Kyoto tours and excursions

Kyoto tours

Bus tours

Kyoto Sky Bus is a hop-on-hop-off bus service that takes sightseers to different areas of the city. Stops include Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Nijo-jo Castle, as well as the Gion geisha district. GPS-based voice guidance in English is available.

Telephone: +81 75 744 0973
Taxi Tours

Several taxi companies offer private sightseeing tours that can be tailored to interests and time constraints. The company Kyoto MK suggests day long, chauffeur-guided outings that take in temples and mountain scenery and provides English-speaking guides.

Telephone: +81 75 778 4145

Excursions from Kyoto

Nara

Less than an hour south of Kyoto is the ancient city of Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan and one that remains adorned in cultural riches. Day-trippers should head straight for Todaiji Temple, one of the city’s three UNESCO sites and home to a bronze Buddha of epic proportions. Those staying longer can visit the celebrated Kasuga Shrine and Kofuku-ji Temple, full of treasured Buddhist artefacts.

Osaka

Step aboard a futuristic Shinkansen (high-speed train), and in the space of half an hour, Kyoto’s history-drenched streets can be exchanged for the ultramodern skyscrapers of Osaka. This neon-lit port city is famous for its dining scene, with hundreds of restaurants cramming streets around the Dōtonbori Bridge. Vibrant nightlife and some interesting sights, including the impressive Osaka Castle, add to the city’s appeal.

Takahama

Japan is the first Asian country to obtain the Blue Flag award for its beaches, one of which is Wakasa Wada Beach in Takahama town, just a short two-hour train ride away from Kyoto. The surrounding translucent waters are best explored on a kayak or a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP).

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Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.