Amanohashidate & Miyama 1-Day Bus Tour: From Osaka/Kyoto w/ Lunch
Description
Begin your journey at either VIP Villa Namba in Osaka or Kyoto VIP Lounge, where excitement for the day's adventure builds. The tour starts with a visit to the Chionji Temple, a significant cultural and historical site known for its peaceful atmosphere and traditional Japanese architecture. Next, head to Amanohashidate, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views, often called the "Bridge to Heaven." Enjoy a leisurely Amanohashidate Cruise, offering exceptional views of the sandbar and surrounding landscapes. Visit Kasamatsu Park, where a cable car ride provides breathtaking panoramic views of the bay and sandbar. For lunch, savor a traditional Amanohashidate set meal featuring local flavors. Afterward, explore the picturesque Miyama Kayabuki no Sato village, known for its well-preserved thatched-roof houses, offering a glimpse into Japan's rural past. Return to either the Kyoto VIP Lounge or VIP Villa Namba in Osaka, concluding a day filled with natural beauty and cultural exploration.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Amanohashidate Chionji Temple is a historic Buddhist temple near the iconic Amanohashidate sandbar. Part of the Rinzai Zen sect, it's dedicated to Monju Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful traditional architecture. Visitors often leave ema plaques with wishes for wisdom and success.
Amanohashidate Cruise Ship The Amanohashidate sightseeing boats primarily travel between the "Amanohashidate Pier" and the "Ichinomiya Pier," with a journey time of about 12 minutes. During the ride, passengers can enjoy the scenic views and even feed seagulls from the boat.
Kasamatsu Park is a scenic viewpoint located on the northern side of the Amanohashidate sandbar in Japan. The park is famous for its panoramic views of Amanohashidate, often considered one of Japan's Three Scenic Views. Visitors can reach the park via cable car or chairlift and enjoy stunning vistas of the sandbar and surrounding area. Kasamatsu Park is also known for its "Matanozoki" pose, where people bend over and look at the scenery upside-down between their legs, which is said to make the sandbar resemble a "bridge to heaven."
Miyama Town Nature Cultural Village is a scenic retreat in Nantan that offers visitors a chance to experience Japan's traditional rural lifestyle through its iconic thatched-roof farmhouses and lush forest surroundings. The facility provides various outdoor activities and cozy accommodations, making it an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful escape into the heart of the Japanese countryside.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour schedule may change without prior notice due to weather, road traffic conditions, and other unforeseen reasons. (There might be delays in returning to the designated location.) The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions.
- Please arrive 10 minutes before departure at your selected meeting point, as your assigned bus & guide will be based on that specific location. The guide has a list of participants for each bus & may not be able to accommodate guests who arrive at a different meeting point. Late arrival or arrival at the wrong location will result in missing the tour, & refunds won't be issued. If you'd like to change your meeting point or are unsure about the meeting point, please notify us at least 2 days before departure for assistance.
- The bus will be departing on time (no exceptions).
- In case of late arrivals or failure to arrive at the right location on time, regardless of contact prior to the departure time, refunds will not be granted. Contact us 24 hours before the departure for reschedule if there is any possibility of late arrival.
- If you are confused about meeting points, message us beforehand for more details.
- Depending on the number of participants, both English-speaking and Chinese-speaking guests may have to share the same bus.
- Infants under 3 years old are free of charge without seat. If a seat is required, please book under the children's price.
- The tour may be canceled if the minimum group size of 10 people is not reached. Customers will be notified approximately 3 to 4 days before the departure date in such cases.
- Please refrain from booking any time-sensitive activities such as restaurant reservations, cruise ship departures, or other scheduled commitments immediately following your tour.
- Please check the photo in the product page & scan the QR code for the meeting point reference.
- Upon arrival, please confirm your name with the guide or staff on the participant list.
- In general, we do not send out confirmation emails prior to departure. If you would like more information or need to clarify something, please contact us and we will send you the relevant details.
- Regarding luggage, we allow one piece of luggage per person during the excursion. Please also ensure that the luggage is manageable and fits comfortably within our vehicle. Please also be aware that any items stored in the trunk will not be accessible in between stops on the tour, so keep all valuables with you.
- Our contact number may be unavailable outside business hours (Mon–Fri, 9:30AM–6:00 PM JST).
Reviews(24)
Harie our tour guide was absolutely phenomenal, incredibly personable and we enjoyed having him on our trip. However, the trip itself is heavily overpriced. The seats on the bus are incredibly small and compact. If you do not eat seafood, your options are limited for lunch. It’s a lot of driving, upwards of 4+ hours total for the day. The group was also split in half, with only a few English speakers and the rest Mandarin which felt exclusive and made explanations feel separated. The sights we saw weren’t that great, I feel like the internet overhyped the appeal of the cities, and I don’t think it is personally worth your time. I would not take this trip again unfortunately. Honestly kind of surprised the trip was ranked so highly
Excellent lunch. Good tour for the money.
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it to be good value for money. It’s especially nice to know the lunch was a highlight of your experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. We hope to welcome you again on another trip in the future! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
We had a very full and long day with wonderful guide Eric today. Mixed group of international visitors, including many guests from China. All commentary was bilingual English/Mandarin, but the small multicultural group made the experience even more special. Rather long bus rides from Osaka, but the wonderful nature around all destinations certainly made the day worthwhile. Great premium lunch experience with red crab and various Japanese dishes included.
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a fulfilling day and enjoyed the beautiful natural scenery. It’s great to know that our guide Eric made a positive impact on your experience and that the multicultural atmosphere added something special to your trip. We’re also very happy that you enjoyed the premium lunch and found the journey worthwhile despite the longer travel time. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again on another memorable tour in Japan! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Expensive , half hour late, rush in time, museum in Miyama not included, no charge socket or usb to smartphone in the bus
The trip is well thought out. Itinerary was nice and the lunch provided was amazing. It was a sit down lunch with three course menu. The quality was excellent and we enjoyed it.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the itinerary and especially the lunch experience. It means a lot to know the quality and planning met your expectations. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to see you on another trip in the future! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Ayame was an amazing guide! Her knowledge and passion related to the history and culture of Japan truly shined and made the experience more special. We highly recommend taking this tour as it will not only deepen your knowledge of the history with stories but also be a fun experience getting to know the Japan and its beauty.
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for sharing your experience on us! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that you had such a memorable experience on the Amanohashidate & Miyama tour. Our guide Ayame will be so happy to hear your kind words—her passion for sharing Japan’s history and culture truly shines, and it’s wonderful to know she made your journey even more special. We’re also glad you enjoyed both the storytelling and the beauty of the destinations. We hope to welcome you again on another unforgettable adventure in Japan! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Kasamatsu Park was the highlight of this tour. The views were amazing - I didn't see the dragon though haha. Harry was a great tour guide - he was informative and was always eager to help. Kayabuki no Sato was also great to see - all the thatched roof houses and history was very interesting. Highly recommend this tour and the guide Harry!
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that Kasamatsu Park was the highlight of your day—those views really are unforgettable, dragon or not. It’s great to know you enjoyed learning about the history and charm of Kayabuki no Sato as well. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to our guide Harry; he’ll be delighted to hear that his enthusiasm and support made your experience even better. Thank you for recommending the tour, and we hope to welcome you again on another journey in Japan! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
This trip was a a great opportunity to see Japan on the ocean and country side. Views were stunning from a cable car and riverside ferry. Great food!!
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring Japan’s ocean views and countryside, and that the cable car, riverside ferry, and lunch were highlights of your day. Amanohashidate and Miyama truly offer stunning scenery, and we’re glad the tour gave you a memorable glimpse of these beautiful areas. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on another adventure in Japan. Best regards, VIP Japan Tour
Very good trip. Fair bit of bus time but worth it to get to interesting out of city experiences and venues. Bus seats were small by North American standards but otherwise fine. Our guide "Harry" did a good job. Always wish I could have spent more time at each stop but that is usual price you pay in order to get a large quantity of venues in.
Dear valued customer, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We’re glad to hear that you found the trip worthwhile and enjoyed visiting Amanohashidate and Miyama, as well as having a positive experience with our guide, Harry. It’s great to know his efforts made a good impression on your journey. We also appreciate your honest comments regarding the bus travel time, seating, and the limited time at each stop. As you mentioned, fitting multiple destinations into a one-day tour can sometimes mean balancing travel time with sightseeing, and your feedback helps us understand where expectations may differ. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on another adventure in Japan. Best regards, VIP Japan Tour
There r positives and negatives on this tour. The positives .... TG Harry was xlnt! He kept us informed and went with us to the sites, offered to take our pics which we really appreciated. He was patient, spoke well in English and Japanese, gave clear instructions, allowed toilet breaks at regular intervals, gave tips on shopping and things to do in Kyoto and other places we visited along the way. The trip to AMANOHASHIDATE island is beautiful but too short (more on this below). The scenery from top of mtn is gorgeous! The lunch is totally Japanese style but changes are allowed and my partner was able to get chicken instead of seafood (crab legs and shrimp) and pork. Harry also gave option to buy abalone and oysters at an additional cost bc they're the speciality of this area. NOTE to bring cash if u want to buy these optional meal items as Harry took the money in advance on the bus and placed the order from the bus to have these optional food items ready w/ our included lunch. The negative part .... the trip to mtn village Miyama was not great, totally unnecessary and should be removed. It was a waste of 3hrs. It took 1-1/2hrs to drive to Miyama from AMANOHASHIDATE and we spent another hour there. We would rather have returned to Kyoto directly after Amanohashidate island. Others in our group also thought the village was NOT exciting and NOT worth making the trip. This is the reason for giving it 3 stars, without the time wasted going to the boring village Miyama it would have been a rating of 5 stars. --> Our recommendation to Viator is to (1) tell the tour operators to make a separate trip ONLY to Amanohashidate island and back to Kyoto without Miyama, (2) to offer morning and afternoon departure times from Kyoto as we have seen on other 1/2 day trips, and (3) to add more time on top of the mtn in Amanohashidate. We would rather have had more time on top of the mtn in Amanohashidate to enjoy the views, we just got 15 mins on top which is the biggest highlight of the trip and instead we spent 3 hrs going to the village which is a total waste of time! V poorly planned trip, not enf time on the scenic part and too much time in a useless village with nothing to do there!! There we cannot recommend this trip. If we had known how boring the village part is we would not have taken this tour so hoping it helps others. Thank u in advance for listening.
Dear valued csutomer, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed Amanohashidate and that our guide Harry provided excellent service—we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. We’re sorry to hear that the Miyama portion of the tour did not meet your expectations and that you felt the time allocation was not ideal. Your comments about spending more time at Amanohashidate and offering a separate, focused itinerary are well noted and appreciated, and we will share them with our planning team for review. Thank you again for your honest review. We value your input and hope it helps us improve future tours. Best regards, VIP Japan Tour
