From Kyoto / Osaka: Kyoto Must-see Spots & Nara Park One Day Tour
Description
Embark on a journey through time in Kyoto and Nara, where tradition blends harmoniously with modernity. In Nara Park, encounter the free-roaming deer that charmingly bow to you in hopes of a treat. Explore the magnificent torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, and visit the Arashiyama area, which includes the serene Bamboo Forest, Nonomiya Shrine, UNESCO World Heritage Site Tenryu-ji Temple, the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House and the beautiful Kimono Forest. Depart from Osaka or Kyoto, experience a magical fusion of nature and history with our friendly and professional guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Nara Park is one of the must-see areas in Nara City and is one of the oldest parks in Japan. The vast area covers 660 hectares and is renowned for its free-roaming deer and world-famous temples. These tame creatures are believed to be sacred messengers of the Shinto gods and walk freely in Nara. Over time, these cute deers have learned to bow to visitors-a sign for a treat. For over 1,300 years, humans and deer have peacefully coexisted in Nara. Today, they are protected as Natural Monuments, and revered as holy animals in Nara.
There are around 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine, to worship the Shinto god of rice, Inari. The shrine is renowned for Senbon Torii, thousands of vermilion red torii gates, which create a stunning and immersive tunnel-like pathway up the sacred Mount Inari. In the 1300 years since its establishment in 711AD, people have gathered here to pray for bountiful harvests, business prosperity, the safety of their home and family, and the fulfillment of all other wishes.
The bamboo forests of Arashiyama are a must-see when visiting Kyoto, serving as a symbol of the city. This stunning and serene natural attraction is known for its towering bamboo stalks and tranquil ambiance. Walking along the peaceful paths surrounded by lush greenery will help put your mind at ease. You can truly feel time slow down as you take in the beauty of nature. The groves are especially captivating when a light breeze dances through, causing the tall bamboo stalks to sway gently back and forth.
Nonomiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Arashiyama district on the west side of the city of Kyoto. Unlike most shrines that feature iconic vermilion torii gates, Nonomiya Shrine has a distinctive black torii gate known as a kuroki torii. Despite its small size, the shrine has a lengthy history, founded in antiquity as a purification shrine for imperial princesses who were appointed as priestesses for Ise Shrine. Nonomiya Shrine has a reputation for helping and interceding on behalf of women, and many parishioners are women who want to find love or wish for children and a safe childbirth. Many of the omamori on sale at the shrine reflect the theme of women’s happiness, and you can find a variety of amulets available at the shrine office.
The Kimono Forest is a distinctive textile art installation made up of 600 clear acrylic cylinders, each standing 2 meters tall. These pillars are adorned with vibrant kimono fabrics featuring a range of designs, from elegant floral patterns to geometric shapes and traditional Japanese symbols. The installation showcases 32 traditional Kyo-yuzen designs. The Kimono Forest is a must-see attraction that provides a unique and enchanting perspective on traditional Japanese textiles and craftsmanship.
Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a true gem of the Arashiyama district in Kyoto and is ranked as the top among the city's five great Zen temples. While visiting Tenryu-ji, be sure to experience the stunning Sogenchi Garden. Designed by the renowned Zen master Muso Soseki, this garden has maintained its timeless beauty over the years. The picturesque landscape features a central pond surrounded by rocks, pine trees, and the forested mountains of Arashiyama.
“Rilakkuma”means“Bear in a relaxed mood.” Rilakkuma is someone impossible to be hated by others. It’s a lovely place to wander around and the Rilakkuma cafe & shop blend in beautifully. You will be drawn into Rilakkuma’s world, where you’ll embrace a lazy and relaxed lifestyle while enjoying everything Rilakkuma does. The first floor features a variety of exclusive items related to Rilakkuma that can only be found in Japan. The second floor is a café that offers lunch, drinks, and snacks, accompanied by cute Rilakkuma character. There are also Rilakkuma plushies on the tables to take photos with.
The Togetsukyo Bridge is the most iconic landmark in Arashiyama. Originally built during the Heian Period (794-1185), it was reconstructed most recently in the 1930s. This famous bridge spans the Katsura River and provides picturesque views of the surrounding mountains and riverscape.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please indicate when booking if you're traveling with stroller or large luggage.
- Please inform us at least one day in advance if you have placed an order separately from your relatives or friends. This will help avoid the situation where you and your companions are assigned to different vehicles.
- Not recommended for travelers who use wheelchairs
Reviews(559)
This is definitely the way to go if you want to visit Nara Deer Park and Kyoto! Amy was our tour guide, and we absolutely loved her personality and how knowledgeable she was about Japanese culture and the history of each place we visited. She was incredibly kind, took wonderful family photos for us at Nara Park, and even wrote our names in Japanese as a special gift, which meant so much to us! The sights were absolutely beautiful, and it would have been difficult to see so many of them on our own in one day. The tour made everything easy and enjoyable. My kids kept saying how much fun they had, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We highly recommend this tour—and if you get Amy as your guide, you’re in for a wonderful experience!
Lee was a really organized and fun tour guide. It was a smooth tour and we enjoyed learning about all the sites. Thank you for a great experience!
The middle of July weather is brutal but we had an awesome tour guide Amy who went above and beyond to make sure the group was fully accommodated. From cold waters, to snacks to funny jokes ahead did an awesome job as our guide today and we really enjoyed all 3 sights we stopped at. Thanks again Amy!
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
The tour guide is very funny and takes very good photos!! Really fun day and good guidance and recommendations all day long will definitely recommend Lee!
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
Amazing tour! Everything was well organized and we saw alot of beautiful places during the trip. Our tour guide, Valerie, was an absolute gem, friendly and knowledgeable. She made the whole experience fun and enjoyable. Highly recommended, especially with Valerie;).
Tour is well organised, Valerie and her cute panda made my day. Meetng point locations as links were super helpful
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
What an amazing experience! Lee was an incredible tour guide—friendly, accommodating, and genuinely funny. He kept everyone entertained with his jokes throughout the tour, which made the ride so much more enjoyable. He went above and beyond by helping us with our kimono rentals and even took beautiful photos for everyone in the group, making sure we all had great memories to take home. If you’re thinking about booking this Kyoto tour, I highly recommend it. Thank you, Lee, for making our day in Kyoto so special! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
We had an amazing day on this tour and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Japan! The itinerary was excellent, covering Nara Deer Park, Arashiyama, and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. It was a great way to see so many iconic places in one day without having to worry about transport or planning everything ourselves. Nara Deer Park was such a fun and unique experience. Feeding the famous bowing deer was definitely one of the highlights of the day—they really do bow before you give them a deer cracker! Also, being able to interact with the deer up close was such a memorable experience and something we'll be talking about for a long time. Our guide, Valerie, was fantastic and really made the experience even more enjoyable. During the bus rides, she shared lots of interesting information about each destination, Japanese history, and local legends, which made the journey just as engaging as the sightseeing. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to answer questions. Everything was well organized, the timing at each stop was just right, and the whole day ran smoothly from start to finish. We came away with great memories and learned so much along the way. We'd absolutely recommend this tour to anyone looking to experience some of Japan's most beautiful and famous sights. And if you get Valerie as your guide, you'll be in great hands!
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
I highly recommend this experience. The programme is very well organised and allows you to discover some of the most beautiful places in Kyoto. What made the experience even more special was our guide, Amy, also known as “Happy Bunny.” I would give her 10 out of 5 stars if I could, because she truly exceeded all my expectations. She is an incredibly kind, friendly, and thoughtful person, and she explained everything clearly and in an interesting way. She also gave us snacks and souvenirs, which made the experience even more memorable. She paid attention to every small detail, from organising the seats on the bus to suggesting suitable options for different dietary requirements. Even though we were a fairly large group, she managed to take excellent care of everyone. I was travelling alone, but she made me feel very connected to the group. She is also an excellent photographer and genuinely cares about every participant. Thank you, Happy Bunny, for making everyone happy and for giving us such a wonderful experience!
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
My family and I really enjoyed this tour and felt it was the perfect way to see the sites we wanted to see without having to mess around with subways and buses! Our tour guide, Amy, was very funny, lovely, and accommodating. We appreciated her selflessness and dedication she puts into the tour. She gave us ample information about the places we were visiting and gave us an heads up about places to visit while spending time at the Bamboo Forest. Amy also sent the group her restaurant recommendations. My family and I tried one of them, and it was amazing!!
Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you for joining our tour! We are delighted to hear that you had a nice experience. It means a lot to us! Your guide truly appreciates your positive feedback. We hope that your entire time in Japan will be memorable!
