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Best of Kyoto and Nara Group Tour with 2 Iconic Routes

Top rated
4.7
Activity provider: TOURSTORY Japan
Best of Kyoto and Nara Group Tour with 2 Iconic Routes
Best of Kyoto and Nara Group Tour with 2 Iconic Routes 2
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Full-day tour in Nara, including Air-conditioned transportation and Guide speaking English, Korean, and Chinese. Run by TOURSTORY Japan, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Runs 10 hours
  • Air-conditioned transportation
  • Guide speaking English, Korean, and Chinese
  • Fuel costs, toll fees, parking fees and highway charges

Best of Kyoto and Nara Group Tour with 2 Iconic Routes: Key Facts

PriceFrom $72 per person
Duration10 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 10-hour experience in Nara. It is run by TOURSTORY Japan, 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 Air-conditioned transportation, Guide speaking English, Korean and Fuel costs. It does not cover Optional admission fees and activity charges and Travelers’ insurance, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

TOURSTORY Japan 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 TOURSTORY Japan before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Includes

  • Air-conditioned transportation
  • Guide speaking English, Korean, and Chinese
  • Fuel costs, toll fees, parking fees and highway charges

Excludes

  • Optional admission fees and activity charges
  • Travelers’ insurance, meals, and other personal expenses

Important information

Meeting point

TOURSTORY Japan 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 10 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $72
$72
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

4.7/5
based on 116 reviews
Guide
4.8/5
Value for money
4.8/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
M
Meya
September 2, 2026

Curtis was good & the tour was amazing, had a great day seeing Kyoto & Nara, although it was such a jam packed day I didn’t feel at all

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
E
Edith
June 9, 2026

Our family had a great experience visiting Nara, Kyoto and multiple temples/shrines. Our guide Jeon did an excellent job providing history of each location and left plenty of extra time for us to explore. The vehicle (van for 8) was clean and a much better experience than being herded around with a large bus tour.

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
S
Sithabile
May 29, 2026

Min was our guide and as a solo traveler,he made sure i wasn’t left behind and I was mostly happy that he offered to take pictures of me :) The whole experience was definitely worth it.

Review photo 1
5
M
Muhammet
September 15, 2026

Yoon-Cheol Jeon was an amazing tour guide, places were incredable, transfer was good. Thank you so much again.

5
M
Michele
September 1, 2026

Jo, Wayne and Intark were wonderful guides. Very knowledgeable and kind.

5
K
Kirsten
July 23, 2026

We really enjoyed this tour! Our tour guide, Yuri, was incredibly informative, friendly, and helpful throughout the entire experience. Despite the very hot weather, she made sure everyone was comfortable by providing cooling wipes and doing her best to keep us refreshed. Her knowledge, kindness, and thoughtful care made the tour even more enjoyable. We highly recommend this tour, especially with Yuri as your guide!

5
A
Amy
July 6, 2026

We had great time!!! Our tour guide, Lulli(루리), was so informative with history and local information. She also made sure everyone was safe. We highly recommend!!!

5
B
Bjørn
June 28, 2026

We had a very knowledgeable guide that was easy to talk to.

5
A
Aleksandra
June 18, 2026

We are more than satisfied with this trip to Nara and Kyoto. Everything was perfectly arranged, and we’ve made the best memories ever. However, I have to mention that this trip wouldn’t have been as charming if I hadn’t booked it with a Chinese guide by mistake. Minami was the star of the show. He was so caring and helpful in helping us understand what was going on. Even though he didn’t speak English, we were able to find common ground. Minami was very resourceful and made us enjoy our trip as if it had been intentionally booked with a Chinese guide. He definitely made our day! We strongly re

5
P
Patricia
May 7, 2026

Visiting Nara and the diffirent temples and shrines was amazing and the experience will be relived for many years. Bring comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking.

5
B
Belinda
April 30, 2026

Jo was very accommodating and knowledgeable about his craft. We enjoyed the entire trip and definitely recommend him!

5
S
Sarah
April 28, 2026

Absolutely fabulous day with Jo and other tourists. Jo was brilliant with accommodating everyone’s requests. His English was excellent and he was very friendly

Frequently Asked Questions

TOURSTORY Japan sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover optional admission fees and activity charges and travelers’ insurance, meals, and other personal expenses. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
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.
Air-conditioned transportation, Guide speaking English, Korean, and Chinese, Fuel costs, toll fees, parking fees and highway charges
The duration of the Best of Kyoto and Nara Group Tour with 2 Iconic Routes is typically 10 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.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom in Nara Park, or mid-to-late November for autumn colour around Todai-ji — our pick for the best overall balance of weather and crowds. Full season breakdown in our best time to visit Nara guide.
Yes, generally — they're unusually tame from centuries of protected contact with visitors. Buy shika senbei crackers (~¥200) from a licensed vendor, and be extra cautious during October-December rutting season, when Nara city issues an annual warning about more assertive bucks. Full etiquette in our Nara deer park guide.
A 15-metre bronze Buddha cast in 752 CE, one of the largest bronze statues in the world, housed in the Daibutsuden — once the largest wooden building on Earth. History and what to look for inside is in our Todai-ji temple guide.
Both work well — about 45 minutes from Kyoto, 35-40 minutes from Osaka via Kintetsu. Train options and a realistic day schedule are in our Nara day trip guide.
A comfortable half day (about 4 hours) covers Nara Park, Todai-ji and the walk to Kasuga Taisha. Our Nara half-day itinerary breaks it down hour by hour.
Starting from$72