Private Car Full Day Tour of Osaka Temples, Gardens and Kofun Tombs
4.8
18 Ratings
Osaka
Experience the hidden side of Osaka on a private full-day tour. Visit temples, gardens, and historic sites, and discover the famous 'kofun' tombs. Customizable itinerary available.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
6 days
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Highlights
- Osaka Castle - We walk the grounds right up to the castle, but do not enter the building itself (we find it rather disappointing inside, but the outside is great!). The stronghold of Osaka, this imposing structure and lovely surrounding grounds are must-see for any visitor to Osaka.
- Shitennoji - Said to be Japan’s oldest Buddhist temple, the buildings, grounds, and stories will engage and impress. When open (they are a bit fickle), we also check out their lovely Japanese garden (300 yen per adult extra).
- Shinsekai - A blast of an older entertainment quarter, we see some of Osaka’s most emblematic sights on our walkabout.
- Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine - Making for a great contrast with Shitennoji Temple, this Shinto shrine beautifully unfolds across ancient and hallowed grounds. Come breathe in 1500 years of history.
- Sakai City Hall Observatory Flour - Take in a spectacular view of Osaka to the north, the mountains demarcating Nara to the east, and the coast to the west and south.
- Daisen Park - A very lightly touristed, beautiful Japanese garden just a bit south of Osaka proper, Daisen Park’s garden will delight as you stroll around its pond and deeper along its lovely landscaped stream. Admission is 200 yen. While here, we also gaze out across one of the largest tomb sites in the world, that of Emperor Nintoku from around the 5th century.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Central Osaka hotel pickup
- Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees (500 yen/person total)
- Food and drinks
- Osaka port area pickup and drop off adds 2,500 yen each way. Shin-Osaka adds 1,000 yen each way.
- Child seat: 1,000 yen payable on day of tour.
Additional Information
Osaka, a vibrant metropolis brimming with city-life attractions, also has a more tranquil facet. This excursion whisks you away from your hotel in a premium, private vehicle, visiting acclaimed temples, a historic amusement district, parks, and the renowned ‘kofun’ tombs based in Osaka and southwards to Sakai City. An articulate English-speaking driver/guide, either native or of equivalent proficiency, ensures an entertaining, yet intellectually enriching and comprehensive experience that’s easy to grasp.
Feel free to discuss potential alterations to the tour since it’s private! Be aware, though, that any modifications may carry extra costs subject to your request.
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Please note that the Japanese gardens at Daisen Park are closed on Mondays (unless Monday is a holiday, in which case they are closed on Tuesday). If Daisen Park’s Japanese Garden is closed on the day of your tour, you can spend time shopping, touring other locations by car, or something else to your liking.
- Gratuities are uncommon in Japan, however if you really enjoyed your time and want to show your guide how much you appreciate them, they’ll be extremely happy!
- According to Japanese law, children under 6 years old or less than 140cm MUST use car seats. Be sure to request one in advance from us if required.
- Enjoy all the exciting stops described above and more on this private vehicle tour! The plan described is a model course, and there is the possibility for change based on our guests’ interests. Timing and external factors (such as traffic conditions) may force deviations from this model course.
Location
Osaka Castle
1-1 Osakajo,
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(18 Ratings)
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Lilnabeth_s
Dec 22, 2023
Excellent tour of Osaka, requests for specific destinations granted - Awesome private tour with specific requested destinations. We were in Osaka for a wedding (family with adult children, option not available in Viator) and requested some changes in the tour destinations, esp a bonsai school for my brother-in-law! Pleasant surprise to discover that this tour is also operated by Pinpoint Travels, with whom we booked another tour to Kyoto on another day (amazing guide Kevin, quick email responses from Kristy in their office)! Price of private tour with flexible schedule and patient and knowledgeable guide so worth it with fam who wanted to take pics at every turn!
Review provided by Viator
I8933avwaltert
Dec 2, 2023
Temples and Shrines, Peace and Serenity , Osaka - We had a wonderful day with Lito our guide. Lito very accommodating to make sure that we saw the best of Osaka in the day we had with him. We had lots of laughs and nothing was to much trouble. The Tour was a delight as he took us to the less visited temples and shrines so the crowds were not prevalent which was very pleasing, the peace and serenity of the temples and shrines really stood out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hongjun_z
Jun 28, 2023
Very personalized and enjoyable day trip - We had a great time with our guide Levy. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. He was also very flexible and adjusted our itinerary based on what we visited and wanted to see. We enjoyed the tea ceremony and the visit to the fish market. Overall, we had a wonderful time. And our sushi lunch was one of the highlights of our entire trip for my son. Thank you for a great tour!
Review provided by Viator
Seema_k
Apr 27, 2023
Levy is an amazing guide - Levy is an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable and is open to suggestions. We had a fabulous time. He went the extra mile to give us great customer service.
Review provided by Viator
Katherine_d
Mar 13, 2023
Pin Point Traveler is the way to go! - I cannot recommend Pin Point Traveler highly enough! They were amazing! The guides were excellent, Kevin (owner) provided great communication and accommodations, the vehicle was clean... it was great! This is the company you want to book with! My husband and two teenagers had a GREAT Time! THANK YOU!
Review provided by Viator
Irma_b
Mar 7, 2023
Osaka highlights - A fun day with a knowledgeable and delightful guide. Kevin packed in a full agenda yet allowed us to set our pace. Much more than what we could have accomplished in one day in Osaka.
Review provided by Viator
Joan_p
Jan 4, 2023
Awesome! Highly recommended! - The tour made our Osaka trip fun and memorable. Kevin gave us the tour himself. We couldn’t ask for a better guide to the city because he was friendly, accommodating and open with his experiences living in the city. We appreciate how he showed us the best parts of Osaka but in a local perspective. He also gave us access to the most beautiful areas that most tourists are not aware of. We learned so much about the culture, history and the people of the areas we explored. The food was also fantastic! One thing we really loved about the tour was the flexibility we had with time. Kevin allowed us to take all the time we needed for photos, so we never felt rushed or stressed. He was very engaging with us and constantly asked us what we liked so that he could cater to our preferences. Our conversations with him were also very interesting. There was no boring moment and we liked how he was so relatable and approachable. The private-car tour was the best decision we made, especially for those of us who were experiencing Osaka for the first time. Thank you so much for wonderful experience! It is something we highly recommend👍
Review provided by Viator
Lightpacker789776
Mar 11, 2020
Private Tour of Osaka - The tour was great as was Kevin. It rained a lot and a few places closed due to Coronavirus but we still had a full day of fun. Kevin is very knowledgeable about the history and culture. I highly recommend the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charlar_b
Mar 3, 2020
Extremely Professional, knowledgeable and Engaging - It was my 50th Birthday celebration. Levy ensured the trip was memorable and gifted a cake at the end
Review provided by Viator
Nomadtraveller1
Jun 30, 2023
Cancelled the day before without any notice!!!!!! - We were supposed to do this full day tour on our last day in Osaka. We were looking forward to it. 24 hrs before the tour that we planned months ago we receive an email that the tour was cancelled without zero explanation. Totally unacceptable!!!! We traveled all this way from the US and to have a tout cancelled without any notice is disgraceful. It was also nearly impossible to book something else on such short notice. We had to settle for some half day walking tour on public transportation when we wanted a private vehicle. I have used Viator in multiple countries and never had a problem. This time I’m disgusted and they should have found us a suitable replacement. Very poor customer service. Totally ruined a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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