Exploring the Heart of Kyoto (Half Day)
Overview
Kyoto has a large cultural legacy coming from its 1200 year-long history and offers an incredible number of attractions for tourists. Among them, this private walking tour is planned to discover Kyoto's hidden beauty and explore the heart of Kyoto.
Highlights
- Have an awesome view of the Kyoto city from the stage of Kiyomizu Temple
- Strolling along Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka slope for shopping
- Learn geisha culture in Gion
- 1000 buddha statues in Sanju-Sangendo Temple
Key Information
Important Information
Please wear proper clothing and shoes for walking.
Description
Kyoto has a large cultural legacy coming from its 1200 year-long history and offers an incredible number of attractions for tourists. Among them, this private walking tour is planned to discover Kyoto's hidden beauty and explore the heart of Kyoto.
The guide will take you not only to major tourists' spots but also to lesser-known alleys and markets. At the end of the tour, you will agree that the best feature of Kyoto city is the mixture of the new and the old!
☆Tour Course☆ The tour starts from Kyoto station. (If you book a hotel pickup option,the tour starts from lobby of your hotel. The picking applicable hotels are limited to the hotels between Higashi-oji-dori and Nishi-oji-dori (to the east and west) and Imadegawa-dori and Jujo-dori(to the north and south. If you need a taxi or a hired car, an additional fee will be charged.) ↓ Sanjusangen-do ↓ Kiyomizu Temple ↓ Sannenzaka ↓ Gion ↓ End of tour (Tour guide will assist you how to get to the subway station or the nearby bus stop for your next visiting spot or your hotel)
☆Tour Highlight☆ Sanju-sangendo Temple The temple accommodates 1,000 statues of Senju-Kannon Buddha who has 1,000 hands to save people. The scenery of the statues standing along the floor is amazing and the temple is famous for Japanese archery event.
"Don't jump off the cliff" / Kiyomizu Temple This temple predates the foundation of Kyoto and has had millions of pilgrims ever since. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 30 structures, including a huge wooden veranda in front of the main hall that juts out over the cliff and provides you a panoramic view of Kyoto. There is a famous expression: that states "You must jump off the stage of Kiyomizu." It means that you should take the plunge to make your dreams come true.
"Most walked street in Kyoto" / Sannenzaka This sloped path leading to Kiyomizu temple was originally paved with stones in about 808 AD and may be the most walked street in Kyoto. It is lined with old wooden houses running restaurants and shops selling pottery, artworks and other traditional goods. You may come across young women dressed in kimono and feel as though you had traveled back in time to the days of 300 years ago.
"Geiko and Maiko district" / Gion Gion is the entertainment district beautifully lined with traditional town houses and restaurants. In early evening you might have a chance to encounter geiko and maiko, professional entertainers trained in traditional Japanese dance and music, including the playing the shamisen (like a three-stringed guitar) and singing. They can be seen wearing, beautiful, elaborate kimonos as they walk to and from appointments.