Kyoto Top Four Highlights Day Trip from Osaka or Kyoto
Overview
Available languages
9 hours
Mobile ticket
Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. Take a journey through time in Kyoto, where tradition blends harmoniously with modernity.
Visit Nijo Castle, its palace buildings are arguably the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.
Visit the magnificent torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, and explore the Arashiyama area, which includes the serene Bamboo Forest, Nonomiya Shrine, the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House and the beautiful Kimono Forest.
Marvel at the golden temple of Kinkaku-ji that shows you the best of the timeless Japanese city, also known as the Golden Pavilion.
Depart from Osaka or Kyoto, experience a magical fusion of nature and history with our friendly and professional guide.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please indicate when booking if you're traveling with stroller or large luggage.
Please inform us at least one day in advance if you have placed an order separately from your relatives or friends. This will help avoid the situation where you and your companions are assigned to different vehicles.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Air-conditioned vehicle
Guide
Lunch (time provided for independent dining)
Admission tickets: Nijo Castle & Ninomaru Goten Palace
Admission tickets: Kinkaku-ji Temple
What To Expect
Nijo Castle
Nijo-jo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1868). It is one of the best-known castles in Japan, its palace buildings are arguably the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Nijo-jo Castle can be divided into three areas: the Honmaru (main circle of defense), the Ninomaru (secondary circle of defense), and some gardens around them. The entire castle grounds and the Honmaru are surrounded by stone walls and moats. The admission ticket for Nijo Castle, which includes access to the Ninomaru-goten Palace, costs 1,300 yen. Please ensure you have the appropriate cash for entry. Thank you. ( During the days when Nijo Castle was closed, visit Heian Jingu Shrine instead. This Shinto shrine is located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, and is recognized as an important cultural property of Japan. )
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion）is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. A breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its dazzling golden exterior and serene gardens. The name Golden Pavilion is derived from the gold leaf that the pavilion is covered in. The gold employed was intended to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings toward death. The Golden Pavilion is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex. Each floor has a different architectural style. The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture, which are shinden, samurai, and zen.
Options
From Osaka
Duration: 9 hours
Bus
Starting point:
Kintetsu-Nippombashi Station, 1-chōme-18-14 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0073, Japan
From Kyoto
Duration: 9 hours
Bus
Starting point:
Kyoto Station Hachijo Entrance Square Sunken Garden, Higashikujo Nishisannocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8003, Japan
Reviews
16 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The big 4 in 1 day
134tung,
Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Comfortable bus, great tour guide Anson, Good tour content. It covered 4 important sights in Kyoto i.e. Ninjo Castle, Kinkoktsu, Arashiyama and Funari Inari. all without the stress of co-ordinating the subway and bus routes.
Great tour
JudeMarie C,
Oct 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The tour was awesome. We covered multiple sites that are “must see places” in Kyoto. We had a great time with Amy. She is very organized, funny and knowledgeable. We did so much in such a little time.
One day Kyoto Trip
Shilpa s,
Aug 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a good one day Kyoto trip option with major site seeing place. Tour guide, Jackson was informative.
See a lot in one day.
Darren W,
Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A great way to see many iconic sights in one day. Pick up was prompt and day went to plan. Timing was suffice to explore each place. Anson was great with his explanations.
Awesome day in Kyoto
Christine L,
Aug 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Anson, our tour guide, was excellent. He gave thorough directions and kept the large group informed and on pace. It was an excellent choice to see the highlights of Kyoto in one day. Anson was very knowledgeable and gave lots of details about Kyoto and the places we saw.
Very good tour for...
Leticia R,
Jul 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very well tour to get to know quickly the most important things about Kyoto! Our guide Jackson very friendly all the time thank you
Informative and Fun
Jennifer K,
Jul 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A well planned day out with a friendly and informative tour guide. Brilliant places to visit with plenty of time on a guided tour as well as free time on it and great value for money too. I very much enjoyed the day.
Disappointed
Yenifer P,
Jul 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00It was a very disappointing experience, so many people in the tour, the tour guy (even that I know it wasn’t his fault and he was super nice) had a very heavy accent and we couldn’t understand anything he was trying to explain the whole tour. Also the tour has false advertisement because they say they are supposed to take you to senbon Torii and they didn’t, we ended up leaving the tour half way through
Kyoto day tour
Divya P,
Jul 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a good experience and the tour guide was very knowledgeable (Charlie). Very well planned and executed
Perfect day out
Marco P,
Jul 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour. Saki our tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, friendly and very passionate about her job.
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