Japan · KYOTO TOURS
Kyoto is a city of thresholds: torii gates, tea house doors, temple steps at opening time. These 15 get you through the right ones, with prices, durations and a straight answer on which involve real walking.
See Kyoto icons like Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, and Kinkaku-ji on an 8 to 9 hour guided bus tour.
“A thorough tour of points of interest around Kyoto. So many places we visited it was breath taking and truly a lifetime experience. We especially impressed by our guide Sakura who spoke perfect English to explain every detail of the places Read more”
Full-day Kyoto highlights by air-conditioned coach, from Fushimi Inari’s torii tunnel to Golden Pavilion, bamboo grove, and World Heritage temples.
“We had a great tour with Sakura. She is an amazing tour guide. The buffet was also amazing. The tour was really informative and perfectly paced. If you only have short time in Kyoto I can highly recommend this tour.”
Kyoto tea ceremony in a traditional tea house at Sannenzaka. Brew matcha, savor sweets, and enjoy a calm garden backdrop at Sakaguchian.
“Very nice tea ceremony, with a short explanation beforehand. Small grp of 10 ppl. Nice view into the garden.”
Kyoto Geisha walking tour through Gion, spotting Geiko and Maiko, visiting Kennin-ji and Chion-in, plus photo tips and local food picks.
“Yuri gave us a fantastic tour, totally recommend it”
Matcha, silence, and a real Chanoyu lesson at Jotokuji Temple. Small group, 70 minutes, guided by Ju-An in English.
“Excellent experience. Our host was very knowledgeable and welcoming. I would do it again.”
A 100-minute small-group night walk through Gion, with geisha trivia, lantern-lit streets, and shrine stops plus guided photos.
“Great explanations, very kind guide, wonderful walk and night sight seeing”
A 45-minute Kyoto tea ceremony lesson with an Urasenke tea master. Learn matcha rules, taste two teas, enjoy sweets, optional kimono.
“Our guide was very knowledgeable and loved that we could add on rental of kimono. The setting was perfect and the history lesson of the tea ceremony was great.”
Night walk through Kyoto’s Gion and Pontocho, led by a local guide, with stories of geisha, geiko, and maiko, plus key sights.
“Manny was excellent! Nice tour, very informative! We really enjoyed it!”
2-hour night walk through Gion and Higashiyama with Yasaka Shrine, Ninenzaka, Hōkan-ji, and geisha stories, plus food and drink tips.
“Tour was fantastic! Karim, our tour guide, was incredible. He was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer any questions we had throughout the evening. He was very dedicated to a thorough explanation of the culture of Gion, and his discussion of the Geishas was very respectful and holistic. Couldn't imagine a better person to show us around! We did the tour in the evening which suited us perfectly, as the streets were quiet and atmospheric. However, this does mean some darker spots as you walk which is something for others to consider when booking time slots. Overall, would highly recommend this experience for those interested in the history and…”
Hop-on hop-off double-decker bus in Kyoto with open-top views, audio in 7 languages, and easy stops at Nijo, Kinkakuji, and Gion.
“I thought this was very organized and clear from the start. The attendants were trying to make things clear and were helpful. Busses were on time, schedule was as clear as you could possibly get with so many stops. Reviews complain about things like bad reception, didn’t have that. City busses on the red route, not true. Off schedule, didn’t experience that. Most organized hop on hop off I have been on. Very clean and comfortable. Good job Kyoto”
Night walk in Kyoto’s Gion geisha district with a licensed English guide. Starts at Gion Omoide Museum, $21, 100 min.
“Mia was an excellent guide - you could tell she has great respect for the geiko-san and maiko-san we were learning about, which enhanced the experience. We learned a lot and got to hear about many different elements of Japanese culture.”
Make ramen noodles and broth from scratch at Ramen Factory Kyoto, choose flavors and toppings, then enjoy your halal and vegan-friendly lunch.
“My family had a great experience at the Ramen Factory. The cooking class was well organized and fun. All of the staff was friendly and helpful. We would highly recommend taking this class. The ramen was great!”
Ride Kyoto’s quiet lanes on an e-bike to UNESCO Kinkakuji and more, with small-group guides, bike, helmet, and water included.
“It was lovely visiting some of the quieter and less touristy temples, shrines and streets. Yuta was a phenomenal guide and shared lots of great info about Giesha, Samurai history, Zen Buddhism and the customs of visiting temples and shrines. He provided a great deal of context and richness to the places we visited. The ebikes were fun and allowed us to travel up steep hills and all over town without exhausting us on the warm and muggy day. We really enjoyed ourselves exploring Kyoto this way! Highly recommend!”
A small-group Kyoto night walk through Gion and Pontocho with 9+ dishes and 6 sake tastings, plus local stories and backstreet dining.
“This tour was a great way to try food and sake around Kyoto! You get it learn some history along with it, I highly recommend!”
Skip crowds on a guided 7km hike to Fushimi Inari, through bamboo and off-route shrines, with castle views. Small group, photos included.
“Great tour with EMI. She met us at the designated place, took us the opposite direction of the trip (starting at the end and finishing at the beginning) we avoided all the busy crowds that were building by the time our tour ended. Definitely gRead more”
Pick the experience, read what travellers said, book the good one.
