• Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine - Experience a unique glimpse into Japan’s heritage, typically inaccessible to regular tourists, after the tour. This brief excursion offers an exceptional and valuable way to explore Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine!

Discover new insights with us, as Fushimi Inari Shrine is much more than its renowned tunnels of vermillion-red torii gates. While many are content with its scenic beauty, the shrine holds numerous stories that connect visitors to Japan’s history and culture, which the guide will delve into. Learn about the intriguing origin of the shrine dedicated to the god of grains, “Inari.” This is why fox statues, known as “Kitsune,” are present around the shrine, serving as Inari’s messengers. These clever creatures are seen as ideal guides in the challenging business world, and you might find yourself wanting them on your side after the tour.

• Nijo Castle - Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was constructed in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867).

• Gion - Navigating the narrow alleyways of Kyoto’s Geisha District—Gion can be intimidating for first-time visitors. A guided tour eliminates the worry of getting lost and is a fantastic way to uncover hidden gems cherished by locals and learn about Kyoto’s ancient history. Highlights include insights into Geisha culture and rituals, and visits to Gion, Pontocho, and Miyagawacho.

• Nishiki Market Shopping District - Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki Ichiba) is a narrow, five-block-long shopping street lined with over a hundred shops and restaurants. Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” this vibrant market specializes in all things food-related, such as fresh seafood, produce, knives, and cookware. It’s an excellent place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, including Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood, and sushi.

Nishiki Market offers a lively yet welcoming atmosphere for those eager to explore 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. Almost everything sold is locally produced and sourced.

• Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Explore one of Kyoto’s most popular temples—Kiyomizu-dera Temple with a comprehensive 1-hour guided tour. Touring the temple grounds with a guide allows for a deeper understanding of Japan’s history and culture while admiring the magnificent architecture. Enjoy commentary from an English-speaking guide who ensures no important features are missed.

• 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 from Kyoto 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. This narrow alley runs from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of the Kamogawa River. The alley is lined with restaurants on both sides, offering a wide range of dining options from affordable yakitori to traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine, foreign cuisine, and exclusive establishments requiring the right connections and a generous budget.

Business hours and closing days of the restaurants, bars, and shops along Pontocho vary by establishment, but most are open from around 17:00 to 23:00. Some also open for lunch. An increasing number of places offer English menus.

• Higashiyama Ward - The Higashiyama District (東山) along the lower slopes of Kyoto’s eastern mountains is one of the city’s best-preserved historic districts. It is an excellent place to experience traditional old Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine, where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings, and traditional merchant shops evoke the feeling of the old capital city. Recent renovations to remove telephone poles and repave the streets have further enhanced the district’s traditional charm.

• Ginkakuji Temple - Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today’s temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather’s retirement villa at the base of Kyoto’s northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa’s death in 1490.

As the retirement villa of an art-obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture, contrasting with the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather’s era. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained confined to Kyoto’s aristocratic circles, the Higashiyama Culture had a widespread impact across the country. The arts developed and refined during this time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design, and architecture.

• Nanzenji Suirokaku - Nanzenji Temple (南禅寺), with its expansive grounds located at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of Japan’s most significant Zen temples. It serves as the head temple of one of the schools within the Rinzai sect of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, making the already large complex even more extensive.

Nanzenji’s history dates back to the mid-13th century when Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple’s current location, later converting it into a Zen temple. After its founding, Nanzenji grew steadily, but its buildings were all destroyed during the civil wars of the late Muromachi Period (1333-1573). The oldest of the current buildings was constructed after that period.

• Tofuku-ji Temple - Tofukuji (東福寺, Tōfukuji) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto, renowned for its stunning autumn colors. The temple was founded in 1236 at the request of the powerful Fujiwara clan. Its name combines the names of two great temples in Nara, also associated with the Fujiwara, Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple. Tofukuji has historically been one of Kyoto’s principal Zen temples and is a head temple of one of the schools of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.

In autumn, visitors from all over Japan come to see Tofukuji’s autumn colors. The most popular view is from the Tsutenkyo Bridge, which spans a valley of lush maple trees. The view from the bridge is equally spectacular, and the 100-meter-long covered walkway becomes extremely crowded when the colors reach their peak, usually around mid to late November.

• Toji - Toji Temple (東寺, Tōji), meaning “East Temple,” was founded at the start of the Heian Period just after the capital moved to Kyoto in the late 700s. The large temple, along with its now-defunct sister temple Saiji (“West Temple”), flanked the south entrance to the city and served as the capital’s guardian temples. Toji Temple is one of Kyoto’s many UNESCO World Heritage sites.

About thirty years after the temple’s establishment, Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, was appointed head priest of Toji, and the temple became one of the most important Shingon temples besides the sect’s headquarters on Mount Koya. Kobo Daishi also added many of the large wooden buildings that stand on the grounds today.

• Kinkakuji Temple - Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, with its top two floors entirely covered in gold leaf. Officially known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will, 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, on the opposite side of the city a few decades later.

Kinkakuji is an impressive structure overlooking a large pond and is the only building remaining from Yoshimitsu’s former retirement complex. It has burned down several times throughout its history, including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that devastated much of Kyoto, and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955.

• Ninna-ji Temple - Ninnaji (仁和寺) is one of Kyoto’s many great temples listed as World Heritage Sites. It is the head temple of the Omuro School of the Shingon sect of Buddhism and was founded in 888 by the reigning emperor. For many centuries, a member of the Imperial Family served as Ninnaji’s head priest, and the temple was also known as Omuro Imperial Palace.

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

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

Shugakuin’s name originates from a former temple built on the same site in the tenth century. The Imperial Villa was constructed between 1655 and 1659, with a palace for Gomizuno’s daughter added ten years later. More recently, in 1964, the surrounding farmlands were acquired by the Imperial Household Agency. They are leased to local farmers who continue to cultivate the fields.

• Kibune River - Kibune (貴船) is a small town in a forested valley in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, which developed around Kifune Shrine. According to legend, a goddess traveled in a boat from Osaka up the river into the mountains north of Kyoto, and Kifune Shrine was built at the site where her boat journey ended.

Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain and is believed to protect those at sea. Here, visitors can obtain a unique type of fortune written on paper slips (omikuji) that reveal their messages when dipped into water. Okunomiya, the inner sanctum and original site of Kifune Shrine, lies about one kilometer further up the valley. It features a large rock, known as the boat stone, said to be where the goddess’ yellow boat is buried.

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

Outdoor and indoor baths can be enjoyed at Kurama Onsen, a ryokan located at the upper end of the town of Kurama. It can be reached in a 10-minute walk from the train station along the town’s only road or along a nature trail following the river. Staying guests can use the baths for free, while day-trippers pay 2500 yen to use all of the baths or 1000 yen for just 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, the site was converted into a Zen temple in 1450 and belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, whose head temple is just a kilometer to the south.

The history of Ryoanji’s famous rock garden is less certain. The garden’s construction date is unknown, and there are various speculations about its designer. The garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by low earthen walls, with 15 rocks arranged in small groups on patches of moss. An intriguing feature of the garden’s design is that from any vantage point, at least one of the rocks is always hidden from view.

• Arashiyama - Arashiyama (嵐山) is a charming, tourist-friendly district in the western outskirts of Kyoto. The area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles enjoyed its natural setting. Arashiyama is particularly popular during the cherry blossom and fall color seasons.

The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama’s well-known central landmark. Many small shops, restaurants, and other attractions are nearby, including Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves, and pleasure boats available for rent on the river.

• Katsura Imperial Villa - Katsura Imperial Villa (桂離宮, Katsura Rikyū) is one of the finest examples of Japanese architecture and garden design. The villa and garden in their present form were completed in 1645 as the residence for the Katsura Family, members of Japan’s Imperial Family.

Visiting Katsura Imperial Villa requires joining a tour. The tour follows the garden’s circular walking trail around the central pond. Palace buildings can be viewed only from the outside, and photography is allowed only from designated spots. Tours in English are available.

• Daikaku-ji Temple - Daikakuji (大覚寺) is a large temple in the northern part of Kyoto’s Sagano district. It was originally built in the early 800s as the detached palace of Emperor Saga, who enjoyed spending time in this tranquil area on the outskirts of Kyoto. Thirty years after the emperor’s death, the palace was converted into a temple and has since been one of the highest-ranked temples of Shingon Buddhism.

Daikakuji has played a role in several significant historical events. A succession of retired emperors reigned from here, and in the 12th century, the temple hosted peace talks that reunited the Northern and Southern Imperial Courts after 50 years of civil war. Daikakuji is also featured in the Tale of Genji, the first novel in Japanese literature. Today, the temple is one of the best places to still feel the ancient court atmosphere described in the novel 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. It was ranked first among the city’s five great Zen temples and is now registered as a World Heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. The two important historic figures were once allies until Takauji turned against the emperor in a struggle for supremacy over Japan. By building the temple, Takauji intended to appease the former emperor’s spirits.

• Yoshimine-dera - Yoshiminedera (吉峰寺) is a temple of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism located in Kyoto’s western mountains. Similar to Kiyomizudera on the opposite side of town, Yoshiminedera is built along the mountainside and overlooks Kyoto. The temple grounds are spacious, with many buildings distributed up the mountainside.

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

• Kennin-ji Temple - Kenninji Temple (建仁寺) is located very close to the bustle of Hanamikoji and Shijo streets. The grounds of Kenninji Temple are expansive and pleasant to walk, and the two karesansui (dry landscape gardens) here offer visitors an oasis of tranquility. It is considered the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

• Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple - A ten-minute walk north of the similarly named Adashino Nenbutsuji, the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple is famous for its 1200 stone statues of rakan, devoted followers of Buddhism, each with a unique facial expression. Created relatively recently in the 1980s and early 1990s, the many statues stand across the temple grounds, which cover part of a forested mountain slope.

• Byodo-In Temple - Byodoin Temple is a striking example of Buddhist Pure Land (Jodo) architecture. Together with its garden, the temple represents the Pure Land Paradise and was influential on later temple construction. Byodoin was initially built in 998 as a countryside retreat villa for the powerful politician Fujiwara no Michinaga, not as a temple.

• Private vehicle
• Customizable Walking Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

• Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Kyoto keeps traditional arts and beauty alive, but the busses and subways can be confusing and provide challenges for those with walking limitations. At Japan Guide Agency, we want everyone to experience Kyoto so we are happy to provide this customizable, private guided tour with a vehicle!

Join us on a tour of Kyoto to see Kiyomizu Temple as it towers over the historical Gion district, famous for its rich history of geisha. The bamboo forest of Sagano and the gardens, shrines and temples in Kyoto will provide you with a window into old Japan.

Once your reservation is made, a guide will contact you to plan your personalized tour. Choose 4 to 5 spots from ‘Tour Details’ to visit. Whether you are a history buff, love Japanese architecture, or just want to enjoy a green tea parfait, Kyoto has something for you!

Maximum 7 participants per tour. If you have a child or children in your group, please let us know the number and their age.

• There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

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