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Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour

Top rated
4.8
Activity provider: GOKU TRIP
Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour
Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour 2
Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour 3
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3-hour tour in Kyoto, including Professional English-speaking tour guide and Admission tickets (Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Palace, Art. Run by GOKU TRIP, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Runs 3 hours
  • Professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Admission tickets (Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Palace, Art Gallery)
  • Walking tour experience

Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour: Key Facts

PriceFrom $90.5 per person
Duration3 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 3-hour experience in Kyoto. It is run by GOKU TRIP, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a thousand years until 1868 and has 17 UNESCO-listed sites among some 2,000 temples and shrines. The big three are Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, covered in gold leaf and best in morning light; Kiyomizu-dera, the wooden stage on the eastern hills with the Higashiyama lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka below it; and Fushimi Inari's gates. Nijo Castle has the nightingale floors that squeak against intruders, and Ryoan-ji the rock garden. Temples open around 8:00 or 9:00 and close at 17:00, and the city bus is slow; a day with a driver or a guide who orders the stops against the crowds is the difference between four sights and seven.

The price covers English-speaking tour guide, Admission tickets and Walking tour experience. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

GOKU TRIP sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with GOKU TRIP before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Includes

  • Professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Admission tickets (Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Palace, Art Gallery)
  • Walking tour experience

Important information

Meeting point

GOKU TRIP sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $90.5
$90.5
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.8/5
based on 240 reviews
Guide
4.8/5
Value for money
4.7/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
C
Chris
August 29, 2026

I had the most wonderful tour with my guide Mahi. Despite being Saturday I was the only one on the tour which allowed us to have a very special conversation about Kyoto's vibrant history of peace, war, diplomacy, style and much more. Mahi is a terrific English speaker and a Kyoto native who was passionate and joyful. This was the best way imaginable to enjoy the palace and Nijo castle.

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
O
Olaf
August 21, 2026

The tour was fantastic. We visited two sites of great importance to Kyoto—Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace. Our guide, Namiko, shared the history of both places in a wonderful way and answered many of our questions. Thanks to her, the tour left us with unforgettable memories.

Review photo 1
5
K
Kelly
August 4, 2026

Nene was incredible. So knowledgeable! She tailored the tour to our needs and was incredibly flexible, given the heat! She was professional alongside being personable! Nene was great with the children and was able to answer their questions. I would highly recommend. Thanks Nene for the memories!

Review photo 1
5
T
Terry
September 16, 2026

Yoshi was an excellent guide. He was both very knowledgeable and very personable. He went out of his way to make sure the tour was great!

5
G
Gemma
August 23, 2026

Our tour guide was excellent. Very informative and spoke English very good. He even went out of his way to walk with us to the train and showed us where to go. From helping us purchase the tickets to putting us on the right train.

5
E
Etan
August 20, 2026

Everything was so beautiful! We loved learning about all the history and culture. Our guide was very easy to talk and interact with plus she helped us find some great restaurants in the area.

5
S
Sanjeev
August 17, 2026

Nene went above and beyond what a tour guide usually does! Tailored the tour to our constraints, took us to places where we were the only foreigners, explained what we were seeing clearly and with a great friendly attitude. Then she took my wife to the confusing train station to help her find her train. Truly an amazing guide.”

5
S
Souvik
August 16, 2026

Fumi was a great guide and gave an in depth cultural perspective of the areas in the tour thanks to her deep knowledge. Thanks to her for a great Soba noodles recommendation after!

5
M
Malgorzata
August 15, 2026

Yoshi is a great tour guide. His english is excellent and he speaks very interesting ( we were with our kids and they were astonished and fascinated what is actually the best proof of his profesionalism). Yoshi is fascinated by the Japan History and You will see that his doing this job because of the live to Kioto, and for money). That tour was one of the best choices during our stay in Japan. Definitelly worth to attend.

5
E
Elizabeth
August 5, 2026

Yoshi was wonderful!! He was so knowledgeable with great humor, enthusiasm and details! He was kind to take many family photos, too. We are so grateful to have had him as our guide! Thank you, Yoshi!

5
G
Gabriel
June 23, 2026

Namiko was an amazing guide! Extremely informative, great vibes, and really great conversations we had with her. She was the most favorite guide we had in our trip to Japan.

5
R
Ray
July 14, 2026

Nene was an excellent guide! I learned a lot from her about Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle, and Higasghi Honganji Temple. She kindly took multiple photos of me and sent them to me through WhatsApp. I highly recommend this tour and this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

GOKU TRIP sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
Unless the option says private, this runs as a small group. The operator caps it rather than filling a coach, and if you want it to yourselves the private option is priced separately on this page.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Professional English-speaking tour guide, Admission tickets (Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Palace, Art Gallery), Walking tour experience
The duration of the Nijo Castle and Kyoto Imperial Palace Guided Tour is typically 3 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or mid-to-late November for peak autumn foliage. Kyoto sits in a basin and runs hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo, even at a similar latitude. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Kyoto guide.
Kyoto never built an extensive subway — just two lines (Karasuma and Tozai) — so the city bus network does most of the work, especially for Higashiyama, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkakuji. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are best reached by JR rail instead. See getting around Kyoto.
Three days covers the essentials well: a day for Higashiyama and Gion, a day for Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and a day for Fushimi Inari plus a Nara or Uji day trip. Our 3-day Kyoto itinerary has the full route with timing.
Arrive by 6:30-7am — the shrine is open 24/7 and free, and most visitors only walk the first 20-30 minutes anyway. Past that point the crowds thin out fast. Full hike details in our Fushimi Inari guide.
Yes — it's a public path with no entrance fee and no set hours. The trade-off is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by mid-morning; arrive before 8am for a nearly empty walk. See the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest guide.
Kyoto restricts photography on certain private alleys in Gion after complaints about tourists chasing and blocking geiko and maiko, with fines for violators. Public streets like Hanamikoji-dori remain open, but never chase, touch or block a real geiko/maiko anywhere. Full etiquette in our Gion geisha district guide.
Yudofu (simmered tofu, best near Nanzen-ji or Arashiyama), kaiseki and shojin ryori temple cuisine, and Nishiki Market's stalls of tako tamago and fresh yuba. Uji, just south of the city, is one of Japan's top matcha-growing regions. See the Kyoto food guide.
Starting from$90.5