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Offered languages
- English
Experience the vibrant history and culture of Kyoto and Nara all in one day from Osaka! Kick off your day with a train ride from Osaka to Kyoto, accompanied by our assistant. From Jan. 2025, you can board a Shinkansen! Upon arrival in Kyoto, a licensed English-speaking guide will join you, leading you to Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple, and Kyoto Imperial Palace. After lunch, the guided tour continues to Nara, where you'll marvel at Great Buddha statue at Todaiji Temple, mingle with the friendly deer at Nara Park, and visit KasugaTaisha Shrine. After a day filled with historical wonders, our assistant will escort you back to Osaka.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Please meet at Hotel Granvia Osaka 1F in front of elevator, not the 19th floor with front desk by 7:15am. After the meet-up, walk to JR Osaka Station. The tour will be guided by an assistant until reaching the Sunrise Tours Desk in Kyoto Avanti B1.
Tour ends at Osaka Namba Station around 6:30pm. No drop-off service to hotels will be provided. Please head back to the hotel on your own.
Itinerary
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(Pass by)
Take a rapid service, or local train to Shin-osaka station. Enjoy comfortable Shinkansen travel between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto! Public transportation will be used on this tour. All trains have non-reserved seats. Please note that seating is not guaranteed.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Arrive at Kyoto Station and walk to the Sunrise Tours Desk in Kyoto Avanti B1. The tour will take a bus to next destination from here.
Admission ticket free -
1
A World Heritage site. Tour the historical castle completed in 1626, which was built to provide lodging for the Tokugawa Shogun and as a palladium for Kyoto Imperial Palace. The impressive, elaborate carvings and decors in the Ninomaru Palace are a must-see. The tour will not enter the Honmaru Palace and Painting Gallery. Please refer to "Information travelers need from you" regarding alternative destinations on the day of closure.
50 minutes • Admission ticket included -
2
A World Heritage site. The wooden architecture is covered in thin layers of pure gold and is surrounded by a beautiful pond.
45 minutes • Admission ticket included -
3
See the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which was used as the Emperor's residence until about 150 years ago. On days when the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors, the tour will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (disembark for sightseeing) as an alternative destination. This shrine is famous for the god of learning, and its main hall is a designated national treasure. The shrine is especially great to see during the plum blossom and autumn leaf seasons. Please refer to "Additional Information" regarding alternative destinations on the day of closure.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
This Nara Period shrine is designated as a World Heritage Site. The deer of Nara Park are thought to be the shrine messengers. From January 2025, the Main Sanctuary special visit area will be newly added to the itinerary. Visitors can get closer to the Main Sanctuary and view the hanging lanterns in the corridor.
1 hour • Admission ticket included -
5
A World Heritage site. This is the symbol of the Nara Period and one of the world's largest wooden structures. Its huge main hall and bronze Great Buddha are impressive to behold.
1 hour 10 minutes • Admission ticket included -
(Pass by)
Return to Osaka by Kintetsu Railway with non-reserved seat. The tour will be guided by an assistant from Kintetsu Nara Station to Osaka Namba Station.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- As the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday) and on days when there is an Imperial Household Agency event, the tour will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead. If the closed day falls on the 25th, the tour will visit Nishi Hongan-ji Temple.
- Nijo Castle is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August, and December. (Closed on the following day if Tuesday is a holiday.) If closed, Ryoan-ji Temple will be visited instead.
- Participants will walk from the parking lot to Todai-ji Temple (about 25 min one-way). Please inform us at the time of booking if any person in your group is using crutches or a wheelchair, or has a chronic illness that makes it difficult to walk for long distances.
- The tour will also enter the Main Sanctuary special visit area. However, in case the special visit area cannot be entered due to events or operational circumstances, the Kasuga Taisha Museum or Manyo Botanical Garden will be visited instead.
- Depending on the number of participants, JR train or a bus may be used for the trip from Osaka to Kyoto, and Kintetsu train or a bus may be used from Nara to Osaka. Please note that seating is non-reserved for the trip from Osaka to Kyoto and the trip from Nara to Osaka if using public transportation. Please note that seating is not guaranteed.
- Refunds will not be issued in case the tour visits aforementioned alternative destinations.
- The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations.
- Seats may not be designated.
- [ONLY for With Lunch option] A Western-style set menu meal will be served for lunch. For those who would like a vegetarian meal, please make sure to inform us at the time of reservation. If requests are not provided in advance, same-day changes cannot be accepted. Halal, gluten-free, and other meal requests are not available.
- For those who don't require lunch, please make a booking for the 'No Lunch' option. There will be time allotted for the Kyoto Station vicinity. Please purchase your own lunch.
- Children up to 5 years old may join free of charge, but will not be provided with bus seats or lunch. If bus seats or lunch is required, please make a booking under the child rate.
- 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.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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