With this course, you will visit eastern Kyoto. It is 8 hours course.

Places we will visit

  • Sanjusangendo
  • Kiyomizu Temple
  • Gion district
  • Fushimi Inari Shrine

Our day in Kyoto, the cultural heart of traditional Japan, starts off at Sanjusangen-do Temple. The long wooden hall here is dedicated to Kannon, a Buddhist deity of mercy. Inside is a large seated statue of Kannon at the center of the hall, and on either side are 500 standing statues of the eleven-faced, one-thousand-armed Kannon. Each of these incredible wooden sculptures has a slightly different face. The original set was crafted in the mid-12th century. Some of these survived a fire that later struck the temple, but the other statues that were rebuilt also maintain great historical value, as they are about 750 years old.

Next, we will make our way over to Kiyomizu Temple. The pure, clean water for which this Buddhist temple is named comes from three little water falls, each one providing a different benefit if you drink from it: longevity, beauty, or academic success. The grand projecting veranda forming the stage of Kiyomizu is an extraordinary sight. The structure is held steady with a cleverly designed supporting structure constructed only from interlocking wooden parts. Kiyomizu Temple also offers a magnificent sweeping view of Kyoto. On the way up to the temple, you’ll walk along stone-paved streets, passing by an amazing wooden pagoda and women wearing colorful kimonos. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit a variety of shops selling traditional souvenirs such as incense and pottery.

After Kiyomizu Temple is Gion. This area contains some of Kyoto’s geisha districts, where geishas and their apprentices, maikos, provide traditional entertainment. Geishas and maikos work in teahouses where they serve customers. You will also find upscale Japanese restaurants in Gion. While touring with your guide in the early evening, you may be able to see a geisha or maiko walking down the street in a fancy kimono. With its beautiful paper lanterns glowing softly after sunset outside of traditional wooden houses, Gion is a fantastic place to enjoy the atmosphere of traditional Kyoto.

Our final visit will be to Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine. This Shinto shrine is famous for the thousands of vermillion gates that seem to go on forever along the paths up and down the mountain here. Fushimi Inari was originally founded for worshippers to pray for good harvests, but today, they come to ask for success in business. The shrine is at once lively and bustling, while quiet and mysterious, depending where you are on its expansive grounds. You haven’t truly experienced Kyoto until you’ve visited this grandest of the city’s shrines.

Price: \35,000 for a group up to 6 people / \40,000 for a group more than 7 people

*This price does not include transportation fees and entrance fees.