We had an amazing time. Bara San was awesome. He was so knowledgeable. He had great tips and let us know something cool for every stop. He let us know the difference between temples and shrines and how to clap and pray at each one. He gave us a printed map with notes for each stop. He made us feel so comfortable. He spoke in great English and really helped us find our way around. Our first place was Fushimi Inari. It was so pretty, we walked around and saw the beautiful red Tori gates. Bara San took pictures for us with the large gate, it was really nice of him. After that we went to Shabu Shabu lunch. It was at Kyoto wasabi Arashiyama. We had never had it before. The restaurant was very nice and everything was ready when we got there. Bara San sent us pictures of our party on Line so we were able to have those memories. The food was so yummy. The restaurant also has a stamp for our stamp book, which is so cool. After lunch we went to Arashiyama bamboo forest. It was very nice. I have been to other places with bamboo that were less busy but the temple in the middle of the forest made it all worth it. We paid the 500 yen person and it was totally worth it! It was beautiful and full of flowers. We got some of our best pictures there. It has a beautiful pond and building inside. There were also two stamps nearby the parking area, which are the prettiest of the trip. Our final stop was Kiyomizudera temple. It was very busy but Bara San got us through just fine. We got a Goshuin from there but they were only giving pre written ones during golden week, I didn’t mind but others might. We walked up the streets stopping and trying a a few snacks. We went into one of the buildings that had a limited showing of artwork created by local college students. They were amazing. We wanted to walk to the other large pagoda building but didn’t have enough time to walk there and back. Each stop was about an hour and a half. We really enjoyed this tour. The bus driver was great, super safe and efficient. We didn’t make any stops between Nagoya and Kyoto, but it’s not a long drive so that was fine with us. The bus didn’t have a bathroom but again not a long trip so no worries. It was a rainy day at the beginning but that really helped us because the first few stop were less busy with less people out and about in the rain during Golden week. The only problem we had with the whole experience that this was my third time trying to book this trip because the other two times were canceled due to not enough people. They did offer to move the days but it didn’t work out. If you want to take this trip in January or February plan it for a Friday, it was the only day they would have enough people. We tried Wednesday and Thursday and both got canceled and moved. That’s what happens when they offer everyday but in the end we got to go and have a great time.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable day exploring Kyoto with our guide and that his knowledge, guidance, and kindness made your experience even more memorable. It's wonderful that you enjoyed each stop, the shabu-shabu lunch, and captured so many great memories despite the rainy weather. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the tour cancellations during the quieter season. We're sorry for the inconvenience and will continue working to improve our scheduling. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to see you again on another tour in the future! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
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