Okayama Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Description
This value-packed trip with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Okayama! The jewel of Okayama City is Korakuen Garden, considered one of Japan's top three gardens. You can enjoy pink cherry blossoms in the spring, multi-colored maple trees in autumn, and the crow-black exterior of nearby Okayama Castle all year. Okayama also serves as a transportation hub, linking the Shinkansen to rail service on Shikoku Island. Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a four-hour tour that's best for you! Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Okayama Castle (岡山城, Okayamajō), also known as "crow castle" due to its black exterior, was built in 1597 in the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. The original castle was destroyed in the last year of World War 2, but a reconstruction was made in 1966. The castle is located on the Asahi River, which was used as a moat. Korakuen Garden is located just across the river. Only one of Okayama Castle's original buildings escaped destruction during the war, the Tsukimi Yagura ("moon viewing turret"), which dates back to 1620. There are also reconstructions and unearthed foundations of a few other former buildings, which help illustrate the former extent of the castle complex.
Korakuen (後楽園, Kōrakuen) is a beautiful landscape garden and Okayama's main attraction. Along with Kanazawa's Kenrokuen and Mito's Kairakuen, Korakuen is ranked as one of Japan's three best landscape gardens. It is located just beside Okayama Castle, which can be seen from the garden as "borrowed scenery". The local feudal lord ordered the construction of Korakuen in 1687 as a place of entertainment for the ruling family and a location for receiving important guests. Occasionally, the public was permitted to enter the garden.
The Kibi Plain (吉備路, Kibiji) is a charming, rural flatland just outside of central Okayama City that is covered in sprawling fields and dotted with shrines, temples and small clusters of farmhouses. The plain is best explored from an attractive cycling trail which visits several historic sights along the way. During the 4th century the Kibi Plain was the center of the Kibi Kingdom, an ancient clan that controlled much of modern day Okayama Prefecture and whose power rivaled that of the dominant Yamato Clan in today's Nara Prefecture. A few historic sights related to the kingdom, such as large burial mounds and some shrines, can be found scattered around the plain.
Our absolute favourite cherry blossom spot in Okayama wasn’t Korakuen or the Asahi River, but the magical Handayama Botanical Garden. This hillside garden has views of the city and an incredible 1000 cherry trees—they stretch on and on and you feel fully immersed in the blooms. Best of all, this hidden gem is not very crowded (even on a sunny weekend in full bloom). There are plenty of grassy areas to lie back and gaze at the flowers or enjoy a picnic.
The Nishigawa Canal Park isn’t a top Okayama tourist attraction, but it is a pleasant place for a jog or stroll, especially in cherry blossom season. The canal runs through the city and is lined with flowers, cherry trees, and sculptures with benches to sit and enjoy them.
Kurashiki is the most popular day trip from Okayama and it’s only a 20-minute train ride away. It’s the city’s Bizan Historical Quarter that attracts visitors. This picturesque area features traditional Japanese houses and a canal lined with weeping willow trees. The area dates back to the 1600s when it was an important location on Japan’s rice trade route. Rice was brought there on barges on the canals and then kept in storehouses before being shipped off to the cities. The storehouses with their white walls and black tiles have been preserved and are now shops and cafes.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This private tour is a walking day tour. A private vehicle is not included. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs. If you wish to arrange for a private vehicle, please contact us directly. All Private vehicles must be booked 5 days in advance. Maximum number of passengers: 7.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Reviews(11)
Have an idea about what sort of things you would like to do before you go and all will be accommodated time permitting. Our Gide Sam was wonderful and knowledgeable. He was pround to show us his city and quirky little parts we would never have found by ourselves. We asked for a lunch recommendation and we delighted in his surprise local eatery that served up Okayama delights!
It was indeed brisk and breathtaking that we enjoyed every minute of the tour. When we visited Korakuen Garden, we were heartily welcomed by the cranes' awesome crying, scorched lawn, fragrant scent of plum blossoms, and bitter taste of tea leaves. I also had you face the fact that Okayama-jo Castle stands on a "mountain" with a height of about 7 meters! For lunch, time management might have been a bit difficult, but we succeeded in enjoying the authentic soybean curd cuisine. It was worth trying. I was wrapped with your warmth and generosity, and this experience gave me a long-lasting satisfaction. Sam
Involves a lot of walking,so enough time needed.plan lunch at the gardens. Don't forget a SICA card.
As part of a 5-hour Okayama tour, we visited Okayama Castle, Korakuen Garden, and the Kurashiki Historic Area. What the guest said was very informative. Since lunch is one of the pleasures of the tour, where to have it should be well discussed between the tourists and the guide.
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up at meeting place (train station) to drop off at our accommodation. Our guide, Naoki has wealth of knowledge regarding the area and it's history, he covered a lot of ground in an allocated 4hr time frame.
Thank you very much for your friendly review! It was a great pleasure for me to show you around my hometown. I appreciate your choice to visit Okayama. And it was very nice to talk with you. Have a good trip further! Naoki
Highly recommend the half day tour and our wonderful guide, Hisao Kaji. He accommodated our requests and was very knowledgeable with excellent English. Thank you Hisao!
Thank you very much for your kind words. I am truly honored. I am very happy to know that you enjoyed the tour. You were both very kind and friendly, so it made me guide you with relaxed and pleasant feeling as well. I hope you will visit Japan again to explore more wonderful places. Best regards. Thank you. Kaji
A wonderful day with Yoko in Okayama. She was in touch several times before the date to plan the day. Meeting place was easy. Was great getting local knowledge and conversation . Would definitely recommend her to anyone interested in the history and special places of Okayama.
Thank you very much for your nice review. I also enjoyed a beautiful spring day with you. Yoko
Yoko was an excellent guide. She answered all of my questions beforehand and was competent and considerate throughout the day. Arigato!
Thank you for your nice review. You are very active and take nice photos. I was very happy to guide you. Now you stay in Nara, don't you? I am sure the event in Nara is very nice for you. Yoko
We had a great tour with our guide, Ray. She was very nice, helpful and easy to talk to. She went out of her way to help us find a quaint pottery shop called Sobian near the Okayama Railway Station. We ended up buying two special Bizen teacups. Thanks to Ray, we had a wonderful tour of Okayama Castle and Korakuen. We especially enjoyed seeing the Ted-Crowned Cranes, the beautiful and serene garden, and meandering along the winding paths viewing the tea trees, plum groves, ponds and bridges. Thank you Ray for a wonderful visit to Okayama. Aloha! Your friends from Hawaii, Steve and Louise.
Thank you for a nice, heart-warming comment for our tour! It was truly my pleasure to show you around in my hometown. It was a great experience to be your guide. It was delightful to share the moment of appreciating beauty and charm of Korakuen Garden with you! Through the eyes of tourists, we can get a renewed appreciation of familiar places. I visited Korakuen Garden many times, but I was able to look at a house in the garden from the new perspective. I mean, you were the first guest who asked about the second floor of the structure with a stream, which survived the air raid. (Do you remember the house called “Ryuten”?) Until then , I was never conscious of the second floor, just focusing on the stream. It is true that your curiosity and enthusiasm made the tour more exciting. I also appreciate your getting interested in Bizen-yaki-potteries. I feel sorry I could not help you to the last moment of your shopping, but looks like you could get nice products there. I am glad to hear that. I hope the memory of our tour will stay long in your mind and , if you have another chance to visit Japan, think about the tour to Bizen area to explore and find more about potteries. I hope our paths will cross again, someday! Thank you! From your friend in Japan
Very easy to book, quick response from guide who offered immediate assistance and itinerary planning assistance. Guide reconfirmed upon our arrival in Okayama and was very punctual on the day. She conducted a very informative and delightful experience for us based on our special interest.
I am grateful to you for giving us a very nice comment! It was my pleasure that I could spend a day with you, talking about history, culture, politics. You had good knowledge and interest about Japan, which I really appreciate. I was very lucky to have nice people like you as guests. I hope some day you will have another chance to visit Japan and explore some other fascinating spots! Thank you! Ray
The park was absolutely beautiful. The tour guide was knowledgeable and helpful. The city was okay and interesting as well. Thank you
I really appreciate your visit to our area. Thank you for listening to my explanation so eagerly. I was really glad that you liked the garden and showed interest in our history. Moreover, we had a good conversation about various topics, and I was impressed by your insightful comments on education. I hope you enjoyed your stay on the island as well! If you ever get another chance, please explore different spots. Thank you! Ray
Ray (Reiko Takemaru) was an amazing guide who showed us the Okayama Castle and the Korakuen garden. She was excited to show us the famous sites of the city she grew up in! She spoke excellent English and was extremely knowledgeable about the history and significance of each site. The tour helped us dive deeper into the history and the culture of Okayama. My husband and I enjoyed the tour very much!
