Private Tour
Private Japanese Ancient Tour from Kyoto to Nara
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
Nara and Kyoto are two of Japan's most culturally rich ancient capitals, carrying centuries of tradition and historical significance. Both cities once served as the nation's capital and today remain home to countless cultural treasures and historical landmarks.
Nara: A Serene City of Sacred Deer
As one of Japan’s earliest capitals, Nara is known for its peaceful atmosphere and strong Buddhist legacy. The freely roaming deer in Nara Park, regarded as messengers of the gods, are a beloved symbol of the city.
Kyoto: A Perfect Blend of Culture and Nature
Kyoto, often referred to as the "heart of Japanese culture," served as the imperial capital for over a thousand years. From the golden elegance of Kinkaku-ji to the iconic stage of Kiyomizu-dera and the endless red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto offers scenes straight out of a historical scroll. Its seasonal beauty is unmatched—cherry blossoms in spring and fiery maple leaves in autumn transform the city into a living postcard.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The total duration includes the travel time.
The duration for every attraction is the recommend time.
If you want shorten or extend single attraction duration, you can communicate with driver or guide.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Fuel & Tolls & Parking fee
Private Transportation(Luxury 6 or 9 Seats van )
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi
Todai-ji Temple
Kinkakuji Temple
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Kinkakuji Temple
Kinkakuji Temple, a three-storey pavilion covered in gold leaf that is one of the most famous and recognizable of all the historic buildings in Kyoto and has been selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will see the golden reflection of the temple in the still mirror water surface. And try to pray in front of those statues for fortune and luck.
Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine, where a long corridor of thousands of Torii Shrine gates, a bright red tunnel along the mountain path, is an amazing experience. You could walk through every gate, feel the ancient sense, and take photos. The Torii shrine gates form a maze, wish you can find your way out.
Options
For 1-5 People With Tour Guide
5 Seats+1 Guide
Pickup included
For 6-8 People With Tour Guide
8 Seats+1 Guied
Pickup included
For 1-6 People
6 Seats
Pickup included
For 7-9 People
9 Seats
Pickup included
Reviews
5 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great way to get around...
Gregory G,
Apr 14, 2025
- Viator
5.00Great way to get around to see 5-6 of most popular sights in Kyoto. Guide was great, was flexible to get coffee, great recommendation on lunch, and modified order of sights to avoid traffic.
A Disappointing Day
Karen B,
Apr 4, 2025
- Viator
2.00The description of this tour states that the professional guide will share with you the culture and stories of what you will see. Our driver spoke very limited English and provided no guidance or knowledge of anything we saw. She was very nice and a good driver but that is all she was. Based on the description of what the tour was supposed to entail, we did not get what was promised. In looking at the other 3 published reviews, I see the same thing happened with another customer. If you want a guide, you need to make sure they provide you with one. This was a very disappointing day.
Kyoto, where it all began!
GARY M,
Nov 17, 2024
- Viator
5.00Gao was a great guide and driver. She was ontime, assisted us with all we needed and took us to some great places, even allowed us a diversion for a Starbucks. Gao drove safely and we would recoomend her to anyone thinking of these tours. Nara was a standout along with the Inari shrine and Bamboo forest. If you come to Kyoto, do this tour.
Couple of outstanding attractions
Neil V,
Nov 14, 2024
- Viator
3.00Good tour to take in a good sampling of famous temples and places and gardens in Kyoto and environs, if you have not cherry picked already on your Kyoto stay. Mt Hikari temple and trek is a must. Nara, the last stop is entirely disappointing with only a park in the center of tiwn with a lot of cute deer used to being ‘pet fed’ by tourists. Insist that English speaking driver does speak English. Ours hardly spoke any and even with Google translate it was a struggle. Be aware Nara is also very spotty on wifi and lowbon parking, coordinating pickups by the driver can be a nightmare..we had to escalate to the Tour company office to be picked up. Viator handoff on independent tour operators is a problem..they keep using the home country contact versus the local telephone number even after both parties are provided local numbers in advance of tour date.. consistent problem with Viator and independent operators not syncing, unless you are keeping home country phone numbers active during yoyr trip.
Great day
Brooke F,
Oct 7, 2024
- Viator
5.00My husband and I had a great day and our host Mia was lovely, patient and very informative and helpful. Mia even took some great photos of us on my phone. The car was comfortable and definitely appreciated the air conditioning after coming back from each of the stops as it was a very hot day.
Related Experiences
Operated by kansai holiday