Uji tea and temples tour: Small group with Byodoin

The tea leaves you steep are the ones you eat at the end.

A small-group tour of Uji, Kyoto's tea region, limited to eight guests and led by an English or Spanish-speaking guide. The itinerary moves through a Gyokuro tea house where you steep and taste Japan's highest-grade green tea, then visit Ujigami Temple (Japan's oldest shrine and a UNESCO site), Koshoji Temple (the oldest Soto Zen temple in Kyoto), and Byodoin Temple (the Heian-period hall on the 10 yen coin). Admission to all temples and the museum at Byodoin is included. Food and drink outside the tea experience are your choice.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Uji's tea and temples

• Enjoy Gyokuro tea experience
• Visit Ujigami Temple shrine
• Tour Koshoji Zen temple
• Walk pilgrimage street to Byodoin
• Explore Byodoin Temple and museum
• Stroll around cormorant fishing island

The experience

Uji sits in Kyoto Prefecture as the birthplace of Japanese tea, and this tour threads through its tea shops, temples and river landscape over four hours. You start at a tea house for a Gyokuro experience: steeping Japan's highest grade of green tea in increasingly warm water while learning how the leaves are grown and brewed, then finishing by eating the steeped leaves with ponzu sauce. The guide walks you through the tea-making process as you work, so the tasting becomes a lesson in how the region's most prized product is made.

From there, the route moves to Ujigami Temple, the oldest original shrine in Japan and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The shrine sits above Uji's last underground spring water that naturally bubbles to the surface: the same water local tea shops collect for brewing. Next is Koshoji Temple, the oldest Soto Zen temple in Kyoto, where Zen Buddhism's arrival from China helped pioneer the Japanese tea ceremony. The tour then follows the pilgrimage street toward Byodoin, lined with medieval tea shops where you can smell fresh tea and see the varieties the region produces. You'll also stroll an island in the middle of the river and learn about the ancient tradition of cormorant fishing before arriving at Byodoin itself.

Byodoin is a Heian-period temple sitting on a man-made lake, and it's the same building pictured on the back of the 10 yen coin. The tour includes entry to the temple and its subterranean museum, where artifacts from the site are displayed. The small group size, capped at eight, keeps the pace unhurried and lets you linger at each stop without the crowds that fill central Kyoto.

What’s included

• Admission to Ujigami Temple, Koshoji Temple, Byodoin Temple and the subterranean museum at Byodoin.
• a Gyokuro tea house experience with Japanese sweets.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Thursday and SundayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (2 to 12 years)

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Pinpoint Traveler, Inc

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so you follow the commentary comfortably in your language. The small group size keeps the pace relaxed and the stops unhurried, which suits anyone who wants to linger over tea and temples without the crowds of central Kyoto.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 12 years).

What exactly happens during the Gyokuro tea experience?

You steep Japan's highest-grade green tea in increasingly warm water, learning about the tea-making and brewing process as you work, then eat the steeped leaves with ponzu sauce as a healthy snack.

Is Ujigami Temple really the oldest shrine in Japan?

Ujigami is the oldest original shrine in Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It also houses the last of Uji's underground spring water that naturally bubbles to the surface, which local tea shops use for brewing.

Why is Byodoin on the 10 yen coin?

Byodoin is a Heian-period temple dating back centuries, and its distinctive hall sitting on a man-made lake is so iconic that it appears on the back of Japan's 10 yen coin.

How many stairs are involved in this tour?

The itinerary includes many stairs throughout the temples and sites. If this poses a problem, you can request modifications when booking.