Best of Kyoto Tour

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, a famous bamboo forest, and iconic temples await on this best of Kyoto tour with tickets. Explore the city's most emblematic sites and discover its rich history with an English-speaking guide.

Best of Kyoto Tour

We'll meet at the Keihan Kyoto Hotel to begin our tour. We'll hop on a bus to the famous bamboo forest of Arashiyama, where, thanks to the early access ticket, you'll have the chance to walk along its trails before other visitors arrive. As you walk along its paths, you'll feel the peace and harmony that this forest offers, especially if the wind causes the bamboo to sway gently.

Next, we'll visit Kinkaku-ji, the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion," one of the most impressive temples in Japan for its golden structure and its reflection in the lake. Our next stop will be at Nij? Castle. As we visit the different tatami rooms, we'll tell you about the shogunate, the military government that was established in the Middle Ages, with this castle serving as its main power center.

Our tour will continue toward the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of the most iconic sites in Kyoto. We'll go on a guided tour of this temple, where you'll enjoy spectacular scenic views of the city from its wooden terrace. Afterwards, you'll be able to grab some lunch in the temple area. We'll then continue toward the Fushimi Inari-taisha, a shrine known for the thousands of red torii (traditional Japanese gates) that make tunnels throughout the mountain. Strolling under these arches will be an unforgettable experience and, without a doubt, the perfect way to wrap up our best of Kyoto tour.

Finally, we'll say our goodbyes at this last spot, where we'll conclude this 10-hour and 45-minute tour. Here, we'll tell you how to return to the Kyoto Station.

How does it work?

You will begin the day with a meetup at the Keihan Kyoto Hotel, after which we’ll board a bus to our first destination, the bamboo forest of Arashiyama. Your early access ticket allows you to enjoy a peaceful walk before crowds arrive. Next, our visit to Kinkaku-ji, Nij? Castle, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple will feature insightful commentary from our guide about the history and significance of each location.

The tour also includes lunch after the Kiyomizu-dera visit. You’ll have time to relax before we proceed to the Fushimi Inari-taisha. Here, you can walk beneath the iconic red torii gates, culminating your experience of Kyoto. The tour wraps up back at the last destination, where we provide return information to Kyoto Station.

Included / Not Included

• Included:
  • Transport by bus
  • Tickets to Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and Nij? Castle (if selected)
  • English-speaking guide
• Not Included:
  • Meals (unless specified)
  • Tickets for Kinkaku-ji (500JPY per person), Kiyomizu-dera Temple (500JPY per person), and Nij? Castle (1000JPY per person) if you choose the tour without tickets

Tour Options

During the booking process, you can choose between different options:

• Tour without tickets: In this case, you'll need to pay the ticket prices for the Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and Nij? Castle.
• Tour with tickets: If you choose this option, you'll have tickets to the Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and Nij? Castle included.