(subject to change until the booking has been finalized)
Meeting And Pickup Meeting point
Meeting point
JTB SUNRISE TOURS DESK KYOTO
Japan, 601-8003 Kyoto, Minami Ward, Higashikujō Nishisannōchō, ３１ B1F AVANTI
8:30AM Kyoto Avanti B1F(Sunrise Tours desk) Please be ready 10 minutes prior to the pick-up time.
Start time
08:30 AM
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
See the best that the historic cities of Kyoto and Nara have to offer during this full-day tour of the cities’ top temples and sights. It’s a great introduction to the culture and traditions of ancient Japan, along with some time at a nature park thrown in for good measure.
Begin your excursion in the morning. Exploration of the historic environs of Kyoto, the country’s former capital and one-time residence of the Japanese emperor between AD 794 and 1868. The city’s wealth of ancient history has earned a collection of its religious and political sites as the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
Stop by two of Kyoto’s most important highlights with your guide, starting with a stop at Nijo Castle, which was the home of the Tokugawa Shogun until the mid-1800s. This World Heritage-listed site, constructed in 1603, is renowned for the contrasts between its intricate interior and solemn exterior façade.
Head next to Kinkaku-ji, the city’s most popular religious site and what is considered by many to be one of the world’s most elaborate Japanese gardens. Check out the temple’s Golden Pavilion, a 3-story building sheathed in gold leaf and situated beside a picturesque pond, where you can take some great photos.
Move on next to Kyoto’s Imperial Palace, where you have a chance to see the Shishin-den, a key site for important state ceremonies, before wandering the palace’s beautiful grounds.
Pause your tour for an included lunch, then re-board your bus for the drive south to Nara, where you stop by two of the temples and shrines that form the city’s own UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Todai-ji, a religious complex known for housing one of the world’s largest statues of the Buddha (Great Buddha Hall) before continuing to the adjacent Nara Park.
Make your next stop of the day at Kasuga Shrine, renowned for the more than 3,000 lanterns lining its interior. Finish your excursion at Nara’s Deer Park, a famous section of Nara Park with free-roaming groups of deer. Feel free to hand-feed these tame creatures with the special food for sale on site. Depending on time and traffic, you may also visit a souvenir stand to pick up a memento or two before heading back to Kyoto.
Nijo Castle
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Kinkakuji Temple
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Kyoto Imperial Palace
When the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed: Will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Todai-ji Temple
Will also visit Nara Park in this 1 hour.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Kasuga Shrine
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Nara
Nara Nagomikan (Gift Shop)
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
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Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- At reception, please show your reservation confirmation sheet, a printout of the reservation confirmation e-mail, or show the e-mail on your mobile device screen to staff.
- If the minimum number of participants (1) is not met by 4 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be canceled.
- To prevent infection, please participate wearing face masks.
- On the day of the tour, a health check and temperature screening will be conducted. Those with a temperature of 37.5 and above as well as those who do not feel well may not be allowed to participate.
- The Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors on the following days. As such, the tour will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead. If the closed day falls on the 25th, the tour will visit Nishi Hongan-ji Temple. (Mondays, Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday, and whenever there is an Imperial Household event)
- Nijo Castle is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August, and December. (Closed on the following day if Tuesday is a holiday.) If closed, Ryoan-ji Temple will be visited instead.
- Participants will walk from the parking lot to Todai-ji Temple (about 15 min one-way). Thank you for your understanding. Please inform us at the time of booking if any person in your group is using crutches or a wheelchair, or has a chronic illness that makes it difficult to walk for long distances.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
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At Kasuga Taisha Shrine, the tour does not include entrance to areas requiring admission.
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Nara Nagomikan may be omitted from the itinerary if it is closed on the day of the tour, or as a result of traffic congestion.
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Connection to the Kyoto Night Tour or Kyoto Maiko Dinner is not possible.
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The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations.
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Seats may not be designated.
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Depending on the number of tour participants, transportation to be used may be other than a large bus (mid-size bus, small bus), a hired car (van, minivan – MK Co., Ltd. or Yasaka Group), or a taxi.
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When “With Lunch” option is selected, a set menu meal will be served for lunch. For those who would like a vegetarian meal, please make sure to inform us at the time of reservation. If requests are not provided in advance, same-day changes cannot be accepted. Halal, gluten-free, and other meal requests are not available.
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For those that don’t require lunch, please make a booking for the ‘Without Lunch’ plan (tour code: NG004S). The ‘No Lunch’ plan provides customers with free time to eat on their own in the Kyoto Station area.
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This tour promotes Cross-cultural Understanding as stated under Sunrise Tours’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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