Japan Highlights: Arashiyama to Fushimi Inari

Explore Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, and Nara on a guided bus tour from Osaka/Kyoto. Enjoy traditional meals, stunning temples, and friendly deer encounters.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Arashiyama - Begin your journey with a visit to the enchanting Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, one of Japan’s most stunning natural wonders. Walking among the towering bamboo stalks feels like stepping into another realm. The gentle sway of the bamboo and the tranquil ambiance provide a peaceful retreat, making it a truly memorable experience. Don’t…
What's Included
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • English or Chinese Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fee to Todaiji temple (Optional)
  • Hotel Pick up / Drop off
  • Lunch (Optional)
Additional Information

Embark on an adventure from either Osaka or Kyoto to explore Japan’s most renowned attractions: Arashiyama, Nara Park, and Fushimi Inari Taisha.
Begin your exploration at the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, where sunlight streams through the towering bamboo, creating an enchanting ambiance.
Savor a delightful meal at Kyoto Wasabi Restaurant, with options like…

Location
VIP Villa Namba
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.4
(94 Ratings)
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Hedi_sorgeloos
Jan 16, 2026
Thank you, Nick! - I usually avoid guided tours, but this one completely changed my mind, largely thanks to Nick. His explanations added real depth to the day, especially at Todai-ji Temple in Nara, where his storytelling and historical context made the visit genuinely memorable. It was a very busy, tourist heavy day, but Nick knew exactly how to steer us towards quieter corners and lesser known spots, which made a huge difference. The itinerary was packed in the best possible way: Nara and its deer, Todai-ji Temple, Fushimi Inari, the Golden Pavilion, and the Arashiyama bamboo grove. The bus ride was comfortable and relaxed, and the shabu-shabu lunch was surprisingly good. We saw and did an incredible amount in one day without it ever feeling rushed. The absolute highlight for me was Todai-ji Temple, closely followed by Nick’s humor, which kept the whole group engaged and smiling throughout the day. An excellent tour and a genuinely great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephen_p
Jan 6, 2026
Great way to see the... - Great way to see the major sights. Bus trip was very comfortable and the guide was very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Stephaniekg5794ji
Jan 5, 2026
Great tour. - The tour was a lot of fun. The bus ride was comfortable and the places we stopped at were very interesting. Our host Eric gave great background history on each stop. We did not do the lunch option, and instead found a cute place to eat in town. Would recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rose
Dec 31, 2025
Awesome Kyoto/Nara Day Trip. Thank you Nick! - Nick our tour guide was great! His friendly nature and sense of humor made our Kyoto/ Nara Day Tour fun. He was very engaging and knowledgeable about local history, culture, and current events. Best tour guide we had in Japan, highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
763bered
Dec 26, 2025
Unforgettable, highly recommend it 👌 - The whole itenerario was fantastic, the gia Mike was excellent. You can eat on the bus except ice cream. The lunch very rich and very efficient, just enter the restaurants are already waiting for you with lunch so you only start eating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A
Dec 22, 2025
Unforgettable trip - This is our first trip to Japan. Osaka was the first city we visited. This trip took a day and it was well planned and we visited many places in one day, but not overwhelmed. Our tour guide, Nick, has a great personality and took care of every tour member well. The lunch is over our expectations, which was the best lunch we had while joining a day tour. The members were from many countries and mixed well together. We decided to join the next trip with Nick after the end of the day trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannab638
Dec 20, 2025
A great tour that hits all the best spots to visit - We had a great time and visited all the 3 places we wanted to visit so the choice of the program was spot on. Nick our tour guide was super fun and helpful and also mindful of a long tour and its impact on customers. So he offered many options including a talking tour but also a choice for people to break out on their own for quiet and private time. I would gladly book this again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber15206489877
Dec 15, 2025
Tour experience, the best Guide - Great trip, very informative and enjoyable, definitely worth it, the price is nothing compared to the value you get, I don't normally write reviews but the trip was great and the guide was amazing, he would help every person in the tour get guidance and suggestions to get the most of your time in Japan and have a great sense of humor, I definitely recommend! The guide's name is Nick- san
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Candice_c
Dec 29, 2025
Kyoto and Nara Full Day Tour - Very bad service received from VIP Japan Tours. Our tour guide was very unprofessional and unwilling to assist us. He had not contacted us to find out how far we were from the pick up point and had left us behind. There was also no way of reaching out to him for assistance as he had not left a contact number to reach him. When we finally got a hold off him he did not answer our call. Could also not get a hold of anyone at VIP Japan Tours for assistance as well. When we requested a refund for the tour they had refused our request. Please avoid booking with this terrible company. They leave you stranded in a foreign country and are not even apologetic.
Review provided by Viator
Louise_d
Dec 8, 2025
Pushy tour guide and worst lunch ever - This tour was way below expectations! Upon entering the bus, the bus turned out to smell like garlic. Cause the tour guide had a strong breath of garlic and politely refused the offered peppermint. We were too polite to point out his breathing stench. The description of the lunch did not meet expectations. We visited all the locations but lunch would be in a 120 year old traditional Japanese mansion. That wasn't true. It was a prefab snack bar where we got shabu shabu beef that looked like offal. This is unworthy of Japan and I wouldn't feed my dog yet. We took pictures of it but unfortunately could not include them in this review. 80% of meat was fat. On our comments about the quality qe were laughed at by the guide. This was normal for this kind of beef, but we know better. So book without lunch!! The tour guide was intrusive to several fellow passengers and encouraged them to buy in his cousin's shop which was a lot more expensive than other shops. This tour guide missed the connection with the group. The locations were nice to visit but at the last location we arrived in the dark which made the experience less good.
Review provided by Viator
From $64
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).