Muslim-Friendly Kyoto Tour with a Local Guide

After departure from your hotel, this tour will visit the Nishiki market first. The Nishiki market is popular as a shopping district for Kyoto locals, and has shops dealing in seasonal fish and fruits, as well as traditional craft items unique to Kyoto, so here you can enjoy both shopping and eating while strolling.

Next to the Nishiki market, across the Shijo Bridge, Yasaka Shrine awaits your visit. Yasaka Shrine is famous for the Gion Festival, one of the three biggest festivals in Japan, which local people lovingly call "Gion San." The number of worshipers over New Year's time tops more than 1 million every year, making it one of the most popular shrines in the country. Not just New Year’s, but also throughout the year you will find many visitors from both Japan and abroad.

After visiting Yasaka Shrine, we will have lunch time at Halal Yakiniku Narita, a Yakiniku restaurant that has acquired HALAL certification, meaning you can enjoy delicious Japanese beef with Japanese style hospitality and no worries about food contents.

After lunch we will explore the Gion neighborhood, extending west of Yasaka Shrine to the north and south. A cherry-blossom lined path where nice cafes and tea houses beautifully line the street, with quintessentially Kyoto views yours for the taking in. You may even meet a Maiko (roughly equivalent to young, apprenticing Geisha) if you are lucky.

In one corner of the Gion, we’ll find the hillside lookout on the Rinzai Buddhist sect Kenninji School. This is a cultural treasure of a spot that cannot be removed, as it is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. It was opened by Eika Zen, the master who is the founder of Rinzai sect and boasts the third largest Kyoto Goyama ceremony. The vast precincts are made up of many towers and beautiful gardens and are also famous for possessing many valuable cultural assets including the Wind Fuji Thunder Graphics screen.

At the end of the tour, you’ll visit Kiyomizudera, which is widely known as a representative tourist destination in Japan. Kiyomizudera expands over 130,000 square meters, spreading into the middle of Higashiyama and Okuyama, with fifteen shrines including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties lined up. Most of these were rebuilt in the early Edo period in the 17th century and were registered as one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage "Ancient Kyoto Cultural Properties".

Kiyomizu Temple is known especially for the stage of the main hall which has become the origin of "Pure water stage jump off point," the sounds of waterfalls, and more. There are various design and meanings written in the deep green boundaries. Please enjoy your time here slowly and methodically under the tutelage of your guide.

After enjoying Kiyomizudera, the tour will be over. Together with a local guide who knows Kyoto expertly, please have a wonderful and enjoyable day on this tour.