This tour is recommended for the first timers to Kyoto. Kyoto had been the capital of Japan for 1000 years and has many old temples and shrines to visit. In this tour, you can visit the most popular sightseeing spot for travelors from abroad and the temple which is very famous for its beautiful garden.
At your hotel (lobby)(in Kyoto)
This temple was built in the 13th century and was one of the 'Five most important Zen temples in Kyoto'. This temple is so famous for its colored maple leaves in autumn (the view from 'Tsutenkyo Bridge is so famous!), however, this temple also has some beautiful Zen gardens. You can have the quiet, and peaceful time here.
It may be interesting for you to see the toilet of long time ago.
You can walk under 10000 vermillion torii gates tunnel standing closely each other. In the movie, 'SAYURI (Memories of a Geisha)', a little girl (main character) runs under these torii gates.
This place is so popular among many people from all over the world and is always crowded with so many people. It's difficult to take good pictures, however, I will take good ones of you here. Leave it to me!!
We will visit one more place, a rock garden, which I like to visit and spend some time in Kyoto.There are not so many people visiting here, and you can sit in front of the rock garden and enjoy the quiet and peaceful time.
This tour ends at Inari Station (JR) or Fushimi Inari Station (Keihan), however, I will give you some advice, where to have lunch around Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, how to go back to your hotel, and so on.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine was built in the 8th century and is the head shrine of more than 30000 Inari jinjya shrines in Japan. You can pray for your business success because this shrine has the connection with rice harvest.
This shrine is also well known as a stage, used in the movie 'SAYURI'.
Tofukuji Temple is especially famous for its colored maple leaves in autumn, however, you can also enjoy its beauty of its green maples in other seasons.
We also visit its beautful gardens (zen gardens)
Guide fee, hotel pick up in Kyoto area
Transportation fee (you and your guide)
Entrance fee : Tofukuji Temple, 400 Japanese yen
garden, 400 Japanese yen
another garden, 300 Japanese yen
If you book me early, I can exchange mails with you many times to know what you want to do in details, collect information and prepare a lot for your plan. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything in advance.
I can guide you in the morning almost every day.(from 8:30 or 9:00 AM till 13:00 or 13:30PM)
This year, in case of the full day tour, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, are available.
Please note that we will use public transportation.
Tomoe was excellent! She was extremely knowledgeable and very patient with us. She even walked us to our platform when we had to take a train to our next destination. Highly recommend!
Dear Jackie, Thank you very much for your warmhearted review. I hope that you enjoyed visiting places such as Kiyomizudera Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Bamboo Forest on such a muggy day. I also hope that you will come back to Kyoto during other seasons except summer and I can see you again. TOMOE
We were looking for a guide for our first day in Kyoto and we found Tomoe's tour of the once-a-month hand-made market. We had no idea about the market, and it was a perfect match for us as we love hand-made things, and they make perfect souvenirs. Tomoe did an amazing job showing us around the market and the beautiful Ginkakuji temple. She helped my elderly mother who had mobility issues and was able to help her get a taxi when she needed to head back to the hotel. We would highly recommend her to anyone and if you're in Kyoto on the 15th of a month please have her show you the hand-made lovers market!
Dear Walter and family, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the hand-made market. (I was happy to help your mother to choose and buy her favorite things at the market!) Yes, you are lucky to have been in Kyoto on 15th of a month when the hand-made market held. I hope that all of your family made a good memory and brought your favorite things to your home. Thank you very much for booking my tour. TOMOE
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Tomoe! We couldn't have visited all those places she took us to alone. Our tour included riding on trains, a bus, and a taxi. It was nice to see how locals travel, and a more rewarding experience than getting off and on a tour bus. Tomoe was knowledgeable about all the sites and was easy to talk to. It was like being on a tour with a family member. Tomoe was approachable and genuinely cared about us having a good time. I highly recommend booking a tour with Tomoe! We look forward to seeing her again on our next trip to Japan!
Dear Lisa, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed visiting places in Kyoto with me, and saying 'It was like being on a tour with a family member.' I had such a wonderful time with you, really nice family. I do hope that I can see you again! Thank you very much for booking me as your guide. TOMOE
We arranged for our tour guide TOMOE before we left the Uk and the communication with TOMOE was excellent in planning what we wished to see. Meeting her was simple and we could not have wished for a more charming and knowledgeable guide. The day was planned to perfection and certainly made our day in Kyoto one of the high lights of our trip to Japan. I would thoroughly recommend TOMOE to anyone wishing for a guide whilst Japan.
Dear Graham, Thank you very much for your warmhearted review! I'm happy that you found me, booked me, and visited Kyoto from Osaka Port. You are such nice people, and I enjoyed talking with you so much. I wish I had more time with you. I hope that I can see you again. Thank you very much for booking me as your guide. TOMOE