Japan · TEMPLE & SHRINE TOURS
A guide is the difference between photographing a gate and understanding it. These 15 cover the Kyoto circuits, the Nara giants and the mountain shrines, with opening times, walking distances and honest notes on stair counts.
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.”
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.”
Full-day Tokyo by deluxe coach: Meiji Shrine, Asakusa matcha and izakaya lunch, skip-the-line SkyTree, and Tokyo Bay Cruise.
“I like the guide very much, He is a Japanese but fluently speak English, and explaining clearly everything interesting places. Much was very good, Menu was cautiously selected liked by all foreigners. I like the tour very much much.”
Osaka or Kyoto day trip packing Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Nara, plus optional Kobe beef lunch, with a guide and bus.
“Some delays but that was not the guide´s fault. You always have those people who get lost or do not pay attention to the instructions. Maybe a smaller group is better if you dont want to deal with a bus full of passengers. The guide was great, answered to all our questions. Will definitely reccomment if you dont mind a bus full of tourist. Was great for us.”
Walk Asakusa with an English guide: Sensō-ji, Kaminarimon, Nakamise snacks and shrine stops, finishing at Azuma Bridge for lunch.
“Excellent tour by Glenda. Understood cultural and historical meaning of sensoji temple and surrounding area.”
Tokyo to Nikko day trip: UNESCO Toshogu Shrine, Shinkyo Bridge views, Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji, bilingual guide. $89.
“The trip was very good organized. Our guide Erik was great sharing a lot of interesting information at the proper time. Timing was very good despite of weekend traffic. Me and my son we loved it. Thank you.”
A 9-hour Tokyo day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima with temple tickets, iconic shrines, sea views, and Mt. Fuji on clear days.
“Great day. Saw lots of things in little time. Definitely will visit some of these places for longer this time but it was an amazing preview of the area. Omar was very knowledgeable and accommodating”
Tokyo to Nikko day trip: Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Falls plus Lake Chuzenji, bilingual guide, cash tips, about 10.5 hours.
“I really enjoyed this day out, our guide Zoe was excellent giving information without being overbearing. Excellent driver too! The stops were great and mostly allowed the right amount of time to enjoy the areas. that said I did find the shrine itself to be rushed, I understand it gets busy and they try to keep on top of crowd control but more time to fully appreciate the location would definitely improve the day trip. as I said I really enjoyed my time out and would easily recommend this excursion to anyone who wants to see a more traditional side of Japan.”
Guided Tokyo highlights with Meiji Jingu, Imperial Palace views, Asakusa Senso-ji, Odaiba, and Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck admission. Includes lunch.
“My daughter, my mother and myself had a fun time during the tour. We were 5min late due to getting lost in the JR, but they kindly waited for us . Kimiko-San was very informative and knowledgeable during the tour. We would definitely recommend this tour to friends and family.”
A full day in Nagano combining Zenko-ji Temple, a guided sake tasting, and the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park for a classic winter wildlife fix.
“Our guide Tom was a great guide! He was fun to listen to and super knowledgeable about the locations we visited. He made learning about the history really fun. Zenkoji temple was beautiful and the snack recommendations were on point. Bring ice cleats for trekking up to see the monkeys, the combination of slope, ice and trampled snow makes it very slippery. They do sell cleats onsite but if you bring your own then you dont have to buy more. Tom even took us on a quick walk thru of the nagano station food area and recommended some snacks that were satisfactory purchases 👍🏻 especially after knowing some of the…”
Arashiyama half-day walk with bamboo grove, Tenryuji temple, Okochi Sanso garden, monkey park views, plus optional sake lunch. Value at $87.
“It was a great tour. Beautiful nature, a very impressive garden and lots of monkeys. Don't worry about the walk to the top of the hill. Our guide Tom did a perfect job. We learned a lot from him. Thanks a lot!”
Guided Nagano day trip with Zenko-ji Temple, sake tasting, and Jigokudani snow monkeys soaking in hot springs, from Hakuba or Nagano.
“I had a great time on this tour. Brent our guide was informative, friendly and professional in sharing his deep local knowledge regarding the locations we visited.”
Kyoto Arashiyama half-day walk with Tenryu-ji Zen gardens, bamboo forest, monkeys at Monkey Park, Togetsukyo Bridge, and Uji matcha.
“Great tour. Lots of uphill walking to see monkeys. Depending on weather can be treacherous. Beautiful scenery, lots of historical information. Lovely to stop for matcha ice cream which was included.”
Day trip from Osaka or Kyoto to Arashiyama bamboo, Nara deer, and Fushimi Inari torii, with Kobe shabu lunch.
“Gary's kindness and attentiveness were highly appreciated. The itinerary was consistently adhered to, and the destinations were exceptional, with Gary's recommendations proving valuable.”
Get Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple ticket for a peaceful, season-changing visit, with Omuro Sakura, the Omuro Pilgrimage, and optional museum entry.
Pick the experience, read what travellers said, book the good one.
