Kyoto-Nara Private Tour: Six UNESCO Sites in One Day

Six temples and shrines across two cities, one driver, one day

A private full-day guided tour of Kyoto and Nara with hotel pickup and drop-off, visiting Todai-ji Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage site), Nara Park's free-roaming deer, the Golden Pavilion, Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousand torii gates, Kimono Forest and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. An English-speaking driver provides all transportation, toll fees, parking and fuel. Admission tickets to temples are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Todai-ji Temple1h 30m
2. Nara Park30m
3. Fushimi Inari Shrine1h 30m
4. Golden Pavilion1h
5. Arashiyama Park1h

Full-day Kyoto and Nara guided tour

• Visit Todai-ji Temple in Nara
• Feed deer at Nara Park
• Explore Fushimi Inari Shrine
• See Golden Pavilion in Kyoto
• Walk through Kimono Forest
• Visit Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your Kyoto hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle. Your driver speaks English and knows the route between six major sites across Kyoto and Nara, handling navigation, parking and the timing that keeps all of them inside a single afternoon. Todai-ji Temple in Nara (the "Eastern Great Temple" founded in 738 CE and rebuilt most recently in 1709) sits as a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside seven other historic monuments in the city. The temple complex was once one of Japan's Seven Great Temples and now serves as headquarters for the Kegon school of Buddhism.

Nara Park covers 660 hectares and is the draw for most visitors: the deer roam free across the grounds, and you can buy special crackers to feed them. The park also holds traditional tea houses and kiosks for refreshments. From there, the route turns back toward Kyoto to Fushimi Inari Shrine, an Important Cultural Property with five shrine buildings inside. The famous feature is the Senbon Torii, the thousand torii gates, each one a donation inscribed with the donor's name and date. Inari Okami, the deity honored here, is associated with business prosperity, household safety and improvement in the performing arts.

The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is a pagoda designed to house sacred Buddhist relics, its gold leaf exterior the reason for its popular name. The official temple is Rokuon-ji, a branch of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple Shokoku-ji, and it earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. Near Arashiyama station, the Kimono Forest is an art installation of 600 clear acrylic cylinders, each 2 meters tall and filled with examples of Kyo-yuzen fabric design: a dyeing style developed in Kyoto during the Edo Period. The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest itself is a short walk away, a popular spot for photographs where the bamboo leaves rustle in the breeze.

Your driver returns you to your Kyoto hotel at the end of the day. The tour runs 6 to 10 hours depending on how long you spend at each site. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available. Small children sit on an adult's lap. The itinerary suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• English-speaking driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Kyoto.
• all toll fees, parking and fuel.
• specialized infant seats available upon request.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Filipino

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteJP¥ 2,400

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Unemoto LLC

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see six major temples and shrines across Kyoto and Nara in a single day without renting a car or navigating between cities yourself. The private vehicle and driver handle all the logistics and timing, so you move through the itinerary at your own pace at each stop instead of keeping to a group schedule.

Traveler reviews

4.67★★★★★★★★★★

79 verified traveler reviews

5 ★70

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★1

1 ★5

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Filipino.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Todai-ji Temple and why is it on this tour?

Todai-ji Temple in Nara is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Japan's historic monuments, originally founded in 738 CE and opened in 752 CE. It was once one of the Seven Great Temples and still serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism, making it a major stop on any Nara visit.

Can I feed the deer at Nara Park, and how does that work?

Yes, Nara Park is famous for its free-roaming deer, and you can buy special crackers sold throughout the park to feed them. The park covers 660 hectares and also has traditional tea houses and kiosks for snacks and souvenirs.

What makes Fushimi Inari Shrine different from the other temples on this tour?

Fushimi Inari Shrine is known for its Senbon Torii, or thousand torii gates, each one a donation inscribed with the donor's name and date. The shrine is an Important Cultural Property with five shrine buildings inside, and Inari Okami is worshipped as a deity of business prosperity and household safety.

Is the Golden Pavilion actually made of gold?

The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is a pagoda covered in gold leaf, built to house sacred Buddhist relics. Its official name is Rokuon-ji, and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

What is the Kimono Forest and where is it?

The Kimono Forest is an art installation near Arashiyama station on the Keifuku Randen Tram Line, made up of 600 clear acrylic cylinders standing 2 meters tall. Each cylinder holds an example of Kyo-yuzen fabric design, a traditional Kyoto dyeing style developed during the Edo Period.

Do I need to buy temple admission tickets separately, or are they included?

Admission tickets to Todai-ji Temple and Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) are not included in this tour. You purchase them separately at each site. The tour price covers only private transportation, the driver, tolls, parking and fuel.