Private Day Tour in Kyoto from Hakone

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Bamboo Forest Street

  Located on the western edge of Kyoto, Arashiyama is a scenic district known for its natural beauty and timeless atmosphere. Framed by forested hills and the Katsura River, the area blends temples, traditional streets, and seasonal landscapes. From the famous bamboo grove to quiet riverside paths, Arashiyama feels calm, poetic, and deeply rooted in classical Kyoto aesthetics. It is a place where nature and culture unfold at an unhurried pace.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Monkey Park Iwatayama

  Overlooking the Katsura River and Kyoto city, Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama offers a unique experience combining nature, wildlife, and panoramic views. After a short uphill walk, you encounter free roaming Japanese macaques living in their natural environment, observed at a respectful distance. From the summit, sweeping views over Kyoto reward the effort, especially on clear days. It is a light adventure that adds a playful and scenic dimension to the Arashiyama area.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Togetsukyo Bridge

  Spanning the Katsura River, Togetsukyō Bridge is one of Arashiyama’s most iconic landmarks. Originally built in the Heian period, the bridge has long been celebrated for its harmony with the surrounding mountains and seasonal scenery. Cherry blossoms in spring and vivid foliage in autumn make it especially picturesque. Togetsukyō captures the poetic relationship between nature and design that defines classical Kyoto.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Tenryu-ji Temple

  A UNESCO World Heritage site, Tenryu-ji is one of Kyoto’s most important Zen temples. Founded in the 14th century, it is best known for its garden, designed to reflect the surrounding mountains and forested hills, creating a seamless connection between nature and architecture. The landscape has remained largely unchanged for centuries, offering a rare sense of continuity and balance. Tenryu ji embodies the quiet depth of Zen philosophy, calm, restrained, and deeply connected to its setting.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Okochi Sanso Garden

  Perched above the bamboo groves of Arashiyama, Okochi Sanso Garden is a refined stroll garden once belonging to celebrated actor Okochi Denjiro. Winding paths lead through carefully shaped landscapes to viewpoints overlooking Kyoto and the surrounding mountains. The visit concludes with a quiet tea house, where matcha is served in a peaceful setting. It is an elegant and contemplative escape, offering one of the most serene perspectives in the area.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6
  Gio-ji Temple

  Hidden within a quiet grove in Arashiyama, Giō-ji is a small temple celebrated for its lush moss garden and gentle atmosphere. Associated with a tragic love story from The Tale of the Heike, the site carries a subtle sense of melancholy and impermanence. Soft light filtering through maple trees transforms the garden throughout the seasons. Giō ji offers a deeply poetic moment, intimate, reflective, and far removed from Kyoto’s busier paths.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7
  Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

  Tucked away in the hills beyond Arashiyama, Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is a quietly remarkable temple known for its 1,200 stone statues of rakan, disciples of the Buddha. Each statue has a unique expression, some playful, some serene, giving the temple an unexpectedly human and warm atmosphere. Founded in the 8th century and later restored by monks and local worshippers, the site feels intimate and deeply personal. It is a peaceful, slightly off the beaten path stop that reveals a more gentle and poetic side of Kyoto’s spiritual world.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8
  Ninna-ji Temple

  A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ninna-ji is a refined temple complex with deep imperial connections. Once serving as a residence for retired emperors, it reflects a quieter, more elegant side of Kyoto’s religious history. The spacious grounds, pagoda, and classical buildings create a calm and dignified atmosphere. Ninna ji is also famous for its Omuro cherry blossoms, which bloom later than most, offering a unique seasonal experience.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9
  Ryoan-ji Temple

  A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ryōan-ji is home to one of the most famous Zen rock gardens in Japan. Composed of carefully placed stones set in raked white gravel, the garden invites quiet contemplation and personal interpretation, with no single viewpoint revealing all stones at once. The simplicity of the design reflects core Zen ideas of emptiness, balance, and awareness. Surrounded by tranquil temple grounds and a peaceful pond, Ryōan ji offers a moment of stillness and reflection at the heart of Kyoto.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10
  Kinkakuji Temple

  One of Kyoto’s most iconic landmarks, Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is a striking expression of harmony between architecture and landscape. Originally built as a shogun’s retirement villa, the pavilion is covered in gold leaf and reflected beautifully in the surrounding pond. Each level represents a different architectural style, blending aristocratic elegance with Zen restraint. Set within a carefully composed garden, Kinkaku ji offers a memorable encounter with Kyoto’s refined sense of beauty and balance.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11
  Ginkakuji Temple

  A refined counterpoint to the Golden Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji, also known as the Silver Pavilion, reflects the understated elegance of Higashiyama culture. Originally conceived as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the temple embodies ideals of simplicity, imperfection, and quiet contemplation. Its dry sand garden and moss covered grounds invite slow exploration and reflection. Ginkaku ji captures Kyoto’s more subtle aesthetic, restrained, poetic, and deeply influential on Japanese art and design.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 12
  Enryakuji Temple Amida Do

  Perched high on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, Enryaku-ji is one of Japan’s most influential Buddhist temple complexes. Founded in the 8th century, it became the cradle of Tendai Buddhism and trained generations of monks who later shaped Japanese religious history. Spread across forested slopes, the temples are connected by quiet paths that invite reflection and stillness. Enryaku ji offers a powerful sense of spiritual depth, history, and retreat, far above the city below.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  Nestled in the forested mountains north of Kyoto, Kurama-dera is a dramatic and spiritually charged temple complex set high above the village of Kurama. Reached via a scenic mountain path or cable car, the temple offers sweeping views and a strong sense of separation from the city below. Kurama dera is associated with mountain asceticism and esoteric Buddhism, giving the site a powerful, almost mystical atmosphere. Surrounded by ancient cedar trees, it feels raw, elemental, and deeply connected to nature.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 14
  Kifune Shrine

  Tucked into the forested mountains north of Kyoto, Kifune is a small riverside village known for its cool climate and deep spiritual atmosphere. Centered around Kifune Shrine, dedicated to the deity of water, the area feels quietly removed from the city, surrounded by cedar forests and flowing streams. In summer, traditional restaurants set platforms above the river, creating a uniquely refreshing dining experience. Kifune offers a poetic escape where nature, spirituality, and seasonal beauty come together in perfect balance.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 15

  Nestled in the quiet village of Ohara, Sanzen-in is a serene temple renowned for its lush moss gardens and gentle atmosphere. The grounds unfold slowly, with stone paths, ancient trees, and softly flowing water creating a deep sense of calm. Small Jizo statues hidden among the moss add a subtle, almost playful touch to the landscape. Sanzen in offers a peaceful retreat into a more rural and contemplative side of Kyoto, far from the city’s bustle.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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