Kyoto Spring Essentials (from Kyoto)

THIS TOUR STARTS FROM A LOCATION OF YOUR CHOICE IN KYOTO.

You can pick your hotel, a train station or any other location as long as it is located within KYOTO CITY.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE?

+ Vehicle designated in selected package (either a Toyota Alphard, HiAce Grand Cabin or HiAce Luxury Cabin)

+ English speaking driver (the driver is not a guide & may only have basic English skills)

+ Tolls, Highway Fees, Parking Fees, Fuel (and other associated vehicle costs for this itinerary)

SEAT PLAN

Toyota Alphard	HiAce Grand Cabin	HiAce Luxury Cabin

HOW CAN I ADD A TOUR GUIDE?

Pick a date & package; press the PROCEED BOOKING button. The next screen will offer you the option to add on a REGION EXPERT (a local guide with expert knowledge of the area, its history and culture) for an additional fee. Other add-ons may also be available.

ITINERARY

This private package tour will start at a location of your choice within KYOTO and then proceed to your chosen destination options.

Please type in three options from the following after pressing the PROCEED BOOKING button.

Option 01: Philosopher’s Path

Option 02: Maruyama Park

Option 03: Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka

Option 04: Kinkakuji

Option 05: Gion

DETAILED ITINERARY

We start off in Kyoto. After picking you up in one of our luxurious private vehicles, we will drive you through the three destinations of your choice.

Option 01: Philosopher’s Path (Recommended)

Philosopher’s Path (or Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. Usually in early April these trees explode with color, making this one of the city’s most popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots.

Option 02: Maruyama Park (Recommended) 

Maruyama Park  is a public park next to Yasaka Shrine in the Higashiyama District. In the first half of April, when the cherry trees are in full bloom, the park becomes Kyoto’s most popular and most crowded spot for cherry blossom viewing parties (hanami). It is noted as the main center for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto, and can get extremely crowded at that time of year (April). The park’s star attraction is a weeping cherry tree (shidarezakura) which becomes lit up at night. It also becomes busy in the New Year’s Eve Festivals.

Entrance fee (separate from tour price, to be purchased on the spot)
Adults: JPY700 per person

Option 03: Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka (Recommended)

Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka is a steep and busy lanes of the atmospheric Higashiyama District including Ninenzaka-Sannenzaka. The many shops and restaurants in the area have been catering to tourists and pilgrims for centuries, and products on sale range from local specialties such as Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets and pickles to the standard set of souvenirs.

Option 04: Kinkakuji

Kinkakuji or Golden Pavilion is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond, and is the only building left of Yoshimitsu’s former retirement complex.

Entrance fee (separate from Tour price, to be purchased on the spot)
Adults : JPY400 per person / Elementary & Junior High School Students: JPY 300 per person

Option 05: Gion

Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.

The tour will end with us dropping you off at a location of your choice in Kyoto.