Kyoto top must-see Golden pavilion and Bamboo forest half-day Private tour
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
This tour is best for first-time visitors to Kyoto. You will visit popular must-see tourist attractions such as Golden Pavilion, bamboo groves, and Tenryuji Temple with its wonderful World Heritage garden.
We will also take you to hidden jem, meaning the temple of heaven, which is a relatively quiet and beautiful temple.
You can enjoy popular sightseeing spots in a comfortable and efficient manner by cab.
The tour ends in the Arashiyama area.
After the tour, the guide will give you directions to other must-see places such as movie studios, Nijo Castle, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu Temple, Gion, etc. If you are new to Kyoto, please join this tour and get an outline of Kyoto sightseeing.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The tour ends in the Arashiyama area.
Pick-up service is available at hotels in Kyoto City. Pick-up from private accommodations such as Airbnb is not available. Please send a message with the hotel's name and address.
What To Expect
Kinkakuji Temple
You can see the shining golden pavilion which used to be the political center of the Shogun(the head of Samurai warrior).It is one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto.
Jojakkoji Temple
A relatively uncrowded and quiet temple. This temple's name comes from the atmosphere as if it were playing in heaven.
Options
Kyoto top must-see Golden pavilion and Bamboo forest half-day Private tour
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Selected Local Professional Guides
Pick-up service （only Kyoto city）
Taxi fee: About 6000 yen per one taxi. *Depending on the hotel location and traffic conditions.
＊4people (a guide+3 guests) can get on one taxi. If your group is 4 people, you need two taxis.
Admission fee : around 1500yen per person for all temples
Retern transfer, The tour ends in the Arashiyama area.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
56 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Kyoto Temple Tour with Naomi
F7106GPjordanp,Jun 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Naomi was a wonderful tour guide! We truly enjoyed learning about the history of Kyoto’s temples with her. She was kind and funny and made our experience so fun and memorable!
Kyoto into
Susan Z,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Hiro was great! Very professional, knowledgeable, caring. This was a great into to Kyoto in our limited time here
Yoshi was a very kind and...
Kristiane O,Apr 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Yoshi was a very kind and thoughtful guide, starting with his recommendation to amend our tour to mostly indoors due to inclement weather. It was an excellent suggestion given the heavy rain on our tour day. He also brought little handmade gifts from his family members for us. We felt welcome and appreciated. He was very knowledgeable about the sites we visited and spoke excellent English. We thoroughly enjoyed or amended tour, though we cannot speak to how the original itinerary would have been. Definitely recommend Yoshi as a guide.
Wonderful tour of must see spots in Kyoto
georgianap153,Apr 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour with Aikiko was amazing. She provided wonderful background and context to the sites we visited. Our itinerary started with the Golden Pavilion, then the Okochi Senso garden, bamboo Forest and the Tenryu-Ji temple. She was also an excellent photographer and made a wonderful suggestion for a ramen restaurant for our lunch following the tour. Highly recommend.
Fabulous Tour
Climber781255,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Akemi was an excellent guide who not only gave an excellent tour of the sites but gave very interesting background info for the sites. She was very generous and gave us advice for our trip.
Half day tour Kyoto
Susan L,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great time with Yoshi seeing some of the sights of Kyoto. He was very accommodating of our needs and interests. It was a delight!
Half day Kyoto tour
Liebersu,Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My 91 year old father and I went on a half-day tour of Kyoto with Yoshi. We had a great time seeing the Golden Pavillion, the Bamboo Forest, and Tenryuji Temple. Throughout the tour, Yoshi provided historical and cultural information. He was so friendly and helpful. Yoshi found us a nice spot for udon lunch and even a shop to buy beautiful fans. We are very grateful for the excellent service and highly recommend Yoshi.
Highly recommend this tour
730teril,Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Mailan was a wonderful guide. She picked us up at the train station, got us to our hotel and waited until we checked in, then started our tour. Mailan is from Kyoto so she was very friendly and knowledgeable about what we were visiting. We enjoyed the tour immensely and saw a tremendous amount as well as gaining with a better understanding of the area and culture. Great tour!
Great day in Kyoto!
Amy P,Oct 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Tammy was a fantastic guide. She shared a lot about history, and also shared how she and her family live today. We enjoyed all of the sites.
Great tour and tour guide!
Brent F,Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Yumi was a wonderful tour guide. We learned a lot about the history and culture of Kyoto. Great experience!
Related Experiences
Operated by EE tour