8-Hour Private Tour to Nara and Kyoto from Osaka
The driver will pick you up from your requested location between 8:00~10:00 (or 9:00 if a time is not given) within Osaka city or Kansai Airport and the tour heads toward Nara Park.
Once you are out of the hustle and bustle of Osaka it feels like you are in another world at Nara Park, the home of nearly 1200 freely roaming deer. The deer are considered a National Treasure and are now essentially synonymous with Nara. No doubt you have seen numerous photos of tourists feeding the deer! Afterwards, take a walk to Todaiji Temple, one of the most famous and historically significant temples in Nara. Stroll around Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), the largest wooden building in the world, and visit the two famous attractions inside the Hall: a 49-foot bronze statue of Buddha and a pillar with a hole in its base which is believed to bring enlightenment in one’s next life if he or she can squeeze through its opening. You will stay at Nara Park and Todaiji Temple for around an hour.
Moving onto Kyoto, visit another famous park, Maruyama Park. Take a rest and have lunch by your own inside the park while enjoying the surrounding environment (50 mins.)
After lunch, visit one of the most important cultural and historical landmarks in Kyoto - Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Stroll all the way up to the Temple and head to its wooden stage where breath-taking views of the city can be seen. Walk through this tranquil paradise to find the Otowa Waterfall which falls from 3 different locations into one deep pool. With around 90 minutes at Kiyomizu-dera, you have plenty of time to soak in the special atmosphere of this place.
You then arrive at the ancient Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of the Edo Period. Experience the subtle artistic works inside the Castle as well as the fabulous surrounding gardens. Your trip to the castle is enhanced when nearly 400 cherry trees are blooming in the Spring, or when maple, ginko and other trees offer brilliant colors in the Autumn. Explore for 50 minutes.
The tour ends at this point and the driver will take you to your requested drop-off point between at around 17:00 (based on 9:00 departure.)
