From Tokyo 1-Day Kyoto English-guided Tour by Bullet Train
Overview
Available languages
12 hours
Mobile ticket
Ride the Shinkansen, Japan's famous bullet train, to Kyoto and experience the ancient capital's 1,200 years of rich history. Recommended for those who do not have much time but still want to see Kyoto. This bus tour includes round-trip Shinkansen transportation, afternoon sightseeing tour of Kyoto with a National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter, and lunch. The meeting location for this tour is at Tourist Information Center Tokyo near Tokyo Station. This tour promotes Environment(Eco)-friendly efforts and Cross-cultural Understanding as stated under Sunrise Tours' Sustainable Development Goals.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
If the tour is canceled, customers will be notified by the conducting company or their travel agent.
This is a special tour for international visitors. Please understand that residents of Japan cannot make bookings for this tour.
Train times may change due to timetable alterations or other reasons.
The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations.
Seats may not be designated.
Children up to 5 years old may join free of charge, but will not be provided with bus and Shinkansen seats or lunch. If seats or lunch is required, please make a booking under the child rate.
[2025] Please make a request when booking if you prefer a vegetarian menu. Lunch will be a semi buffet. Only the main dish can be changed to a vegetarian dish. Same-day changes are not allowed.
[2026] Vegetarian-friendly Western-style set menu will be offered.
It will not be possible to bring large luggage whose total height, width, and length exceeds 160 cm onto Shinkansen. If bringing large luggage, please make use of a delivery service on your own.
Parental permission in writing is necessary for all tour participants under the age of eighteen. Any participant under the age of fifteen or not yet enrolled in middle school must be joined by a parent or guardian on the tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Lunch [2025] To request vegetarian meals, indicate in "Special requirements" when booking. No same-day changes allowed. [2026] Lunch will be updated to a vegetarian-friendly Western-style set menu.
National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter
Round-trip bullet train fare between Tokyo and Kyoto
Afternoon sightseeing tour of Kyoto
Fees other than those listed in Includes
What To Expect
An English-speaking tour conductor will guide you to the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station from Tokyo City i. Guides and other staff do not ride on the Shinkansen with tour participants. Upon arrival at Kyoto Station, another English-speaking staff will guide you to the lunch venue.
An English-speaking staff will be waiting for you on the platform at Kyoto Station and escort you to the lunch venue, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free arrival experience.
Options
TOKYO CITY i Dep. - Ordinary
Ordinary Car Seats: Standard-class reserved seat on bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto
Meet at Tokyo City i by 9:20am: Tokyo City i on the 1st basement floor [B1F] of the KITTE building.
Please be careful not to confuse this with the 1st floor
TOKYO CITY i Dep. - Green Car
Green Car seats: First-class reserved seat on bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Meet at Tokyo City i by 9:20am: Tokyo City i on the 1st basement floor [B1F] of the KITTE building.
Please be careful not to confuse this with the 1st floor
Reviews
374 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Bullet Train & Kyoto
JOHN S,
Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a great way to travel and the Temples were awesome. The guide was phenomenal and the lunch was fantastic
A great full day of experience
Lisa J,
Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A very well organised day. We were throughly looked after from start to finish. Despite being a very long day it was worth it to ride the bullet train on a return trip & to see iconic Kyoto (despite the huge crowds) try to ride the green (1st class) train car if budget allows as the journey over 2 hours each way.
Eye q lead delays
ValenciaPilar,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00On a cruise we stayed in Kyoto night to see the matsuri ion and took the train because the delayed train 2 hours we had to get in the previous one to ours with the same route, because if we did not miss cruise and of course the seats are assigned and in Japan are very straight, I had to get up several times, because obviously that was not my train, good thing I did not get caught, but eye q are delayed
Long rushed day. Only...
todd b,
Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00Long rushed day. Only gives you a small snap shot of Kyoto. It is very well organized overall though. Kyoto temples can be very overcrowded during the best of times but when time is so compressed it becomes a larger issue overall this is not a fault of the tour just the nature of Kyoto. The bullet train is a little bit of a unique experience if you've never ridden it but again trying to wrap it all into one day is a lot for the first time traveler to Japan.
Many temples
AURORA J,
Jul 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The temples are beautiful but the day very hot.The train journey gets a little long and it is difficult to find the meeting point.Luckily I managed to find the
Kyoto Experience
Arleen S,
Jul 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00From beginning to end was excellent. The assistan greet us a took us to the train and waited for us to leave giving us the necessary information to meet the person waiting for us in Kyoto. Me Yamamoto epwas waiting and took us to lunch. We waited for the tour guide, Tammy, to pick us up. The experience was wonderful and she was very knowledgeable of the history. She took us to the point of pick up and Mr Yamamoto arrive on time and took us to the train. He also waited until we left. I highly recommend all of them, 100%.
Extra Waiting Time
Matthew A,
Jun 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00There was too much waiting time. We took the bullet train, which was nice. But, we had extra time after lunch and had to wait on the tour bus for the other people to arrive from their morning tour. After the tour, we got done by 5:30pm, and had to wait for our train that didn't leave until 6:45pm. It was a long day! We met at the meeting point at 9:15am. We like private tours better. This tour had about 30 people on it.
Excellent tour to visit shrines and temples of Kyoto
Michael M,
Jun 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Yumi was an excellent tour guide. She was very knowledgeable about all the shrines and temples visited. The tour operators were excellent making sure the group of participants made the connections to the bullet train connections in Tokyo, meeting us in Kyoto to take us to lunch, and for the return trip from Kyoto at the end of the day. It was a full day and the bullet train made for great transportation to make the trip possible in one day. I definitely recommend.
bullet train
Z7485MCanthonym,
May 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00the train is fantastic with the chairs moving and the staff are brillant outstanding and beautiful staff and they speak really well japanese congratulation to the staff
Kyoto Express
Louise C,
May 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00When your travel plans are such that an overnight in Kyoto cannot be done, this tour is the way to go. The escort to the train in Tokyo is followed by the leisurely bullet train ride and when you arrive in Kyoto another escort appears and takes you to an elegant delicious lunch at a hotel followed by the tour to world reknown shrines- seeing cherry blossoms quite enjoyable as well.
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