Top Kyoto Day Trips

Our guide was wonderful and really made an effort to educate us as we drove between sites, so we'd know just what sites to expect and how much time we'd have - she made it fun and had a sense of humor. You really must download WhatsApp if the guides recommend it - they use it to reiterate tourism destinations and info, pin where to find the bus or parking lost, what time to be back, etc. Two members of the tour put us all in a terrible position - they were not using their phones, who knows what they were doing in Nara, but they caused us to run 20 minutes late. She did everything she could but it's Japan - everything and everyone is on time! It's just common courtesy on a tour like this and frankly you should not sign up if you can't follow simple rules. We were forced to leave them behind due to the nature of those time-specific parking lots... but it was a happy ending, as the couple just caught up to us by taking a taxi to the next site. It was unfortunate, and she clearly did everything possible - but how can you help someone who won't answer their phone? Anyway as I said they just found us again, and they obediently stuck to her side for the rest of the day. All that aside - I loved Nara; I think I would spend a half day there to really enjoy the museums, the deer, the Buddha. 90 minutes was too short! Visiting Uji was very special as I'm a green tea fan and they had some great shops. You *must* have cash for their cafes. The trip to Kyoto and the gates was satisfying to see, though by the end of the day it was extremely crowded and a little unpleasant due to the heat. I'm very glad I did this tour as it allowed me to see a lot, and I only hope that I can come back to Japan to linger in these beautiful towns. Grateful to the guide for making this a smooth trip.

We had Mairan as our tour guide and she was fantastic. Not only was she punctual, she communicated all updates either via email or WhatsApp so we were never left in the dark. Mairan was very knowledgeable about the history of the temples we saw and we enjoyed what she had to teach us. This is a great tour to get a brief overview of some of the temples in Kyoto if you have never been to this area before. We had a great time. Bring good walking shoes!

Good private tour overall. Our guide, Mizu, did a good job taking us to all the main sites. Be prepared to walk a lot and our guide at times walked a little fast. Was a very hot day, so be prepared to have a lot of water with you. Would recommend this tour for a good overview of Kyoto.