Nara Park is one of the must-see areas in Nara City and is one of the oldest parks in Japan. The vast area covers 660 hectares and is renowned for its free-roaming deer and world-famous temples. These tame creatures are believed to be sacred messengers of the Shinto gods and walk freely in Nara. Over time, these cute deers have learned to bow to visitors-a sign for a treat. For over 1,300 years, humans and deer have peacefully coexisted in Nara. Today, they are protected as Natural Monuments, and revered as holy animals in Nara.
There are around 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine, to worship the Shinto god of rice, Inari. The shrine is renowned for Senbon Torii, thousands of vermilion red torii gates, which create a stunning and immersive tunnel-like pathway up the sacred Mount Inari. In the 1300 years since its establishment in 711AD, people have gathered here to pray for bountiful harvests, business prosperity, the safety of their home and family, and the fulfillment of all other wishes.
The bamboo forests of Arashiyama are a must-see when visiting Kyoto, serving as a symbol of the city. This stunning and serene natural attraction is known for its towering bamboo stalks and tranquil ambiance. Walking along the peaceful paths surrounded by lush greenery will help put your mind at ease. You can truly feel time slow down as you take in the beauty of nature. The groves are especially captivating when a light breeze dances through, causing the tall bamboo stalks to sway gently back and forth.
Nonomiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Arashiyama district on the west side of the city of Kyoto. Unlike most shrines that feature iconic vermilion torii gates, Nonomiya Shrine has a distinctive black torii gate known as a kuroki torii. Despite its small size, the shrine has a lengthy history, founded in antiquity as a purification shrine for imperial princesses who were appointed as priestesses for Ise Shrine. Nonomiya Shrine has a reputation for helping and interceding on behalf of women, and many parishioners are women who want to find love or wish for children and a safe childbirth. Many of the omamori on sale at the shrine reflect the theme of women’s happiness, and you can find a variety of amulets available at the shrine office.
The Kimono Forest is a distinctive textile art installation made up of 600 clear acrylic cylinders, each standing 2 meters tall. These pillars are adorned with vibrant kimono fabrics featuring a range of designs, from elegant floral patterns to geometric shapes and traditional Japanese symbols. The installation showcases 32 traditional Kyo-yuzen designs. The Kimono Forest is a must-see attraction that provides a unique and enchanting perspective on traditional Japanese textiles and craftsmanship.
Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a true gem of the Arashiyama district in Kyoto and is ranked as the top among the city's five great Zen temples. While visiting Tenryu-ji, be sure to experience the stunning Sogenchi Garden. Designed by the renowned Zen master Muso Soseki, this garden has maintained its timeless beauty over the years. The picturesque landscape features a central pond surrounded by rocks, pine trees, and the forested mountains of Arashiyama.
“Rilakkuma”means“Bear in a relaxed mood.” Rilakkuma is someone impossible to be hated by others. It’s a lovely place to wander around and the Rilakkuma cafe & shop blend in beautifully. You will be drawn into Rilakkuma’s world, where you’ll embrace a lazy and relaxed lifestyle while enjoying everything Rilakkuma does. The first floor features a variety of exclusive items related to Rilakkuma that can only be found in Japan. The second floor is a café that offers lunch, drinks, and snacks, accompanied by cute Rilakkuma character. There are also Rilakkuma plushies on the tables to take photos with.
The Togetsukyo Bridge is the most iconic landmark in Arashiyama. Originally built during the Heian Period (794-1185), it was reconstructed most recently in the 1930s. This famous bridge spans the Katsura River and provides picturesque views of the surrounding mountains and riverscape.
our kyoto 1 day tour was an awesome experience especially with a very knowledgeable tour guide. Valerie was knowledgeable and very helpful. we learned a lot from her during this one day tour.
This was a really fun tour! Amy took great care making sure everyone knew where to go and even took pictures for us. This company planned a nice itinerary and Amy executed it very well.
This was a great tour - Amy was such a great host. Funny, informative and very efficient. We had a great day - very happy to recommend this tour.
Tina was a wonderful guide. She thoroughly explained Japanese history and fun facts for us. I really appreciate the advice on how to handle Nara deer. It worked. Using Whatsapp to keep track of everything was nice too. I never felt like I couldn't ask questions.
Rex is the best tour guide we have during our tours in Japan, well organized with the program, well prepared the information to give and added the humor too.
Perfect planning, amazing tour guide Sofia.
A wonderful experience to learn more about Japanese culture, tradition and history while experiencing unique everyday life in Japan. The tour had a great aspect of guided and self-paced. Our tour guide Tina was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming. Tina shared insights stories and local knowledge that we would not have discovered on our own. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to experience more that the usual tourist attractions. A great highlight of the trip!
Great tour. It hit the 3 places I wanted to see, the Nara Park, Arashiyama bamboo forest, and Fushimi Inari Taisha. I don't think we went to every place on the Viator list though. Our guide Amy a.k.a. Happy Bunny was great. She was very informative and friendly.
Amy, our guide was fantastic, she arranged everything so well and made each stop very interesting and she was very amusing.
Great tour with Amy, very lucky with weather
A fantastic way to explore Kyoto and Nara in one day with Willa! We had a wonderful experience on this tour! It’s a great way to discover some of the most beautiful and iconic places in Kyoto and Nara without having to worry about organising transportation between the different locations. The itinerary covers some incredible sights, including Nara Park, Fushimi Inari Shrine and the beautiful Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Each destination offers something different, from traditional Japanese culture and stunning scenery to the unforgettable experience of seeing the deer in Nara. What makes this tour particularly worthwhile is the opportunity to visit so many places in a single day. Naturally, time at each location is limited, but it’s an excellent introduction to the area, especially if you’re visiting Japan for the first time. Overall, a memorable experience and a great way to make the most of your time in Japan. Would definitely recommend!
Rex is a great guide, if this review can be summed up in one sentence. The locations, sceneries and bus trip were all good but the tour guide made the adventure more fantastic. His humor made the trip interesting even while we're just sitting in the bus. He gave us a lot of information about the places we visited, complete with a link to Google Maps which made the navigation a lot easier. I appreciate hearing/seeing the places from a local's perspective and his insights made me understand and value the Japanese culture better than what I've known before.
Amy our guide as excellent and very funny. She was very knowledgeable and organized with the tour. And not to mention very sweet. She took care of her group very well. We were very satisfied
Loved this!! Valerie was an excellent tour guide. We had so much fun exploring parts of Japan with ease. This was a great value as it also provided transportation and luggage holding for our next destination, Kyoto.
Fantastic guide, well organized, thanks!
Everything was great including the experience and weather
Our guide Fred was very friendly, funny, and very informative. My daughters were really happy that Fred was our guide. We loved deers in Nara park!
Long but fun day with Joy! We had a large group which was a little overwhelming but everyone was great! My seatmate and I were both solo travelers and had a fun time chatting during the tour. We had a nice little lunch ordering from a few vendors and enjoying the sun. Joy was very knowledgeable and explained things well. The sites were crowded (as expected) but still gorgeous and worth seeing! Got a unique souvenir while feeding the deer in Nara 😅 The pace was good but I feel like we could have spent a little less time in Nara as we really only fed the deer there. Big thanks to our bus driver as well! He navigated everything smoothly and was very patient. Thanks to Joy for a wonderful day!
Valerie, our tour guide 11/02/2026, is one of the best tour guide. Our experience with her was very much different compared to others. She was very knowledgeable and very helpful.
Frederick was an AMAZING guide. Really helpful, and has an amazing singing voice 😊 I really recommend him on the Kyoto-Kyoto tour!
Was a great experience, went to the major spots in Kyoto. Our tour guide Rex did a great job entertaining and giving historical facts. Would recommend!
A wonderfully planned day…Guides Ms Willa and Ms Moana were very helpful and supportive….The driver of bus was great and safe Mr Matui….👍🏻👏🏻😇
Willa was our tour guide (along with Moana). Willa was an awesome guide, English was great and was very funny and friendly the whole trip. *The moon is beautiful Willa* thank you again for the trip 100/100!
Wonderful tour. Safe, clean bus. Lots of time to explore on your own. So much information shared. Guide Fiona is very knowledgeable, fun, and speaks at least 3 languages. Highly recommend.
Amy did an excellent job of ensuring we knew how to get to the meeting place, informing us of what the itinerary was (with picture book), providing relevant and interesting historical info before each site, and keeping us all aware of meeting places and times. All of the stops were amazing and we had just the right amount of time at each. She also took fabulous photos for us at each stop. We also bought customized bookmarks she does herself. All the sites are well worth seeing and Amy does a fabulous job!
We had an absolute blast on the Kyoto Must-See Spots & Nara Park One-Day Tour, and Joy Liu made the experience truly outstanding! Managing a large group of 48 people is no easy task, but Joy handled it with complete grace, sweetness, and incredible organization. She was exceptionally knowledgeable, making sure every single person had what they needed throughout the entire day. One of my favorite details was how proactive she was on WhatsApp—sending clear do’s and don’ts, tips on what to expect at Nara Deer Park, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Fushimi Inari, and constantly sharing her live location which really helped a lot. Joy’s thoughtfulness and seamless communication took all the stress out of traveling with a big group. If we could give her 5++ stars, we absolutely would! Highly recommended to anyone visiting Kyoto!
Our tour guide, Joy was a pleasure to work with as it was wonderful she made an exception to provide an assigned seat for my husband who’s physically challenged. She also pointed out an elevator to make it easier for him to access the torii gates. Joy was a fabulous guide as she created a “What’s Ap thread” for the group for communication purposes which was very helpful. People used it to communicate with her and at times she included her precise loxation. She also pointed out points of interest, gave us background and included restaurants too on the What’s Ap thread. She was veey knowledgeable very mindful and pointed; out landmarks with specific directions so people wouldn’t get lost. Our bus driver did an outstanding job on driving us and the bus was very clean. We enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it
Covered all the spots as mentioned in the itinerary. Well planned and executed with almost full count of 50 ppl. Special thanks to Joy & the driver for being with us through the tour.
Amazing! Primary because of "happy bunny" Amy, our tour guide. She accommodated everyone's requests! Super energetic, funny & kept us all organized. Deer Park, I could've spent 3-4 hours there alone! Bamboo forest was beauuuutiful! Torrii gates, simply amazing. Only problem: there's too many people everywhere! Still worth it!
Well organized. Good communication by the team leader Sarah. Ben and Jesse were great as guides. The sights we visited were iconic. A great day overall. The bus was comfortable and the driver was excellent. Highly recommended. Agreat way to see Kyoto and get to Osaka. Thank you!
Overall it was a good way of visiting the spots as it gives you freedom how to spend the time allotted for each site. I wish it was a little bit longer because if you include other activities in the program it is hard to roam around the sites.
Touring with Amy was a wonderful experience~ she was so friendly and kind - my friend and I felt well taken care of and educated (about the different places) despite it being a short period of time. She gave wonderful recommendations (local insights), shared so much interesting information efficiently, and took wonderful photos that we are excited to share back home with friends and family. Her energy was truly outstanding and we thought she was a super woman haha 🤭 We highly recommend touring with Amy and would love to be able to tour with her again the next time we visit Kyoto! Thank you again Amy!!! ❤️
We had a wonderful time with Amy on the Kyoto one day tour! She was very knowledgeable in all of the different attractions, shared lots of insights and local tips/recommendations, and most importantly was really a great person to meet on our journey. She took great care of all of us and also took amazing photos that we will definitely have saved in our memories for a lifetime! Thank you again so much Amy and would love to come back and tour with you again!!! ❤️🫰🏻❤️
Amy was an amazing guide! An exceptional photographer capturing all the photos we missed! We had a wonderful tour completed with fantastic souvenirs!
It was such an amazing experience! Super fun and interactive. Also our tour guide Amy was an amazing tour guide. She was fun, enthusiastic, a great photographer and joyful.
Amy was such a nice person and tour guide
Amy was great with detailed instructions on the initial meetup location and at each stop. She took great pictures for us at each stop and provided good info and tips at each stop.
Jack was very kind and attentive to our needs; he explained everything we saw during the excursion and gave us advice on what to do next during our vacation. Thank you!
Fiona was excellent and funny.
The Kyoto tour was a good experience, and our tour guide was very professional and helpful throughout the trip. Unfortunately, it rained, which made things a little difficult and kept us from enjoying everything as much as we’d hoped. I only wish the weather had been better, but the guide did a great job despite the conditions.
By far the most well organised and well ran trip I’ve ever been on.
Lee was a great host with some great jokes! Was very helpful with Kimono rentals and making sure we didn't get lost.
Amy was absolutely AMAZING! From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well-organized and thoughtfully planned. She truly went above and beyond to ensure we had a seamless and enjoyable experience. She provided detailed instructions, photos, and clear directions to meeting locations, along with specific meeting times throughout our excursions. She even shared her live location to make it easy to reconnect if anyone got separated from the group. She also captured some incredible moments with her amazing photography. Her fluency in English was also a huge plus, making communication effortless and allowing her to answer all my questions with ease. I would give this tour a 10/10 without hesitation! Amy's attention to detail, professionalism, and genuine care made this an unforgettable experience. Thank you, Amy Bunny, for going above and beyond! 🐰❤️
Amy was excellent as our guide. Her knowledge, humour and willingness to help made our experience wonderful. This is the first time we have done a tour....Amy made it very special with her expertise about Nara, The Bamboo Forest and 1000 Red Tori gates. Amy is a great ambassador for Japan.
We have just finished our tour with Amy who was kind and informative throughout. The Deer were the highlight for me but being able to photograph fushimi inari when its getting dark is also magical. Thank you
A fantastic tour overall. Willa was a great guide, very fun, energetic and involved! Would definitely recommend.
Willa was so knowledgeable and funny, and we had an absolute blast on our tour! She also helped us book our tea ceremony class and shared great tips on the best spots for stunning views. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Highly recommend!
A wonderful tour overall. Willa was a great guide, very fun, energetic and involved! Would recommend.
Willa was such a wonderful host! She gave a lot of great introductions and kept the day running smoothly. Such a great quick experience in Kyoto!
My son and I had a great time on this tour. Although off-season, the sites were still crowded. This tour was enjoyable because we could visit each site at our own pace. Fiona was a lovely guide, very informative and full of energy. I was impressed with the number of languages she can speak. Hang onto her, she is a gem.
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