From Osaka or Kyoto: Kyoto and Nara 1-Day Bus Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Begin your day from VIP Lounge in Osaka or Kyoto.
Your journey begins in Nara, Japan’s ancient capital. Discover the beauty of Nara Park, a historic landmark reflecting the city’s timeless charm. Continue to Todai-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the 15-meter Great Buddha inside the world’s largest wooden structure.
Next, immerse yourself in the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Walk amidst towering stalks and feel the tranquil atmosphere as sunlight filters through the grove. Free time for lunch (note: location may shift to Fushimi Inari depending on traffic).
Lunch Option features world-famous Kobe beef celebrated for its tenderness and rich flavor. You can choose from these three classic styles: Shabu-shabu, Sukiyaki, or Beef Rice Bowl.
Continue to Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. Admire its gold-leaf exterior and serene garden.
Finally, visit the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its thousands of vermilion torii gates up Mount Inari.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The tour schedule may change without prior notice due to weather, road traffic conditions, and other unforeseen reasons. (There might be delays in returning to the designated location. If the tour is cancelled by the supplier due to extreme weather or natural disaster, you will receive a full refund.
This tour will depart regardless of weather or traffic conditions, unless you are notified otherwise by the local operator. Trip Advisor / Viator and your local tour operator will not be responsible for itinerary changes due to unforeseen circumstances.
Depending on the number of participants, English and Chinese commentary might be given in the same bus.
Infants under 3 years old are free of charge without seat. If a seat is required, please book with children's price
Please arrive 10 minutes before at your selected meeting point, as your assigned bus & guide will be based on that specific location. The guide has a list of participants for each bus & may not be able to accommodate guests who arrive at a different meeting point. Late arrival or arrival at the wrong location will miss the tour, & refund won't be issued. If you'd like to change your meeting point or unsure about the meeting point, pls notify us at least 2 days before departure for assistance.
The bus will be departing on time (no exception).
Please adhere to the scheduled time. We are unable to accommodate delays or wait for any reason. The tour will depart promptly as scheduled to respect all customers' time.
In case of late arrival or arrival at wrong location, regardless of contact prior to the departure time, refunds may not be granted.
Please check the photo in the product page & scan the QR code for the meeting point reference.
Contact # may not be responsive outside of business hours, 9:30am~6pm JST (weekdays only)
Regarding luggage, we allow one piece of luggage per person during the excursion. Please also ensure that the luggage is manageable and fits comfortably within our vehicle. (The maximum size for luggage stored in the trunk should not exceed a total of 155cm- combined height, width, and depth.) Please also be aware that any items stored in the trunk will not be accessible in between stops on the tour, so keep all valuables with you.
In general, we do not send out confirmation emails prior to departure. If you would like more information or need to clarify something, please contact us and we will send you the relevant details.
Upon arrival, please confirm your name with the guide or staff on the participant list.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Nara Park
Nara, Japan’s historic capital. Discover the serene beauty of Nara Park and explore Todai-ji Temple, the largest wooden structure in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Be awed by Japan’s colossal Buddha statue, towering 15 meters high.
Todai-ji Temple
Todaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara, is home to the Great Buddha, one of the largest bronze statues in the world, and the world’s largest wooden building.
What‘s Included
Lunch (if the option is selected)
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
English or Chinese Speaking Guide
Entrance fee to Kinkakuji temple
Hotel Pick up / Drop off
Entrance fee to Todaiji temple (Optional)
Options
Kobe-Beef Sukiyaki /Osaka Dep.
Kobe Beef Sukiyaki Lunch: ※Only Available for Osaka Departure Option. This lunch option features a Sukiyaki hot pot of premium Kobe beef.
Osaka Villa Namba Departure: (Meeting time: 7:50AM/Departure time: 8:00AM)
Starting point:
VIP Villa Namba, 1-chōme-2-1 Nanbanaka, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0011, Japan
Kobe-Beef Rice Bowl/Osaka dep.
Kobe Beef Rice Bowl Lunch: ※Only Available for Osaka Departure Option.
This lunch option features a rice bowl of premium Kobe beef.
Osaka Villa Namba Departure: (Meeting time: 7:50AM/Departure time: 8:00AM)
Starting point:
VIP Villa Namba, 1-chōme-2-1 Nanbanaka, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0011, Japan
Pork Shabu/Kyoto (9:00 Meetup)
Kyoto Pork Shabu-shabu Lunch: Explore the historical Kyo-machiya charm & savor Pork Shabu-shabu.
Kyoto Departure (9:10 am)
Kobe-Beef Shabu-shabu /Osaka
Kobe Beef Shabu-Shabu Lunch: ※Only Available for Osaka Departure Option. This lunch option features a hot pot of premium Kobe beef shabu-shabu."
Osaka Departure (8:00 am)
Starting point:
VIP Villa Namba, 1-chōme-2-1 Nanbanaka, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0011, Japan
No Lunch / Osaka (7:50 Meetup)
No Lunch Option: There is no lunch included in this option.
Osaka Villa Namba Departure: (Meeting Time: 07:50AM／Departure Time: 08:00AM)
Starting point:
VIP Villa Namba, 1-chōme-2-1 Nanbanaka, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0011, Japan
Pork Shabu/Osaka (7:50 Meetup)
Kyoto Pork Shabu-shabu Lunch: Explore the historical Kyo-machiya charm & savor Pork Shabu-shabu
Osaka Departure (7:50 Meet up)
No Lunch / Kyoto (9:00 Meetup)
No Lunch Option: There is no lunch included in this option.
Kyoto VIP Lounge Departure: (Meeting time: 9:00AM/Departure time: 9:10AM)
Starting point:
VIP Lounge Kyoto, Japan, 601-8417 Kyoto, Minami Ward, Nishikujō Toriiguchichō, 6番地 1F
Reviews
143 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A great way to see some...
Paula D,,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A great way to see some key sights of Kyoto & Nara in a day. Our guide Eric was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend.
Recommended
Matthew M,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Gary was excellent. Very knowledgeable and accommodating of all the guests. The sites are worth visiting
Great trip.
Chan P,,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a good way to hit all the main attractions in Kyoto. We spent 1-1.5 hours at each spot. This was perfect for my family. We are fairly young so we had no problem keeping up. We just wanted to see the spots, take some pics and not necessarily want to learn the attractions in depth…so it was perfect for us. Our guide Mike was friendly and accommodating. The pace may be a little fast for older folks (i.e. late 60s and over), but perfect for us. The Kobe beef lunch was very good.
Fantastic tour. Nick was...
Anna T,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Fantastic tour. Nick was our guide and he was wonderful, so knowledgable, funny, and attentive. We got to see the highlights of Osak with the convenience of being driven around everywhere. Nara Park was a personal highlight. A great way to spend a day! Loved!
It was a very informative...
Laurence E,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a very informative tour with an excellent tour guide , Eric, who not only explained everything carefully, but also had a good sense of humour. We just felt the tour was a bit long for the winter season.
Best Group Tour
Nerissa Dolor Q,,Oct 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I joined this group tour as a solo traveler. The itinerary is good when you have only few days to stay in Japan. Our tour guide Harry is very friendly and approachable. I enjoyed this tour a lot because we had enough time to explore each and tourist spots that we visited. Highly recommended for all travelers.
Highly Recommended for All Travellers!
TimTamGirl,,Sep 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was well planned and included all the highlights needed to get a taste of the main tourist attractions that can often be hard to get to on public transport. Mike was our guide and along with the awesome driver we were always on time and had plenty of exploration time at each spot. We loved the Shabu-shabu lunch too! Do yourself a favour and book this tour!
Kyoto in a day!!!
Voyage68542978562,,Sep 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fun way to squeeze Kyoto in a day. The guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable and kept a loose leash which I appreciated. Many of the tourists in our bus had been to Japan before. I wanted to show my boyfriend Kyoto and turn my brain off. Once we got to a destination, he would give us a quick rundown and tell us when/where to be back. This helped feel like we were there on our own. If I come back with friends (who haven’t been) I would do this tour again.
Culture and traditions galore!
I8822RGjudyh,,Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great cultural sites, plenty of time to see and experience different shrines and traditions!!! Our tour guide, Nick-San, was awesome who took time to get to know people and engage in friendly conversations! Love the Kobe beef shabu shabu! So delicious and worth the price! If walking is an issue for you, be cautious to sign up as there are a lot of walking on this tour! Also, the deers are so docile WHEN you don’t have the food that they want, which are crackers sold by the vendors. Deers will bite if you have the crackers they want! So don’t buy too much crackers if you don’t want to get bitten! Suggest to buy a little bit at a time.
Very unprofessional driver
Adesuwa I,,Jul 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00The driver was extremely discriminating and rude to my husband. Ignored him when he asked for how to store his luggage until the tour guide had to come and do it for him. When we arrived back at the drop off the driver refused to get down and bring out our luggage from the truck. The tour guide had to yell at him and other passengers also did the same before he reluctantly came to bring it out from the truck. The tour guide was very professional but driver was extremely unprofessional and disengaged. And unwilling to even speak to us maybe because we are Africans. It was a big let down for a tour that would have been a nice one
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From ¥9,800Was ¥11,800
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Operated by VIP Japan Tours