1-Day Kyoto and Nara Highlights Day Trip with a Private Car
Description
Embark on a seamless Kyoto and Nara day tour, exploring Fushimi Inari Shrine, Gion, Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and UNESCO-listed Horyu-ji Temple. Travel in comfort with a private vehicle and driver, eliminating transfer hassles. A professional guide brings history to life, sharing insights as you admire Kyoto’s vermillion torii gates and feed Nara’s friendly deer. No need to worry about planning—admission fees and lunch (excluding beverages) are covered, ensuring a stress-free experience. Perfect for families, couples, groups, and solo travelers, this all-inclusive tour offers convenience and cultural depth. Enjoy flexible itineraries suited for all ages and dietary needs. With hotel pickup and expert guidance, this tour guarantees a day of unforgettable discoveries in Kyoto and Nara.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your first stop is the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine, where endless vermillion torii gates await your exploration. Let your guide capture stunning photos of you at this must-see Instagram hotspot before heading to your next destination.
The temple is famous for the Great Buddha of Nara. Officially also known as Konkomyo Shitenno Gokokuji Temple [Note 2], the temple was built by Emperor Shomu in the Nara Period (8th century) using all the national resources at his disposal.
Lunch Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-free options are available with advanced request.
Walk around Nara park where you can see many deers and capture unforgettable moments.
Kasuga Taisha is a shrine located in Kasugano-machi, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, and is registered as one of the “Cultural Properties of Ancient Nara” on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Horyu-ji Temple (formerly known as Horyu-ji Temple) is a temple associated with Prince Shotoku, located within the Horyu-ji Mountains in Ikaruga-cho, Ikoma-gun, Nara Prefecture, and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (cultural heritage) in 1993 as “Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area.
After soaking in the rich heritage, enjoy a smooth drive back to Kyoto. Conclude your day with a scenic evening drive through the atmospheric streets of Gion, where Kyoto’s charm truly shines.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
We had an absolutely fantastic experience on our one-day private car tour of Kyoto and Nara! The private car itself was immaculate spotlessly clean, incredibly comfortable, and pristine from the inside out. Our driver was exceptional; he was faultlessly polite, highly professional, and impeccably dressed, which added a wonderful touch of luxury to our day. His fantastic attitude and smooth driving made traveling between the sights completely seamless. Another major highlight was the lunch. We were treated to a meal of excellent quality genuine, authentic local food rather than the usual tourist stuff. It was absolutely delicious and a real highlight of the day. The heart of our trip, however, was our wonderful tour guide Meri. Meri was simply excellent from start to finish. She looked after us so well throughout the entire day, ensuring every detail was taken care of and that we were comfortable at every step. Her knowledge, warmth, and attentiveness made a huge difference, and we truly enjoyed her company. Between the pristine car, the wonderful driver, the superb food, and an extraordinary guide, this was a flawless, first-class experience. If you want to see Kyoto and Nara the right way, we cannot recommend this tour highly enough! Thank you, Meri and team, for making our trip so special!
Thank you so much for your amazing review! We are truly delighted to hear that your private tour of Kyoto and Nara was such a memorable experience. It’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed the comfort and cleanliness of the private car, as well as the professionalism and hospitality of your driver. We believe that every detail contributes to a great tour experience, and we’re thrilled that these aspects helped make your day seamless and enjoyable. We’re also delighted that you enjoyed the authentic local lunch. Sharing the region’s culinary culture is an important part of the experience, and it’s great to hear that it was one of the highlights of your day. Most of all, thank you for your kind words about Meri. She is passionate about creating meaningful and personalized experiences for our guests, and we will be sure to share your compliments with her. We’re so pleased that her knowledge, warmth, and attentive care helped make your visit to Kyoto and Nara truly special. Thank you again for choosing to tour with us and for taking the time to share your experience. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Japan for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Beautifull day in Kyoto and Nara. Our guide as very knowledgeable and friendly, and we had an excellent driver through the narrow streets. Lots too see, and having a personal tour was perfect with our family of young and old. Hope to return again someday!
Everything was taken care of, meals - entrance fees and car transportation. Meli was the nicest tour guide that we could have asked for. Having lived in so many different places in Japan she is so knowledgeable about so many different aspects. Truly an incredible day that we will never forget. Pure class from start to finish.
This was such a nice tour! 1000% worth every penny. Meri was an amazing guide. She gave us the perfect amount of information without being overbearing. She even shared about her own life/family so it’s always a plus to hear from a local. She and a private driver came to get us right at our hotel. Which was amazing. We left by 9am and were back at the hotel at 5pm (eight hours). The driver was great to have instead of taking the train to Nara and all the sights. He’d also drop us off at an entrance and then pick us up wherever we exited, which saved a lot of walking. Nara itself was a must see. The huge Buddha makes it worth it on its own, along with several 1,000+ year old structures. And by the way, lunch was included and delicious. Definitely great for couples or moreso families of 4-5 to take away the stress of transport while getting to see so many things.
Thank you so much for your wonderful and detailed review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a smooth and enjoyable day in Nara with Meri and our driver. It’s great to know the itinerary, guidance, and included lunch all helped make the experience comfortable and memorable for you. We truly appreciate your kind words and recommendation, and we’re so happy you enjoyed both the cultural highlights and the ease of transportation throughout the tour!
Meri was a wonderful tour guide! We had a very enjoyable tour.
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable tour with Meri. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future!
We had a wonderful day with Meri visiting Nara and Kyoto! We highly recommend it.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re so happy to hear that you had a wonderful day with Meri in Nara and Kyoto. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on another tour in the future!
Today we had fantastic day with our guide Meri visiting many interesting places in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka
We loved every minute of our tour! It was such a VIP experience to be taken door to door of all the major sites in Nara and Kyoto and have everything taken care of for you. Meri was so friendly and knowledgeable. Without her we would have been ignorant of the significance of the historical sites and artefacts and she has a great sense of humour too! She took us to an amazing local restaurant for lunch where I had the best tonkatsu of my life! An amazing day that my family and I will cherish forever.
What a wonderful day with Meri. We enjoyed seeing the best sights around Kyoto and Nara. She is very personable and knowledgeable.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day with Meri and exploring the best sights around Kyoto and Nara. We’re glad her personality and knowledge made the experience even better! MagicalTrip
We had a great day with Mari. Mari was able to adjust the tour to take advantage of the rain. As a result we spent some time admiring a Zen garden which was very peaceful and beautiful. Mari also had some great suggestions for places to eat in Kyoto (try the restaurants on the top two floors of the department store above the train station.) As well as some suggestions for our free day in Kyoto. Some of our tour guides sounded like they had "Googled" the sites that we were visiting and were parroting the information. Mari really knew her stuff and could provide colour, detail and background about what we were seeing and doing.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear that Mari was able to turn a rainy day into such a memorable and peaceful experience. It’s wonderful to know her knowledge, flexibility, and local recommendations helped make your time in Kyoto even more special. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again in the future.
