Kyoto Rickshaw Tour

Great for Families & Tired Feet What We Loved Comfortable way to see more of Kyoto when walking all day starts catching up with you. Our driver, Shiro, was absolutely incredible. Despite the summer heat, he was running uphill, navigating crowded streets, and simultaneously sharing local history and pointing out landmarks. Learned about areas we would have otherwise walked right past without understanding their significance. During Obon, we were able to see people visiting family graves and preparing lanterns for the evening festivities, which gave us a glimpse into local traditions we wouldn't have experienced on our own. Passed through beautiful historic areas and were dropped off at Yasaka Shrine, making it easy to continue exploring afterward. Audrey's Thoughts After several days of sightseeing, Audrey's legs were getting tired, and this turned out to be one of the smartest decisions we made. She loved riding in the rickshaw, seeing Kyoto from a different perspective, and getting a break from walking. Tips Don't think of this as transportation. Think of it as a guided tour and cultural experience. Perfect for families when children start getting tired. Request a knowledgeable guide if possible. Worth every penny on a hot day. Bottom Line One of those experiences that initially feels like a splurge but ends up being completely worth it. Between the history, local insights, beautiful views, and the sheer athleticism of our guide, it became one of our favorite memories from Kyoto. If you're visiting Arashiyama, I highly recommend adding a rickshaw tour to your itinerary. It was an adventure, a history lesson, and a lifesaver for tired legs all in one.

We had the most fabulous tour with Fumi our Guide. He was just wonderful, a very gentle happy soul. Nothing was a trouble,he explained all the sites and the history attached. This tour was one of the highlights on our holiday and we would recommend it as a must to anyone visiting Kyoto.

We had an awesome experience in Kyoto! This was such a unique way to see a lot of areas in the city. Our tour guide, Fumi, was so knowledgeable about the shrines and everything we passed and very entertaining during our tour. Fumi also took a lot of fun pictures of my husband and I during the tour, which was awesome. We did the 70 minute tour and felt like it was a good amount of time. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone!

This 90 minute ride was a highlight in Kyoto. Shiro was amazing as our guide. Beautiful intro to lovely Kyoto! Wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

This was an excellent way to see Gion! We had Ichi as our rickshaw driver and he was knowledgeable, funny and a good photographer. We learnt so much about the district and would highly recommend the tour and Ichi.

Fantastic experience. Fumi and co were so knowledgable, professional and polite , great at showing us the main sites and taking photos. Definitely a highlight and would thoroughly recommend.

We had an excellent experience with our rickshaw driver! He was personable, cheerful, full of information, and just made the whole experience delightful! We really appreciated his personality and kindness. It was a relaxing and entertaining way to see the city.

We had an amazing time on this tour! Much more than we could have ever expected. Our guide was super knowledgeable about the area, and he made sure that we saw many things that we would not have seen by ourselves.

A highlight of our trip. I unexpectedly found myself in a wheelchair unable to walk lots so this was a way to see the city still and it turned out to be one of our best Japanese experiences. We had Fumi and Kai as our guides and they were funny, knowledgeable, chatty and incredibly fit! We saw so much in our 2 hours with time to explore various areas.

We thoroughly enjoyed our rickshaw experience. I understand why other reviewers called it a must-do experience while you're in Kyoto. Your actual route will depend on the length of tour you opt for at booking. We booked 2 hours and our guide / driver asked us what we had already seen and what we were interested in seeing in the area. Our "driver" was friendly and entertaining and we were tucked cozily under warm blankets on a cold day. We really got a sense of Kyoto and enjoyed seeing numerous points of interest along the way, including Kennin-ji Temple (Kyoto's oldest Zen temple), Maruyama Park, and Chionin Temple where we made stops. Our guide also shared information on the places we visited, tips on what we may want to check out later on our own, and took great pictures for us (also showing us good photo spots). 2 hours flew by and we had a great time! Highly recommended!