Kyoto to Otsu

Make the most of your time in Kyoto by booking a customized private tour with an expert guide. Create your own sightseeing itinerary, choosing from among dozens of cultural and historic landmarks, including 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Nijo Castle or Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion), and Fushimi Inari Shrine. Choose either a half-day or full-day itinerary and travel via public transport accompanied by your guide. Transportation and lunch is included on this comprehensive and flexible Kyoto tour.

Immerse yourself in the rhythms and traditions of life in a Japanese village during this visit to the town of Ogi, including a ‘mochi’-making lesson (Japanese rice cakes). Walk amidst the terraced rice fields of this picturesque town, discovering its more than 1,300 years of rice farming history. Then visit the home of a local farmer, learning the techniques to make ‘mochi’ while enjoying the warm hospitality of this friendly resident and his wife. A guide, plus lunch, and mochi class are included.

Learn about the roof architecture of Japan's traditional shrines and temples with this half-day tour, just a short train ride away from Kyoto. After meeting your guide, you'll get the lowdown on some of the famous tiled monuments around Japan, then enjoy behind-the-scenes visits to two renowned artisan workshops to see craftsmen at work. You'll finish with a visit to the Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, the roof of which was made by the aforementioned craftsmen.

Enjoy tranquil lake view and farm-to-table country-style food, during this 6-hour trip. Pedal past sights like Shirahige Shrine and the nearby ‘Torii’ gate. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, take a scenic taxi ride to a mountain village in the nearby Hata district, enjoying a country-style lunch prepared by an ‘Obaachan’ (elderly woman), lively conversation and a chance to stroll the village's charming streets. A guide, bike and helmet, and lunch are covered.

See a different, more laid-back, side of Japan during this 4-hour electric bicycle tour through traditional villages and scenic views near Lake Biwa. Let your speedy, battery-powered cycle do most of the work as you pedal along a picturesque lakeside road, admiring views of the nearby rice paddies as you ride. Learn how to cook delicious local dishes with homegrown fresh vegetables and rice. Menus are changed seasonally. Your guide, bike, helmet, and lunch are included.

You will travel more than an hour from central Kyoto to those spots on this tour. It might sound a bit nuisance to move a lot but the further from the central city, the more spots left from 1,000 years ago. There are many anecdotes unique to Kyoto such as one about a woman who evacuated from Kyoto under war, a ceiling board with blood stain of samurai’s who have suicided during the war, and so on. What would you think of at those spots with many thoughts of predecessors? You can lose yourself in thought while watching the garden at a temple and have Japanese green tea. Don’t forget to book your tour to visit temples and shrines deep in the mountain!