Shore excursion: PrivateFull Day Kyoto Tour From Osaka/Kobe Port
Description
Tour itinerary is designed based on hiring a car/van for 10 hours (JPY 120,000 for up to 5 pax, JPY 140,000 for up to 8 pax) cash payment on the day tour, cash to the driver) to provide ample time to visit Kyoto's most iconic cultural & historic landmarks, ensuring a comprehensive experience of the city's rich heritage. This is a private tour, exclusively for your group-no mixed participants Ideal for cruise ship guests, with guaranteed on-time return to port Fully customizable itinerary to match your available time, interests & pace Itinerary (Customizable): 08:00 Meeting at Osaka or Kobe port 10:00 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 11:30 Kinkaku-ji temple 13:00 Nishiki Market- Lunch break 14:30 Pontocho and Gion area (Geisha district) 16:00 Fushimi Inari shrine 16:45 back to the port 18:00 Drop off in the port and tour finish
Tour Options
Itinerary
Known as Kyoto's most iconic shrine. Immerse yourself in the spiritual beauty of Fushimi Inari Taisha, famous for its thousands of vibrant vermilion torii gates winding through the forested slopes of Mount Inari. Explore hidden pathways, discover centuries-old shrines, and learn about the history and traditions of Japan's revered deity of prosperity and success. Perfect for culture enthusiasts, photographers, and first-time visitors, this experience offers an unforgettable journey through one of Kyoto's most celebrated landmarks.
Discover the breathtaking beauty of Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto's iconic Golden Pavilion, shimmering brilliantly against its serene pond backdrop. Stroll through the exquisite gardens, reflecting the harmonious blend of nature and artistry that defines this UNESCO World Heritage site. Perfect for culture enthusiasts and photographers, this tour promises an unforgettable glimpse into Japan's architectural splendor and tranquil elegance.
Nishiki Market in Kyoto, known as "Kyoto's Kitchen," is a bustling street lined with over 100 vendors offering a variety of fresh, local delicacies. It's the perfect spot to take a lunch break, where you can sample traditional foods like sushi, pickled vegetables, and the famous yuba (tofu skin).
After the pick up from the port, we will need 2 hours to reach Arashiyama area west of Kyoto. Immerse yourself in the enchanting Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama, where towering bamboo stalks create a serene and otherworldly atmosphere. Visit the historic Nonomiya Shrine, a hidden gem nestled within the bamboo grove, offering a tranquil escape and a touch of ancient tradition. Complete your journey with a stroll through the stunning gardens of Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where meticulously landscaped grounds provide a perfect blend of natural beauty and Zen serenity.
Stroll through the Gion district, Kyoto’s renowned geisha area. Immerse yourself in the charm of traditional Japanese culture as you wander along narrow streets lined with wooden machiya houses, teahouses, and shops. Gion is one of the few places where you can spot geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha) dressed in exquisite kimonos, bringing the past to life. The district offers a perfect blend of cultural elegance and history, making it an essential stop on your Kyoto journey.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(47)
Ahmed our tour guide was wonderful. He was full of educational and historical information. He and our driver were attentive to our need to be back at our cruise ship port on time. If you are cruising Japan, I highly recommend you book private tours through Viator. Having your own private guide and driver is so much better, and often less expensive than booking tours thru the cruise ship. You have the personal touch with the guide and your own driver to where you are not shoved on a bus with 30 other people and one guide. If you're traveling this far to Japan, pay the extra money for a private guide.
This was a fantastic day trip around Kyoto. The booking was easy and our contacts at Viator (John and Brent) were very quick to respond to my last minute request and organised a vehicle for 8 travellers and a guide at midnight the night before we needed it. The driver was very professional and his vehicle was excellent. The guide (Noriko) was incredible. She was local and very knowledgable and answered out plethora of questions. She took us to 5 different locations including temples, forrests, stunning waterfront locations and 2 different maket and local shopping locations. We were thrilled with our day and could not fault it.
A wonderfully beautiful day of visiting lasting about 10 hours, with an excellent French-speaking guide, Terry! The vehicle was impeccable. The guide was attentive to our preferences and areas of interest. Everything went as planned; the welcome, etc. We will highly recommend Terry to any visitor who wishes to explore Kyoto on foot, by bike, or by car.
We were picked up by car and driven from Kobe to Kyoto for a full day tour. Our tour guide Mariko met us at the first location. Mariko was excellent. She was not native to Japan but had one parent that was Japanese. She was raised in Canada but had moved to Kyoto many years ago. She was fluent in both English and Japanese. Mariko's knowledge of Japan and the culture was excellent. She gave wonderful commentary and was able to answer all our questions. A highlight was exploring an arcade street (shotengai) which is a covered pedestrian shopping, eatery street. Mariko was able to teach us Japanese etiquette and point out interesting food stalls that she personally recommended. We had an appointment at 2:30 for a komono wearing and a tea ceremony and she got us to the appointment right on time. This tour was a mix of walking and transferring to different sites via car. This worked well and was time efficient.
We are on the Oceania in Japan and didn’t book a tour thru them , We waited for the last minute and went through Viator and found a last minute tour which turned out to be Fantastic, The guide was amazing she knew everything about Japan, Extremely knowledgeable, They supplied a great Driver with a nice spacious van as there were 4 of us, Was a long day but we saw probably more things than we would of seen if we took the tour thru the Ship, Plus much better Value, We would definitely use them again and recommend them to all , Much better experience than a Ship tour , Yes we did both and we can’t compare them, Viator is much better and professional
Absolutely enjoyed working with Japan Experiences and Tour company. Abu and his team are 5 star and we really covered this area and got to experience the incredible cherry blossoms .
The guide was very good and the tour was excellent. However don’t make the same mistake I did about paying an additional 120000 yen for the car and driver. The tour organiser did not txt until it was too late to cancel the tour.
7 of us spent an amazing day with Ahmed in Kyoto. Prior to the trip communication was excellent and on the day our driver was right there when we got off the boat. Ahmed was so knowledgable about everywhere we visited, took great photos of our group and knew exactly where to take us to avoid crowds where possible. I cannot recommend this tour enough it was absolutely five star. Thank you Ahmed !
We had a lovely day visiting many highlights of the Kyoto area. Yukari gave us so much information about Kyoto and each place we visited.
Fabulous excursion with our very knowledgeable guide! We visited several highlights including the Golden Pavillion, the Bamboo Forrest, and a spectacular Shinto Shrine! Very good English.
