Explore Historical Kyoto Tour

Explore Historical Kyoto Tour (6/8 hours)

 

Join one of our cultural expert guides for a fun-filled day exploring all the best highlights and hidden gems that Kyoto has to offer. Check out our recommended Kyoto tour itinerary!

 

How does it work?

 

You can opt for a 6-hour or an 8-hour tour, and it will depend on the duration and your tempo how much you can see during the tour. Some people like to see as much as possible in one day, while others prefer to take it slower and want to hear a lot of background stories. No matter what your preference is, the guide will adjust the route to your liking.

 

Depending on the location of your hotel and/or what you want to see, if you want to minimize travel time the tour will concentrate on either the eastern side of Kyoto or on the western side. Below you will find our suggested routes for both sides.

 

Sample of Kyoto tour itinerary

 

Eastern Highlight Route

 

*Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion): this artful temple was the retirement villa of a former shogun.

*Philosophers Path (in spring and autumn): a wonderful walkway to enjoy seasonal delights like sakura and autumn foliage.

*Yasaka Shrine and Gion district: one of the oldest shrines in Japan located in Kyoto’s traditional geisha district.

*Higashiyama area: Kyoto’s artisanal heart can be found here, with many local specialty shops.

*Kiyomizu Dera: the vista from this terraced temple is world-famous, and every season has something special to offer here.

*Fushimi Inari (8-hour route): the long, winding road under the red torii gates is magical in this sake-district shrine.

 

Western Highlight Route

 

*Nijo Castle: this old palace of the Tokugawa shogunate in Kyoto is the best example of Edo-period castle palace architecture.

*Kinkakuji (Golden Pavillion): for many, this is one of the absolute highlights of their trip, for this literally golden temple is one of the world’s most beautiful sights.

*Ryoanji: this temple is known for its peaceful zen garden that consists of perfectly raked stones that will make you feel calm by just looking at it.

*Arashiyama district: it is easy to spend hours in this popular Kyoto district with its preserved winding streets in the back and bamboo forest as the main attraction.

 

Kyoto private tour languages

 

Our private tour in Kyoto is offered in the following languages:

 

*English

*Dutch

*French

 

More information

 

The difference between a 6-hour tour and an 8-hour tour is simply that you will have more time to visit each spot on the itinerary on the 8-hour tour, or if time allows, the guide can include an extra stop on the itinerary.

 

If you would like to adjust the itinerary to also include more quiet spots, just let us know and the guide will create a route of a mix of highlights and lesser-known areas. Also if you want to get completely off the beaten path, the guide will take you to their personal favorite local areas. Everything is possible with a private tour!

 

For more information, inquiries, and bookings you can email us at [email protected] or click the ‘More information’ button

More information

CUSTOMERS’ VOICE

Jan Wagemaker

“The individual journey we made was well prepared by Tokiotours. The few problems we experienced during our 3.5 week trip were neatly resolved. Stefanie and Steven, the guides we experienced in Tokyo and Kyoto respectively, did their job in an exceptionally good way. A great memory.”

Peter Carroll

“My wife and I headed to Tokyo earlier this year and booked 3 first class tours with this company. All excellent, very informative and gave us a unique behind the curtain insight into a culture that was completely foreign to me. I would 100% recommend Tokiotours for anyone looking to get the most out of their time in Tokyo. Great fun!”

Herman

The individual journey we made was well prepared by Tokiotours. The few problems we experienced during our 3.5 week trip were neatly resolved. Stefanie and Steven, the guides we experienced in Tokyo and Kyoto respectively, did their job in an exceptionally good way. A great memory.

Klaas F.

We look back on a very successful trip through Japan! Also thanks to your efforts it has been an unforgettable trip. Z. loved the morning in Harajuku with cotton candy, photo booth and VR experience. I liked the bike tour and especially the bamboo forest in Kamakura -> the bamboo forest in Kyoto was disappointing compared to that one… but Kyoto has very beautiful old places and Floris’ help for the reservation at Misono was fantastic.

CMW250

I am a first-time visitor to Japan and travelled by myself so I booked one-on-one guiding tours. Had a wonderful time with all three guides from Tokiotours – Thom, Stefanie and Haruka. Thom is an encyclopedia on history, culture and religious practices and also a very nice guy, Stefanie with a gift of bringing Japanese history alive and making it very memorable and Haruka with her love of Japanese cuisine thanks to whom I enjoyed the very best and freshest sea-urchins on Tokyo Tsukiji market ever. Thank you to all of you!