it’s one of Japan’s best places to experience Zen gardens and culture.

Daitokuji’s main buildings are usually closed to the public, but four subtemples are open:

• Daisenin
• Ryogenin
• Zuihoin
• Kotoin (Currently closed)
• Myoshinji Temple - Myoshinji (妙心寺, Myōshinji) is a large temple complex in northwestern Kyoto with about 50 subtemples in addition to its main buildings. While a few temple halls are open, most subtemples are closed to the public, but visitors can wander the walking paths. The complex resembles Daitokuji Temple in several ways.
• Eikando Zenrinji Temple - Eikando (永観堂, Eikandō), also known as Zenrinji Temple, belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located north of Nanzenji, Eikando is renowned for its autumn colors and evening illuminations. The temple has a long history, with various buildings and a pond garden for visitors to explore.
• Sanjusangendo Temple - Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂, Sanjūsangendō), known as Rengeo-in, is a temple in eastern Kyoto famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Founded in 1164, it was rebuilt a century later after a fire destroyed the original structure.
• Kennin-ji Temple - Kenninji Temple (建仁寺) is close to the bustling Hanamikoji and Shijo streets. The expansive grounds and two karesansui (dry landscape gardens) offer a tranquil oasis. It is considered Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple.
• Byodoin Temple - Byodoin Temple (平等院) is renowned for its Phoenix Hall, a National Treasure of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Uji city, Kyoto prefecture, extra travel time is needed to visit.

• Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Kyoto
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
• Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list

• Personal expenses
• Private Vehicle
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Lunch

Ancient traditions such as temples, shrines, and tea ceremonies still thrive in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. A journey through this magnificent city is akin to a trip back in time, given its centuries-old preserved architecture. The Kiyomizu Temple magnificently shadows the renowned Gion district, which is historically known for its geisha culture. With so much history embedded in this city, it’s a must-visit destination, and you can enhance the experience by booking our Government Licensed and Experienced English-speaking guides for a comprehensive walk around Kyoto.

Once you’ve secured your reservation, a guide will get in touch to customize your tour. Select between 3 to 4 locations that you’d like to explore, and the guide will create a tailored itinerary for you. If you’re unsure about the local attractions, feel free to ask for the guide’s recommended itinerary, which will be based on your preferences. Whether you’re an enthusiast of history, a admirer of aged Japanese architecture, or just keen to relish a green tea parfait, Kyoto certainly has something to captivate you!

• Pick up & Drop Off is on foot
• This is a walking tour
• Please reserve at least 2 weeks in advance

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