Sweet Treats Kyoto Garden Villa Tour

listing image 1
Show all photos
3 hours 30 minutes (approximately)
Offered in: English

This tour is led by guides with unrivaled expertise in many facets of the Japanese tea experience: From the tea gardens and temples shaping tradition, to the tea schools passing down tradition, to the tea houses quietly creating their own rituals, our guides are local tea enthusiasts, thus are able to craft each tour to provide a truly enriching and seamless experience for every guest.

With a calm, professional demeanor and excellent English and Japanese communication skills, we take you by the hand and give you local access insider knowledge with omotenashi treatment.

What's Included

All entrance and garden fees are included in this tour.
Seasonal Japanese confectioneries, or wagashi, in Japanese are included at two of the gardens we will visit.
Transportation by taxi is included in this tour.
Gratuities are excluded from the tour price but welcomed.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Demachiyanagi Station

Meet outside Lotteria, where there is a turn-around and taxi parking.

End point

Itinerary

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes (approximately)
  • 1

    Visit the garden villa of the once richest conglomerate in the country: the Mitsui clan. Located just outside the oldest forest in the country, Tadasu no Mori, the Mitsui Villa, was used by the family of Japan’s most prominent banking, real estate, kimono and beverage companies. Designed in the late 1800s, the three-story main wooden structure features a distinctive watchtower, while a stately tea room overlooking a garden features a gourd-shaped pond and a moss-covered winding path. Take it slow and enjoy Japanese confectioneries in this austere villa.

    1 hour • Admission ticket included
  • 2

    Located in the upscale neighbourhood of Ozaki and built in the late 1800s Murin-an is a villa garden owned by Arimoto Yamagata, advisor to the then-emperor and crafted by master gardener, Jihei Ogawa. This modern, serene garden excels at shakkei, the Japanese gardening concept of using the surrounding mountains not merely as a background, but as an important element in its design. We will learn about its design principals, how it has been maintained over the years as well as enjoy Japanese sweets while admiring this ever evolving landscape.

    1 hour • Admission ticket included
  • 3

    A living masterpiece, each pine tree and patch of moss meticulously shaped by the gardeners before your very eyes. Tairyu Sanso was designed in the late 1800s by master gardener Ogawa Jihei for Ijuin Kanetsune, a prominent businessman and garden, tea ceremony and architecture connoisseur with multiple Kyoto residences. Spanning approximately 6000 square meters, the vast grounds feature a pond, stream, tea path, waterfall, as well as am undisturbed view of the majestic Higashiyama mountains. Designated as a place of scenic beauty and open to the public only since 2024, let us fawn not only over Tairyu Sanso’s seasonal beauty but over the paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, displayed throughout adjourning buildings, built in modern Japanese style.

    1 hour • Admission ticket included

Additional info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Supplied by Nichome Connect

Tags

Half-day Tours
Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Show more
from per person
Was {{formatPrice(summaryFromPriceBeforeDiscount, currency, 2)}}
Book Now