Kyoto & Nara Tour from Osaka: Kinkaku-ji, Todai-ji & Nara Park

Duration11h 15m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 40 travelers

Overview

Accompanied by a National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter, this tour visits Kyoto and Nara’s most famous landmarks, including UNESCO-listed Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Enjoy an efficient one-day journey through these two historic cities.

In Kyoto, explore iconic sites such as Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji, and the Imperial Palace. In Nara, experience rich culture at Todai-ji Temple, encounter friendly deer at Nara Park, and visit Kasuga Taisha Shrine, including its special inner area with historic structures and lantern-lined corridors. You can also experience the untouched Kasugayama Primeval Forest.

An English-speaking assistant will accompany transfers between Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. Travel from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto by shinkansen (non-reserved seating).

Lunch options include a Western-style meal, a vegetarian meal, an Indian thali, or a no-lunch option.

Options

With Western-Style Lunch

Western-style Lunch: Lunch will be a Western-style set menu.
Vegetarian Request: For those who would like a vegetarian meal, please make sure to inform us at the time of reservation.

No Lunch

No Lunch : This plan does not include lunch

With Indian Thali

Indian Thali Lunch : Customers will be guided to a dining facility separate from the Western-style lunch dining area.

What's included

National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter
Admission fees and transportation costs included in the tour
Lunch (vegetarian option available upon request at booking)

Fees other than those listed in Includes
Lunch (for guests who choose the no-lunch option)

What to expect

Pass by

From Hotel Granvia Osaka to the bus boarding location at the Sunrise Tours Desk on B1F of Kyoto Avanti, you will be accompanied by our English-speaking staff (not a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter). First, you will travel from Osaka Station to Shin-Osaka Station using public transportation. From Shin-Osaka to Kyoto, you will take the shinkansen (bullet train) in non-reserved seating for a comfortable journey. Please note that as all train rides use non-reserved seats, seating is not guaranteed.
Pass by

After arriving at Kyoto Station, you will walk to the Sunrise Tours Desk on B1F of Kyoto Avanti, where the tour bus departs. From there, you will board the bus and begin your sightseeing tour.
Nijo Castle
50m · Admission ticket included

A World Heritage site. This castle was built on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The impressive, elaborate carvings and decors in the Ninomaru Palace are a must-see. The tour will not enter the Honmaru Palace and Painting Gallery. Nijo Castle is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August, and December, and from Dec. 26 to Jan. 3. (Closed on the following day if Tuesday is a holiday.) If closed, Ryoan-ji Temple will be visited instead.
Kinkakuji Temple
45m · Admission ticket included

A World Heritage site. The wooden architecture is covered in thin layers of pure gold and is surrounded by a beautiful pond.
Kyoto Imperial Palace
40m

See the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which was used as the Emperor's residence until about 150 years ago. On days when the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors, Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday) and on days when there is an Imperial Household Agency event, the tour will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead. This shrine is famous for the god of learning, and its main hall is a designated national treasure. The shrine is especially great to see during the plum blossom and autumn leaf seasons. As the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors on If the closed day falls on the 25th, the tour will visit Nishi Hongan-ji Temple.
Kyoto
1h

Lunch is typically provided as a Western-style set menu. Guests who require a vegetarian meal must request it at the time of booking. The Indian thali meal is a vegetarian menu option. Please note that changes cannot be made on the day of the tour, and the Indian thali will be served at a different restaurant than the standard and vegetarian lunch venue. For the tour option without lunch, guests will have free time to enjoy a meal on their own around Kyoto Station.
Kasuga Grand Shrine
1h · Admission ticket included

This Nara Period shrine is designated as a World Heritage Site. The deer of Nara Park are thought to be the shrine messengers. From 2025, the Main Sanctuary special visit area will be newly added to the itinerary. Visitors can get closer to the Main Sanctuary and view the hanging lanterns in the corridor. However, in case the special visit area cannot be entered due to events or operational circumstances, the Kasuga Taisha Museum or Todaiji Museum will be visited instead.
Todai-ji Temple
50m · Admission ticket included

A World Heritage site. This is the symbol of the Nara Period and one of the world's largest wooden structures. Its huge main hall and bronze Great Buddha are impressive to behold. Participants will walk from the parking lot to Todai-ji Temple (about 25 min one-way). Please inform us at the time of booking if any person in your group is using crutches or a wheelchair, or has a chronic illness that makes it difficult to walk for long distances.
Nara Park
20m

Nara Park is a spacious public park in Nara, famous for its freely roaming, friendly deer that are considered sacred.
Pass by

From Kintetsu Nara Station to Osaka Namba Station, you will be accompanied by an English-speaking assistant (not a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter). Public transportation will be used. All train seats are non-reserved, so seating is not guaranteed. The tour ends at Osaka Namba Station.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Please meet our staff holding a JTB Sunrise Tours sign at Hotel Granvia Osaka 1F, in front of the elevator (not the 19th-floor front desk). After meeting, walk to JR Osaka Station. Our staff will guide you to the bus boarding location at the Sunrise Tours Desk on B1F of Kyoto Avanti.

End point

The tour ends at Osaka Namba Station at around 6:30 PM. Hotel drop-off is not included, so please make your own way back to your accommodation.

Additional information

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations
As the Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed to visitors on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday) and on days when there is an Imperial Household Agency event, the tour will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead. If the closed day falls on the 25th, the tour will visit Nishi Hongan-ji Temple.
Nijo Castle is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August, and December, and from Dec. 26 to Jan. 3. (Closed on the following day if Tuesday is a holiday.) If closed, Ryoan-ji Temple will be visited instead.
Participants will walk from the parking lot to Todai-ji Temple (about 25 min one-way). Thank you for your understanding. Please inform us at the time of booking if any person in your group is using crutches or a wheelchair, or has a chronic illness that makes it difficult to walk for long distances.
At Kasuga Taisha Shrine, the tour will also enter the Main Sanctuary special visit area. However, in case the special visit area cannot be entered due to events or operational circumstances, the Kasuga Taisha Museum or Todaiji Museum will be visited instead.
Refunds will not be issued in case the tour visits aforementioned alternative destinations.
Seats may not be designated.
Children up to 5 years old may join free of charge, but will not be provided with bus seats or lunch. If bus seats or lunch is required, please make a booking under the child rate.
[Western-style set menu lunch] Lunch will be a Western-style set menu.
[Vegetarian set menu lunch] For those who would like a vegetarian meal, please make sure to inform us at the time of reservation. If requests are not provided in advance, same-day changes cannot be accepted.
[Indian thali set menu lunch] Lunch will be an Indian thali set menu suitable for vegetarians. 3 kinds of curry (bean curry, vegetable curry, spinach and potato curry), vegetable pakora (Indian-style vegetable tempura), plain yogurt, naan or roti, rice (Indian rice), salad, 1 serving of non-alcoholic drink - Halal, gluten-free, and other meal requests are not available. Please note that customers will be guided to a dining facility separate from the Western-style lunch dining area.
[No lunch option] The 'No Lunch' plan provides customers with free time to eat on their own in the Kyoto Station area.
On the day of the tour, the lunch meal cannot be changed.
Halal, gluten-free, and other meal requests are not available.
The tour will be accompanied by an English-speaking assistant (not a National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter) from Hotel Granvia Osaka to the Sunrise Tours Desk in Kyoto Avanti B1F, and from Kintetsu Nara Station to Osaka Namba Station.
[Compliance Policy] Images of Kinkaku-ji Temple and the Kyoto Imperial Palace are restricted for commercial use. As we are committed to strict corporate compliance, we respect these regulations and therefore do not use these images on this product page.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

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