After lunch, you will tour the Kinkaku-ji temple. Kinkaku, a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha, has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion). But the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai sect Zen temple of Shokoku-ji is Rokuon-ji. This complex, whose gardens and architecture focused around a central Golden Pavilion, was said to evoke paradise on earth. And the view of Kinkaku which is reflected in the Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond) is very beautiful. This was built by the third Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu for his own villa but turned into a temple after his death. This temple was rebuilt in 1955.
Upon arrival at Arashiyama, you will tour the Arashiyama district located in the Western part of Kyoto. This area becomes most attractive around early April and late November when the cherry blossoms bloom and fall color seasons usually peak. During the summer months, traditional cormorant fishing is practiced on the Hozu River for tourists to watch. One highly recommended spot is the Sagano Bamboo Forest. It is a pleasantly cool 100m long walkway that begins from the side of the world heritage Tenryuji Temple. Later, you will have a buffet lunch filled with an assortment of 60 Kyoto dishes or a Beef Shabu Shabu lunch (if meal is selected).
Nara Park is famous for the 1,200 or so wild deer that live freely within the park. Within Nara Park you will find the Todai-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originated from Kinshozan-ji Temple, which was built in 728 (the 5th year of the Jinki era) to mourn the death of Emperor Shomu's crown prince, Imperial Prince Motoi. Although the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two-thirds of the original temple hall's size, Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), Todaiji's main hall, is one of the biggest wooden structures in the world. The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas, is residing in this temple.
Full Day Excursion: Kyoto And Nara Highlights From Kyoto/Osaka
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Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Duration: 9 Hrs
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
Kansai Airport 7:30am Umeda: 8:30am Namba: 9am
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Return Details :
If you face any difficulties while going to the meeting point, Emergency call center +816-6131-5340 Our EMERGENCY CALL CENTER https://limonbus.livecall.jp from 30 minutes before the departure time unt.. read more
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Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
This is an affordable yet culturally-enriching bus trip to Kyoto and Nara. Tour stops at Kyoto Arashiyama, Kinkakuji-temple and Nara park. With several convenient pickup points in Osaka and Kyoto, this tour will be a great addition to your trip to Japan.
Know More about this tour
Itinerary:
After lunch, you will tour the Kinkaku-ji temple. Kinkaku, a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha, has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion). But the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai sect Zen temple of Shokoku-ji is Rokuon-ji. This complex, whose gardens and architecture focused around a central Golden Pavilion, was said to evoke paradise on earth. And the view of Kinkaku which is reflected in the Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond) is very beautiful. This was built by the third Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu for his own villa but turned into a temple after his death. This temple was rebuilt in 1955.
Upon arrival at Arashiyama, you will tour the Arashiyama district located in the Western part of Kyoto. This area becomes most attractive around early April and late November when the cherry blossoms bloom and fall color seasons usually peak. During the summer months, traditional cormorant fishing is practiced on the Hozu River for tourists to watch. One highly recommended spot is the Sagano Bamboo Forest. It is a pleasantly cool 100m long walkway that begins from the side of the world heritage Tenryuji Temple. Later, you will have a buffet lunch filled with an assortment of 60 Kyoto dishes or a Beef Shabu Shabu lunch (if meal is selected).
Nara Park is famous for the 1,200 or so wild deer that live freely within the park. Within Nara Park you will find the Todai-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originated from Kinshozan-ji Temple, which was built in 728 (the 5th year of the Jinki era) to mourn the death of Emperor Shomu's crown prince, Imperial Prince Motoi. Although the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two-thirds of the original temple hall's size, Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), Todaiji's main hall, is one of the biggest wooden structures in the world. The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas, is residing in this temple.
Inclusions
- Lunch(if option selected)
- Bus fare for the trip
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entry ticket to Todai-ji Temple (if option selected)
- Entry ticket to Kinkaku-ji Temple (if option selected)
- Guide
Exclusions
- Personal expenses
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entry tickets and meals(if the last minute option is selected)
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adults lap
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tour departs from Kyoto and Osaka on different dates and buses. Choose your departure point carefully when booking.
The meeting point can't be changed due to date and bus differences, but we may accommodate changes if slots are open.
Infants (0-2 years) free; no seat&meal, must sit on an adult's lap
Meeting Time at Umeda, Hearton Hotel Nishi-Umeda: 8:20 AM
Meeting Time at Namba, OCAT 1F (Near Daiso): 8:50 AM
Meeting Time at Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit, in the tourist bus parking area: 9:05 AM
Please check in 10 minutes before the booked start time
The activity provider is not liable for losses due to delays
The bus will departs as scheduled; late arrivals are non-refundable
Schedule subject to change due to traffic or weather conditions for safety
Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended
mergency call center available 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM JST on departure date
Traveler Reviews
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The stops don’t give much time for anything other than a few photo ops and maybe a bit of exploring, but there’s no better way to see this many places in Kyoto/Nara in one day. I recommend hearing what the tour guide has to say at each location to get the most out of the visits. Kan was our guide and he did a great job.
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Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided interesting and helpful contextual information about the sites we visited. The shabu shabu lunch included in our tour was outstanding.
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If you only have a few days in the area, or limited time to see everything then this is the trip for you. The guides are very nice and friendly and take care of you.
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Booked this tour for my family who traveled to Osaka without me. From their experience, overall the tour was good however they felt rushed and the guide did not explain much about the sites visited.
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from my observation after a obe anfäd half hour of bus ride I think tourists deserves a bathroom break on arrival esp with seniors. and no bathroom in the destination bamboo forest. heat is already a stress, not allowing to use bathroom is a disaster. Guide walked fast not considering seniors in the group. saw another nice tour guide taking photos of her group ( per group team or partners) in one spot - golden house ours not like that should give warning that if you do not show up after 10 or 15mins on meeting time bus will leave you two seniors were left behind- no mercy at all and it should be taught that if u hve seniors- guide should assust a bit more or pay attention she should hve guided them and maybe 30 mins prior to departure look for them and remind them or ask them to go back to meeting place nara park is not that big for the guide not to be able to spot them be senior friendly
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Booking detail had a 9:15am departure from one address, but the night before, they texted me on their app another which I didn't see. I arrived at the address originally provided (another passenger was also there), but no bus. Contacted both Viator (who texted that there was nothing they could do, (including a refund or re-booking) and said to deal with the tour operator who didn’t respond to multiple texts on the Viator app. I had a great day myself, including a cheap train to Nara Park for the deer. Tour operator should be ashamed. Hope they enjoy my less than $100 fee for nothing. NEVER BOOK WITH THIS TOUR OPERATOR. The lousy lunch detailed on other reviews may be the least of your problems.
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It was hard to understand the guide but they were very kind and tried their best to help us in every way. The guides were really attentive and hospitable. The buffet was huge and had a lot of options (mostly seafood and pork-- which I don't eat), but most people do. Unfortunately, it began storming on the way to Nara Park, so we got really wet when feeding the deer but we still had some fun. The bamboo forest was great for pictures and the guide even offered to take some for us. It was really humid which took away from the experience, but the guide was ready with cooling wipes to help! By the end of the tour, I wasn't as tired as I thought I'd be. The guide pointed us in the direction to the train to get back home and we were able to find it with no trouble.
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This tour was a good way to get a glimpse of a couple spots in kyoto. The tour guide was very friendly. However there was barely anytime to explore the town where the bamboo forest is. No time to look in all the shops and walk through the forest or see the temple. You really need much more time there
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It was ok. We were dissappointed with buffet lunch as well as tour explanation. You are on your own to get back to the bus. It sometimes are very far from the site.
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The experience was nice, but not outstanding. Very few explanations were provided and not thorough enough, everything was quite high level. Extremely small time was spent in places. The tour could finish like at 7PM maybe and that would give enough time to visit the places. Kyoto is crazy packed with tourists as well, which also ruins a bit the atmosphere in my opinion. Lunch was average, you can skip it
