KYOTO · TEMPLE GARDENS
Every Kyoto itinerary has one slot too few. These 15 temple garden visits justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in a minute and get back to planning.
Walk Kyoto's Arashiyama bamboo, shrines, and gardens with a small group, then hike to Monkey Park for close-up macaques.
“Such a fun bamboo forest tour with Marie! 🎋🎍☺️ Her energy and knowledge made the whole day fly by. She also took awesome photos and knew all the best spots. We saw beautiful shrines, a Japanese garden, and had amazing tempura fRead more”
Small-group Kyoto Zen temple tour with guided zazen, dry garden walk, and traditional Buddhist lunch. Temple entry included.
“It was a excellent zen experience with japanese garden and temple. I learned about zen and Buddha and Buddhism. Also vegetarian lunch was a excellent choice”
Small-group Arashiyama walk with bamboo, quiet gardens, and included temple entries, matcha, and Kyoto-style lunch near Togetsukyo Bridge.
“Our guide Josh was excellent, friendly and well versed in his sites. Josh was able to share interesting facts about the sites we visited. He was able to share sites which were unique and not on the tourists paths. We visited temple and gardens which seemed to be waiting just for us to visit. We would highly recommend our guide as well as the tour operator.”
Private 3.5-hour Zen garden walking tour in Kyoto with Andrew, visiting Konchi-in, Tenjuan, and Nanzen-ji, plus design insights.
“Excellent tour! Andy shared lots of information and customised the tour to suit our interests. He stayed late to ensure all our needs and interests were satisfied.”
Kyoto Kiyomizu tea ceremony in a garden-view teahouse. Learn matcha rituals, taste 2 cups and wagashi, small group, photo included.
“It was great. I leaned so much about the process. The master was amazing. The assistant spoke excellent English and greatly enhanced our understanding of the history and culture of the tea ceremony.”
Guided Kyoto Zen meditation at Tofukuji: zazen with a monk, Zen garden walks, temple sights, and Shojin Ryori lunch for $107.
“A very special experience for me and I loved all of it - the zen garden, the zazen meditation with a zen monk, the temple, the delicious lunch afterwards. Our guide Louis was great and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!”
Small-group Arashiyama tour in Kyoto with bamboo forests, Tenryu-ji, Okochi Sanso, monkeys, and a guide, plus key admissions included for $60.
“Mari was our tour guard! She was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, helpful and made our tour an excellent experience! My husband and I highly recommend her, you will be very happy!!!”
Private matcha tea ceremony in Kyoto at Camellia Garden Teahouse, with garden views, seasonal sweets, and a hands-on whisk lesson.
“An absolute must do. This hour long relaxing experience felt like a few minutes. We learned a lot about this traditional ritual.”
A private, customizable 6-hour tour through Kyoto’s most famous Zen gardens, with pickup and a licensed guide who tailors your route.
“It covered everything we discussed and shoji was very knowledgeable and informative. He spoke English well and was very well travelled outside of Japan so had an informed perspective on almost anything we discussed. Was willing to share his perspective easily. Easy to be with. As well. Also, gave just the right amount of information. Not too much and not too little.”
Small-group Kyoto walk to Komyo-in Zen garden and Fushimi Inari, with quiet shrines, viewpoints, and flexible pacing.
“I recently took a guided tour to two of Kyoto’s most iconic landmarks—Fushimi Inari Shrine and Fuhuji Temple—and it was a truly remarkable experience. The tour was well-paced, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the stunning sites without fRead more”
Kyoto’s Japanese garden private tour with a government-licensed guide. Customize 3-4 stops, walk smarter, and see classic Zen gardens.
“Shun was an excellent tour guide. He was flexible and lovely to hang out with all day. I changed the itinerary several times throughout the day and Shun was great at accommodating our every whim. He also has a great sense of humor aRead more”
Kinkaku-ji and Ninna-ji with tickets in Kyoto, including monk-led chanting, Main Hall access, and a calm Imperial Residence finish.
“Great tour! Authentic tour! We visited two world heritage sites for three hours. Golden Pavilion was awesome. The borrowed landscape garden makes the Golden Pavilion outstanding. More impressive is Ninnaji Temple. Our guide Ellie wRead more”
90-minute guided Ryōan-ji tour in Kyoto, led in English. See the Zen rock garden, peaceful pond, and learn the site’s significance. $74.
“Our tour was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of Ryoan-Ji and enjoyed viewing the gardens.”
A 3-hour private Arashiyama walk with a calm expert guide, Tenryu-ji Zen gardens, bamboo photos, and Okochi Sanso tea break, or Monkey Park.
“Richard Our tour guide was absolutely outstanding, combining extensive knowledge of the area’s history and culture with incredible patience. He is originally from here and really knows his stuff! He took us to beautiful gardens and hidden Read more”
Create your own Kyoto Zen garden, then enjoy Ippodo matcha with seasonal wagashi in a pottery shop. 30 minutes, small group, $12.
“It was a great activity, in a creative space. The Matcha tea served along with the sweet treat was delicious and the hosts very friendly and helpful. The Pottery shop is located in a great area, that has quite a few antiques and traditional homeward shops. Well worth a visit!”
Every kind of day in the city, and the best-reviewed way to book it.
