Explore the Ancient Capitals of Japan: Kyoto and Nara!
Embark on a journey through Japan's rich cultural heritage with a day trip.
Departing from either Osaka or Kyoto. Begin your adventure at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Marvel at the iconic sight of the "Senbon Torii," a pathway adorned with thousands of vibrant vermilion gates.
Stop at traditional Kyoto Townhouse built over 120 years ago, the "Kyoto Wasabi" for lunch.
enjoy the Kyoto pork and tofu shabu-shabu which is a Japanese dish where very thinly sliced pork is cooked in a traditional hot-pot full of boiling pot.
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Those who choose the no-meal option will spend 20 minutes at Kyoto Imperial Palace or go directly to Kinkaku-ji Temple.
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Visit the Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion. Your admission ticket is included in the tour package.
Nara Park, over 1,200 deer roam freely, creating a picturesque scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Posted By : Joyce_C
This is falsely advertised as a tour with live commentary. It is actually more like transportation only. The 'guide' spoke little english and did not speak about the history and background of each location. The 'guide' was not knowledgable at all. I had to look on Wikipedia!
The shabu shabu lunch was decent.
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Posted On : 2024-01-07 12:44:46 
Posted By : U6725OAmaryh
Our guide, Tracy was engaging and interesting. He was fluent in both English and Chinese and gave clear, precise information. A good day trip from Kyoto visiting multiple locations dropping guests at sites for self directed tours. We had a really good day at a reasonable price.
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Posted On : 2024-01-05 18:50:53 
Posted By : Olga_B
Very disappointing tour. The worst we had in Japan. We had 45 (!!) people on the bus - a mix of people from Osaka and Kyoto and TWO languages. The poor guide was repeating everything first in English, then Chinese! They packed too much in a day so it was all - run-run and a lot of stress was around getting everyone back to the bus on time. I felt sorry for the guide who was trying to give us a good experience of his country. Despite the high price of this tour, at the end of a very long day, the bus driver and the guide had to ask for gratuity (as they are obviously not paid much by the owners) which is not customary in Japan. You could see how uncomfortable they were. So my impression was that VIP tours’ focus is on making the most money for the American based company that runs them, with no respect for tourists or Japanese culture.
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Posted On : 2023-11-28 16:42:08
Posted By : Rene_S
This was a great trip but a long day. Bus was comfortable and our guide spoke english well. Tracy was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The temples and shrines in Kyoto were beautiful and nara Deer Park was a fun stop. We were both surprised how long the day was (approximately 12 hours), unsure if we saw that detail in the listing.
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Posted On : 2023-11-27 17:23:23
Posted By : Leilane_M
The itinerary was very good. We were able to visit few places in one day. The only thing I was very disappointed was our tour guide. I have been to Japan many times and lived there but I joined a tour to learn something I don't know about the places we visited but our guide Michael didn’t say anything or gave us any information. He was just there to take us. He is very pleasant but not a good tour guide in my opinion. We spent most of the time sleeping on the bus coz it was such a boring journey to the places we visited.
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Posted On : 2023-11-23 09:44:44
Posted By : Elena_F
Nara trip was the highlight of this tour. Our guide Chasey was very friendly and informative. We had English and Chinese speaking people on this tour. And he could speak both languages and tell us some interesting facts about the places we visited. We had to see places independently, but I had no issues with that. The tour guide instructions were clear, so everyone has returned to the bus. I could recommend this tour to everyone who has to visit several places on one day.
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Posted On : 2023-11-22 17:51:50
Posted By : totalmedialab
A horrible experience organized by scammers.
Avoid the 'VIP Japan Tours' at all costs.
The guide was not speaking adequate English and in fact it became obvious that the tour was created for Chinese speaking people. No problem with that but do not advertise that English are supported.
They left me after lunch by telling me three times the wrong hour for pickup and of course the emergency phone number I was given was not working.
They refused also to refund me... It is not a matter of money ... but imagine the cost of wasted time and frustration especially when you are on vacation for a limited amount of time...
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Posted On : 2023-11-21 05:34:37
Posted By : Kushal_A
Well curated trip!
Mike , our guide was very courteous and super friendly! Loved the day out and would love to do more such tours
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Posted On : 2023-10-26 07:05:45
Posted By : mumzie
This tour is wonderful because you cover so much ground in one day, and see so many attractions. Mike, our tour guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and made the day so enjoyable!!
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Posted On : 2023-10-17 07:23:57
Posted By : Suzanne_W
English speaking guide was the tour booked.
Poor English at best, English comprehension nil.
Guide spoke mostly in Chinese and admitted his English was very poor.
Guide walked us to each location and left us ... no history...no explanation.
When asked about the history or story behind significant places he didn't understand what we were saying and would just repeat where we were and when to meet at the bus?
At the end of the tour, on the bus, he gave a speech about tipping and how drivers were not paid well and that it would be appreciated we tipped him and driver. Was uncomfortable!
As a travel agent I would not recommend
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Posted On : 2023-09-26 19:15:14
