- Japan›
- Kyoto›
- Tours›
- Highlights›
- My Favorite Golden Route: Kyoto One-day Tour
My Favorite Golden Route: Kyoto One-day Tour
This tour is designed for those who would like to visit major scenic sites in Kyoto and off-the-beaten spots as well in a single day. The route is the one that has been favored and admired by many of my guests for the past few years. The itinerary mainly consists of three areas; Kitayama, Arashiyama and Fushimi areas. You will surely have unforgettable memories through the tour with me.
Yoshihisa T.
Meeting Point
At Kyoto Station or your hotel in Kyoto area
Kitayama area; Kinkaku-ji ( the Golden Pavilion ), Ryoan-ji Temple famous for the Rock Garden and Ninna-ji Temple.
Kinkaku-ji built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate, in 1397. Ryoan-ji Temple with the Rock Garden said to be the masterpiece of dry landscape gardens. Ninna-ji Temple built by Emperor Uda in 888 with a weeping cherry tree garden.
Arashiyama area; Jojako-ji Temple famous for autumn foliage, Bamboo Grove and Tenryu-ji Temple with a beautiful garden.
Jojako-ji Temple standing on a moss-covered slope. Bamboo Grove borders on the north exit of Tenryu-ji Temple built by Ashikaga Takauji, the first Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate.
Fushimi area; Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine famous for a thousand vermilion-colored torii gates.
Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine, the headquarters of more than 30,000 Inari sub-shrines across the country, has been selected No 1 tourist attraction in Japan for five consecutive years by Trip Adviser.
Ending Point
At Kyoto Station
What to Expect
You can visit almost all the popular tourist attractions in Kyoto except for Higashiyama area ( the eastern part of Kyoto ). In addition, you will visit off-beaten sites, such as Ninna-ji Temple, a Wrold Heritage site with a long history, and Jojako-ji Temple standing on a moss-covered slope of Mt Ogura, Arashiyama. You will have lunch at a restaurant near Ninna-ji Temple which offers you Japanese style dishes such as Kyoto-style ramen noodles, curry and rice, a bowl of rice with soy-saurce flavored beef on top. and so forth. If you like, you can visit a long-standing and popular izakaya restaurant ( Japanese-style tavern ) near Fushimi Inari Shrine after the tour.
Want to personalize this tour?
- Our tours can be customized according to your needs and preferences
- Click below to tell us what you are looking for:
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee
transportation fare ( you and guide ), lunch and entrance fee for four temples ( 2,100 yen )
Important Information
It is desirable to carry overseas travel insurance because the guide is not liable for any damage or loss incurred during the tour. It is also requested to bring enough Japanese yen with you because some restaurants and taxis do not accept credit cards.
You use mainly trains but partly taxis to save time. During the tour you walk in and around the sites you visit, so wear sneakers or walking shoes, please.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Reviews
Aidan C.
“ A wonderful 1 day tour of Kyoto! ”
Yoshi was an amazingly patient and kind guide. He brought us a map of Kyoto, helped us plan a trip to Nara (gave us a map of Nara highlighting the nest sites to see) and helped us plan our subsequent days. This one day tour was packed with many of the key sites in Kyoto (including Golden Pavilion, rock garden, bamboo forest and 10000 Tori Gates). He very much looked after our group. He had a fantastic suggestion for lunch and it was delicious but reasonably priced. Our family of 6 ranged in age from 6 to 70. We all enjoyed the day. I would highly recommend Yoshi to anyone visiting Kyoto!
Yoshihisa T.
Hi Aidan. I really appreciate your wonderful comment on my tour in Kyoto. I am pleased to learn that you and your family enjoyed my golden route tour a lot. I hope you have returned home safely with lots of nice memory of Japan. I wish you all good health and best of luck. Yoshie
Priyanka C.
“ Excellent Day Trip ”
Yoshi-San was an excellent tour guide! We had a very enjoyable day seeing the sights on his Golden Tour of Kyoto. He showed us some of the most well-known temples as well as some that were “hidden gems”. He shared entertaining stories, poems and anecdotes about each of the stops. We had a wonderful day!
Yoshihisa T.
Hi Priyanka. Thank you so much for your quick and excellent review for my tour today. I also enjoyed myself guiding and talking with you two since you were listening to my explanation and asked me proper questions in each site. I hope your husband will have a good sleep tonight and continue a pleasant trip during your stay in Japan. Best wishes. Yoshie
Natalie N.
“ Great experience seeing Kyoto ”
Yoshi is amazing! I am not sure I have enough space to describe how great our time and tour was, but I am going to try! He picked us up at Kyoto station and proceeded to spend the day with us showing us the famous temples of Kyoto. Along the way we ate awesome food and learned so much about the beautiful area. Yoshi speaks great English and is so knowledgeable. At the end of our tour, he took us to this amazing Yakitori spot in the station; it was literally some of the best food we ate in our time in Japan. I am so thankful for his kindness, he really set the tone for our time in Japan and we loved the day we spent with him. He is also really great at photos, so make sure you ask him to capture memories for you! Thank you, Yoshi!
Yoshihisa T.
Hi Natalie. Thank you so much for your wonderful comment on my tour in Kyoto. I am very pleased to learn that you loved the photos I took and the dishes of Yakitori restaurant. I hope our paths will cross again in the near future. I wish you good health and happiness. Yoshie
Natasha C.
“ Combination of history, wits and story telling ”
Yoshihisa was an excellent guide. His 'My Favorite Golden Route' was a perfect way to see Kyoto and understand it's history. Our day was meaningful history, interesting stories, magnificent scenery, Japanese puns, and even poetry. Yoshihsha showed us few hidden gems of Kyoto and his enthusiasm and energy is palpable. I would highly recommend hiring him as a tour guide.
Yoshihisa T.
Hi Natasha. Thank you so much for your wonderful review for my tour in Kyoto. I also had a pleasant time, guiding and talking with you three. I hope you will return home safely with lots of good memories of Japan. Ichigo Ichie The best of luck! Yoshie