Tokyo to Kyoto and Nara Tour

Embark on a day trip from Tokyo to Kyoto and Nara, where you’ll explore historic temples, the enchanting Geisha district, and encounter friendly deer in a park. Customize your itinerary and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Nara Park - Enjoy a leisurely walk through Nara Deer Park, a serene haven where you can interact with Japan’s beloved deer. As you wander through the lush, expansive park, friendly deer roam freely, adding a unique charm to your experience. These gentle animals, considered sacred in Japanese culture, are accustomed to visitors and will approach…
What's Included
  • Guiding services and tour management
  • Transportation arrangement
What's Not Included
  • Transportation (cash): up to 5 travelers:Â¥100,000,more than 5: let me know
  • Guide cost for Tokyo Pick up: Â¥60,000 (In case of Tokyo station pick up,cash to the guide).
  • Bullet train cost (from Tokyo to Kyoto and back): Depending on the ticket type you choose.
  • Lunch
  • Entrance fee to Todaiji temple and Kinkakoji temple
  • Gratuities are always…
Additional Information

The tour itinerary is designed for a 9-hour car or van hire (payment to the driver): 5 passengers: ¥110,000, 7 passengers: ¥140,000. For groups larger than 7, please inform in advance.
In a single day from Tokyo, visitors can explore the renowned temples and shrines in Kyoto, as well as Nara’s deer park and the Todaiji Temple.
**Itinerary…

Location
Tokyo
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
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Johanna_s
Apr 27, 2025
A day in Kyoto with Moto - This is a great tour for hitting the major points in Kyoto, especially if you only have a day! We were expertly guided by Moto, who had an excellent understanding of the history and culture. Moto was great with our 5 year old daughter, and found her THE souvenir of the trip in Nara. He answered questions all day, listened to our interests, and made additional stops not on the schedule based on those interests. My husband was talking about how he was interested in cars so Moto found a showroom full of vintage Toyotas that had been restored. He found us a wonderful sushi place for lunch after making sure he was aware of allergies (my husband has a wheat allergy) and helped us order. He asked questions about kinds of things I was looking for in shops, and then went with me into the shops to help me purchase. He was just really amazing and we learned so much about Shintoism, Buddhism, and the reasons different shrines have different colors and themes. He was great with questions about the history of Japan as well, and we all learned a lot about the shoguns, the emperors, and the history of lineage in those families. We went to three main spots- the Golden Temple, Nara and the Todjai Temple (with the world’s largest Buddha), and Fushimi Inari. Moto took the time to explain the historical context, point out things off the beaten path, and tell us legends in Japanese history. He gave us very good tips about feeding the deer in Nara (deer crackers can make the deer lose their mods and it’s every deer for themselves at that point 🤣🤣) and made sure our daughter was having a great time as well. Five year olds are not the easiest to win over and he was mindful of her moods, helped her pet the deer, and found her a headband with moving deer ears and sunglasses that she hasn’t taken off yet. This is a great tour for someone with limited time, as we came from Tokyo on the Shinkansen and went back that same night. It’s a long day, but honestly worth it if you have the time and inclination. If you take this tour staying in Kyoto, it’s a great way to see some of the highlights and get out to Nara in a comfortable environment. Being from the United States, our Japanese is very limited and having Mito with us to translate and assist was instrumental to removing the stress from the day. I would recommend you have additional cash with you as lots of the shrines are cash only. You’re going to get some amazing local food, but they may be cash only as well. Absolutely worth it, as the food is amazing everywhere and so fresh. Overall this was our favorite tour of our trip!
Review provided by Viator
Ashish_p
Feb 22, 2025
We had an amazing... - We had an amazing experience. Along with the amazing sites, we learned a lot about history of Japan. Ahmed also took great pictures.
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Lucia_r
Jan 31, 2025
Tour in Kyoto for one day - It was a very nice and interesting experience in Kyoto for a day. Our guide Ahmed Abu Tayeh was very helpful during the whole tour as he knew a lot about the history, culture and tradition of the places we visited, we lived an experience that we will definitely remember forever. Thank you Ahmed for helping us to live an unforgettable experience in Kyoto.
Review provided by Viator
R_peskin
Jan 29, 2025
Full day Kyoto tour - Our tour guide Ahmed was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto and the surrounding area. Including the religious and cultural history. He was punctual, well organized and was great with our kids. The tour was well planned for the time allotted and having the car service made for a comfortable adventure around Kyoto. Making the trip from Tokyo to Kyoto was well worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mauricio_g
Sep 28, 2024
Great experince to book! - Awesome experince super friendly guide and driver! Car super sharp and clean. kento the guide was very nice and the tour lasted as expected. He is fully english bilingual
Review provided by Viator
Mark_t
Jun 29, 2024
Fantastic and highly recommended - Ahmed was a great, very accommodating and knowledgeable guide. He was flexible of our needs, was a great story teller and helped us navigate the city to and from Tokyo- I would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Rick_m
Jun 13, 2024
Kyoto day tour - Bamboo forest at Arashiyama Park was beautiful and Ahmed did a great job, very inciteful and knowledgeable, great to talk to!
Review provided by Viator
Quenie_p
Apr 18, 2024
We received exceptional - it made the experience so special! - Hi, it was great experience for me & my family! It was short but the itinerary was I believe what best we could do with the limited time we have. Midori-san was so warm, helpful and very attentive. Very knowledgeable with the history of the places we went to! She even went above and beyond and helped us upgrade our shinkansen tickets to reserved bec we were likely going to stand if we kept the non reserved tickets.
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Laura_m
Apr 16, 2024
The Todai-Ji Temple was... - The Todai-Ji Temple was definitely worth the ride to Nara. My guide, Yuji Hino, even explained where the pathway stones came from & why there were arranged the way they were. There is so much symbolism in Japan and I would have missed that. Most signs inside this temple had an English translation, but most of what we saw elsewhere did not. An English speaking guide really enhanced my experience.
Review provided by Viator
Djungst651
Mar 19, 2024
Great time in Kyoto - Amazing temples and shrines. Our guide was very accommodating as our train schedule was delayed. He was knowledgeable and friendly.
Review provided by Viator
From $490 (Per Group)
up to 10 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).