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Private Car Tour of Osaka's Hidden Gems: Exploring Kyoto and Nara's Most Atmospheric Temples
4.9
14 Ratings
Mino
Embark on a private car tour of Osaka’s hidden gems, exploring the most atmospheric temples in Kyoto and Nara. Discover magical temples, unique shrines, and immerse yourself in the spiritual world with a local expert. Book now for an unforgettable day in Japan!
Embark on a private car tour of Osaka’s hidden gems, exploring the most atmospheric temples in Kyoto and Nara. Discover magical temples, unique shrines, and immerse yourself in the spiritual world with a local expert. Book now for an unforgettable day in Japan!
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Katsuo-ji Temple - Nestled in the mountains between Osaka and Kyoto, this temple is a popular Instagram spot, renowned for its stunning scenery created by thousands of Japanese Daruma dolls scattered throughout the temple!
- Mitsushima Shrine - Immerse yourself in the essence of Shintoism, which venerates nature and has helped preserve Japan’s…
- Katsuo-ji Temple - Nestled in the mountains between Osaka and Kyoto, this temple is a popular Instagram spot, renowned for its stunning scenery created by thousands of Japanese Daruma dolls scattered throughout the temple!
- Mitsushima Shrine - Immerse yourself in the essence of Shintoism, which venerates nature and has helped preserve Japan’s pristine natural beauty since ancient times. Mitsushima Shrine is a quaint local shrine situated in Kadoma City, a suburb of urban Osaka. Although not widely known outside of Kadoma City, visitors will be awestruck by the shrine’s majestic guardian, one of Japan’s largest camphor trees, revered for over a thousand years. The tree boasts a circumference of approximately 13 meters and a height of 25 meters. It is recognized as a National Natural Monument of Japan.
- Hozan-ji Temple - Located midway up the slopes of Mount Ikoma in Nara Prefecture, the enchanting temple complex of Hozan-ji is enveloped in incense smoke and mystery. Dedicated to Kangiten, a Buddhist deity of joy and prosperity, it attracts those seeking success and fortune in business. Despite its easy accessibility from Osaka and Nara cities, Hozan-ji Temple remains a hidden gem, maintaining a serene atmosphere even during peak holiday seasons. This allows visitors to leisurely explore the temple’s many small nooks and fascinating features.
- Shingisan Chogosonshiji Temple - Concluding the tour is the mountaintop area of Mt. Shigi. These secluded temples and shrines become enchanting and nostalgic at night. The pathways are charmingly illuminated by stone lanterns. Be sure to visit the vibrant autumn garden. Visitors can also ascend to the sacred mountaintop in 15-20 minutes by walking through the numerous shrine gates in the dark, reminiscent of ancient monks or ninjas in training.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Parking fees
- Private transportation
- Parking fees
What's Not Included
- Entry fees
- Entry fees
Additional Information
The most off-the-beaten and atmospheric temples of the Kyoto/Osaka area are here!!
This private guided car tour takes you to magical temples and super-unique shrines in a comfortable car
A great temple with thousands of Japanese traditional dolls sitting literally everywhere, a shrine worshiping an enormous 1000-year-old camphor tree in an industrial…
The most off-the-beaten and atmospheric temples of the Kyoto/Osaka area are here!!
This private guided car tour takes you to magical temples and super-unique shrines in a comfortable car
A great temple with thousands of Japanese traditional dolls sitting literally everywhere, a shrine worshiping an enormous 1000-year-old camphor tree in an industrial area, and nostalgic paths of temples lit by countless lanterns at night
The local expert drives you to the spiritual world with his wide and deep knowledge of Buddhism and Japanese culture
Book this tour and you are promised to have an unforgettable day in Japan!
- There are walks and some stairs to some temples
- Some of the itinerary may change by the season or other circumstances
Location
Katsuo-ji Temple
Aomadani,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(14 Ratings)
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Marco442
Nov 28, 2025
Amazing sites with amazing sights! - This was an amazing tour that went to some incredible places. Daiki-さん has truly discovered some really cool treasures.
The first site was popular with tourists and locals but still really great! And so out of the way we would never have made it there on our own.
The other places were truly hidden treasures! We were the only people at these other places - great god trees, temples and shrines, glowing lanterns, ancient bells and clear water pools for purification.
And Daiki- さん is also a treasure! Do knowledgeable and willing to share what he knows, so considerate and kind, so flexible. He was an amazing guide and host, and enjoyed each trip as much as we did! We will definitely take other tours with him when we are back in Osaka.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alfonso_f
Oct 22, 2025
Great experience - This was a great experience. The temples were beautiful and the night tours were fantastic. Thanks Daiki for all the great detail and information sessions.
Review provided by Viator
Paolabm2399nq
Sep 6, 2025
Amazing and authentic - Best tour guide I have ever had. He had tons of historical information but also answers all my questions about the Japanese culture in general. I liked that he was quick and effective in every spot because we got to see a lot in a limited amount of time. Both of the tours we did with him were special and insightful. We are a family of four we fit comfortably in his van and our luggage fit seamlessly. I highly recommend this tour provider.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
363gerrik
Mar 22, 2025
Highlights of Kyoto - Daiki was an amazing tour guide. He shared a lot of knowledge about Japanese history and culture. Things you can't find in books. We went to the best places in Kyoto, and I was thankful he was an excellent driver. The streets are very narrow and the traffic was overwhelming. He even found some cherry and plum trees blooming early so we felt like we got the full experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shireend25
Mar 3, 2025
The best tour of our Japan trip ! - Highly recommend! This was our favourite tour over our 2 week trip to Japan. Daiki was our guide and it was seamless from the moment I booked. Communication was easy via phone and Daiki catered to our needs for the entire trip, stopping to get treats and food along the way. The kids loved having Daiki as our tour guide and private van. Daiki was very knowledgeable and friendly. The places we visited were amazing and something we wouldn’t have done easily on our own especially visiting the temples/ shrines around dusk. It was incredibly beautiful. I would recommend this tour to any and all travelers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rita_l
Sep 15, 2024
Great! - Daiki is a very great guide. He is really funny and take you cool places. A different way of traveling tk Osaka and its surrounding.
Review provided by Viator
Gill_c
May 21, 2024
Excellent - We have never been to Japan before so booked this tour to getbaround t9 some of the hidden gems as the tour suggests.
We were not disappointed this was a highlight of our trip . We were able to leisurely get to places that were literally hidden gems and that were not over crowded and we were able to get some beautiful photos.
Our guide was Daiki he was so knowledgeable and we had some good conversations around Japan or country and the old and new.
I would recommend this tour if you really do want to get the unique and hidden gem Japan .
Thankyou Daiki we had a great time . If you are ever in Southwet England then please do give us a shout and ee can take you around for the day
Review provided by Viator
Feliciacucuta
Jan 11, 2024
Beautiful trip exploring temples and shrines - This tour was absolutely fabulous! Breathtaking views, beautiful temples and shrines that sometimes, in the evening, you get to explore almost on your own, without the masses of other tourists. Daiki is a brilliant tour guide: very kind and generous, funny and knowledgeable, he did a wonderful job explaining the background of the spots we visited and so much more. I loved his passion for the places we visited, his patience and easygoing attitude. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Kafe2021
Nov 24, 2023
Unique Shrines/Temples of Osaka & Kyoto Tour. - Great experience my husband and son loved the tour. The host was great, and conveniently dropped them at train station after tour for the bullet train back to Toyko. Awesome time had in Osaka & Kyoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Petrice_s
Jan 4, 2026
A worthwhile tour - Our tour guide was very friendly, entertaining and informative. We had a great afternoon of sightseeing in a relaxing environment. It was great to get out of the city and see other points of interest including the bamboo forest, nature walks to hidden shrines and the lantern temple. We ended the evening at a shrine with uninterrupted views of Osaka - amazing! An added bonus was the hotel pick-up and drop-off for the tour making things very easy for our group.
Review provided by Viator
