Immerse yourself in the beauty and history of Kyoto on an afternoon guided tour through the former capitol’s vibrant shrines and temples. Admire the alluring green and red Heian Shrine. Stroll Sanjusangendo Hall with its 1,001 Kannon statues and the Kiyomizu Temple where you’ll enjoy sweeping city views from the large terrace. All entry fees are included.
Your tour begins in the afternoon with an introduction to your guide who will lead you to the different stops and inform you of their cultural and religious significances and histories. Kyoto was Japan’s capital and the emperor’s residence from 794 until 1868. Now the country’s seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people, Kyoto has a distinct dichotomy of traditional and modern offerings. Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was not chosen as a target of air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.
Next is the dramatic and colorful Heian Jingu Shrine. Admire this brightly colored shrine, with its vermilion pillars and green roof, and its enchanting inner gardens and ponds that reflects the elegance of life in the ancient Japanese court. Please note the tour will not enter the shrine’s Shin-en garden.
Explore Sanjusangendo Hall in eastern Kyoto during your first stop. At 120 meters long (394 feet), this wooden hall is the longest in Japan and houses all of 1,001 statues of Kannon, Bodhisattva, that date back to the 13th century.
Stroll the quaint old lane lined with pottery shops leading up to the famous Kiyomizu Temple, also known as Kiyomizu-dera. Listen to your guide explain the history of this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Enjoy a sweeping view of the entire city of Kyoto from its lofty terrace and grand walkways that meander through the Higashiwama mountain’s foothills.
We were only in Kyoto for one day, so this afternoon tour was perfect! We got to see you three really cool places, one Shinto shrine and two Buddhist temples. Kiyomizu was by far my favorite temple out of all the ones I have seen throughout Japan! Our tour guide Jessie was nice and informative!
Review by: Karen L, February 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Karen L, February 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: James M, January 2018
We really enjoyed this first afternoon, not only in Kyoto, but in Japan. Getting a feeling for Kyoto and its history was a good way to begin. Our tour guide, Amy, was excellent and we admired the way she looked after our group of 43. Temples and Shrines were nicely explained and we had just enough time to enjoy each stop.
Review by: Carole B, September 2017
Very good tour. The climb to the Kiyomizu Temple was strenuous, especially on a hot sunny day.
Review by: Loucita S, September 2017
It was one of my favorite tour. Very informative and I was able to practice some of the cultures' belief.
Review by: janet s, August 2017
This was a lovely afternoon. Our guide was both educational and funny. Plenty of time to see the temples, have a quick ice cream and a bit of shopping. It was unfortunate that the first temple was setting up a huge stadium that day. We missed getting the iconic shot. I would recommend.
Review by: Hwa-Young C, June 2017
Really enjoyed it. Highly recommend it!
Review by: Ron, March 2017
Our knowledgeable tour guide and a relaxed pace allowed us to enjoy the sights around Kyoto without worrying about anything. Would have liked a bit more time in some locations, but still enjoyed the tour.
Review by: Esther M, March 2017
This small tour was amazing. Our guide spoke really good english and she was so much fun! It was totally worth it although it was fast paced.
Review by: Therese Camille A, January 2017
Well organized. Our guide also recommend us to a few places to check-out after the tour.
Review by: Kenneth M, August 2016
great
Review by: Jessica K, July 2016
It was so nice to be able to visit three temples in cool air-conditioned bus with a great tour guide, especially it was very hot and humid in Kyoto! I can't imagine how we would have done it without this option.
Review by: Monica K, July 2016
My family and I really enjoy Kyoto Afternoon tour. It was half day tour but it was really worthed, to us it save our time. For those who has limited time in Kyoto, this one is really recommended.
Review by: Ana P, July 2016
It was ok, too many temples by the way
Review by: Damien C, April 2016
Fantastic tour, Love half day tours - there is just enough not to be overwhelmed or bored.
Review by: Bong, April 2016
The tour is well coordinated and the tour guide is very much on top of her work. Very knowlegeable.
Review by: Roger G, January 2016
enjoyable and informative
Review by: Stefanie D, October 2015
As there are so many sights in Kyoto to visit, I would recommend doing this tour on your first day to orientate yourself. It was great to visit three sites and hear about the history of each site from our very informative and entertaining tour guide.
Review by: PreppyMom, October 2015
Big group of 50 people. I cannot understand or hear the tour guide although she does try. Except for Sanjusangen-do Temple, there is minimal information about the place we visited. It's more for transportation. She just take us there and bring us back. You are better off going on your own. Sanjusangen-do Temple and Kiyomizu Temple are worth seeing. Heian Shrine is NOT. Kiyomizu is very crowded and noisy. Because of this tour, I did not book Viator for my future tours and I am more cautious when booking with Viator.
Review by: Gary B, September 2015
Great job with the palaces but they are major tourist draws. Lots of people trying to see the same stuff.
Review by: Mitsuru S, July 2015
Good tour in a short amount of time.
Review by: Chris S, July 2015
Very well organized and everything ran on time. Guide was knowledgeable and informative. Had a good time.
Review by: Niaz H, May 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Suzanne, May 2015
This could have easily been a full day tour. So much to see and so interesting.
Review by: kev, April 2015
It poured with rain the whole time, so the outside temples were a bit of a washout. The guide was ok, but VERY repetative.
Review by: kauaijess2, April 2015
This afternoon tour was by far one of the most beautiful parts of our entire trip. These temples and shrines are a must and this tour makes it easy to get to all of them with some info since not a lot is in English. Excellent tour.
Review by: Gilda M, April 2015
A perfect introduction to the most spectacular temples and shrines in my favorite city in all of Asia. Kiyomizu is a must-see especially for the first timer in Kyoto.
Review by: Anna R, March 2015
Mickey, our guide, was very knowledgeable. He was equipped with a microphone, thus enabling everyone taking the tour to hear the info on each site we visited. He had a terrific sense of humour as well. The tour featured a shrine and two temples, each very different from one another. Though it was a cold and (almost) rainy day, the experience of visiting the sites was unique and most interesting.
Review by: Elise D, March 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: ashley a, February 2015
Im glad I took the tour, but it was not stellar. The guide was knowledgeable but did not speak English as clearly as I would have liked. Even so, there were interesting stops on the tour -- and useful information.
Review by: Mark H, December 2014
Great tour guide. He helped us find things to do for the next day and was extremely knowledgable about his subjects.
Review by: Lyndall M, November 2014
3 shrine/temple visits in a short time frame but doable and didn't feel rushed. Lovely and colourful with leaves changing at this time of year.
Review by: Bob, October 2014
Our guide was interesting on the tour and also Japanese life. On the road up to the temple there were many young women dressed in kimonos in such beautiful colours.
Review by: Yogesh J, September 2014
Wonderful tour. Takes you in just an afternoon to some of the more pleasant sights in Kyoto. Besides visiting several important temples, it takes you to a top of a hill from where you get a great view of the surroundings and also through an interesting market that has all kinds of gifts and curios. Certainly worth going on this tour.
Review by: rleech, August 2014
The shrines and temples were interesting and each one was different from the other. The shopping area was fantastic. The tour guide spoke excellent English.
Review by: Bhavya U, July 2014
Guide excellent.speaks good English and very helpful.
Review by: Javier C, June 2014
It was nice.
Review by: RnVJapan, May 2014
Our guide was excellent. Sanjusendo and the Kiyomizu temple were multi-faceted and well worth the time spent visiting them. The Heian shrine was, likewise, interesting.
Review by: sheltuck, May 2014
The tour guide was exceptional. She spoke excellent English and was very kind. Her breadth of knowledge was quite amazing. It was a great tour!
Review by: James B, March 2014
Amazing tour! There was plenty of time to see each site and free time for shopping at the temple district at Kyomizu Dera. We also walked through the adjacent Shinto shrine in our free time and still got to shop. Stress free pick up and drop off at the Shin Miyako Hotel right next to the Kyoto Eki.
Review by: James B, March 2014
Amazing tour! There was plenty of time to see each site and free time for shopping at the temple district at Kyomizu Dera. We also walked through the adjacent Shinto shrine in our free time and still got to shop. Stress free pick up and drop off at the Shin Miyako Hotel right next to the Kyoto Eki.
Review by: Prudence V, January 2014
The guide was fantastic in her ability to impart a lot of information in an interesting and accessible way. the tour included fabulous venues and I learned a great deal and really found a lot to be excited about. The guide had superb English and I would really recommend this tour to anyone!
Review by: Marianne C, December 2013
Great tour! Unfortunately, the guide's English wasn't the best, and we missed a lot of what he was saying. I wish he would have talked about what we were driving through more ... But the sights were worth the tour!
Review by: Jill K, December 2013
Good afternoon tour. Would recommend if you had limited time in Kyoto.
Review by: Bernie, July 2013
Afternoon tour was a pleasant experience except it rained. I recommend umbrellas are provided by tour operators.
Review by: Gordon S, June 2013
Guide was fantastic. Interesting and informative. Speaks clearly for all to hear. Covers a lot of ground in a short time. A+ compared to other international guides. Coordinator arranged 2 free taxis to meeting point. Dropped us off in city center!
Review by: Carolina G, June 2013
Since we came from Osaka in the morning, the pacing, timing and length of the afternoon tour was just right. The best place for me was Sanjusangendo, which unfortunately did not allow photos. I only wished that our tour guide that afternoon spoke clearer English or had a tone of voice that was not too high pitched.
Review by: Carrie B, October 2012
Again, a wonderful guide in Izumi. Very informative about the city of Kyoto and Japanese culture. Excellent sites to visit. Was particularly in awe of the one which no photographs were allowed at, ironically, Sanjusangendo. Definately a must see.
Review by: Kai F, October 2012
This is a tour to three of the most wellknown shrines and temples in Kyoto. The way of this tour I would consider to be very ‘japanese’: travelling around in a bus, short stops and sightseeing, then the next bus trip. Explanations to every sight a given in the bus. If you want to enjoy this you will have to like this kind of express tourism. Besides that there were no problems. The organization was very good, one should only take care about the pick-up since if you do not care your pick-up point may be set to Kyoto main. With an (english) phone call that was easily solved. For a trip of four hours the price was ok, but as said: you have to like this.
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