Kyoto Highlights - Arashiyama & Golden Pavilion

Kyoto is a large city with many things to explorer, particularly on the periphery. That is why I usually recommend guests to focus on their the eastern or western side of the city. This tour will be a vist to the western side of Kyoto, which I would be very happy to show you as it is the side of Kyoto that has been the neighbourhood my family and I have called home for the last few years, living just a stones throw away from the famous Golden Pavillion (Kinkaku-ji temple). While naturally the focus will be on visiting the key highlights you wish to see around the area, I also want to take a few minutes to show you what regular life is like for regular people when stepping away from the main tourist street.

In this tour will take you to the western side of Kyoto to visit the famous bamboo forest and nearby UNESCO world heritage Tenryu-ji temple. This area also has other sites we could opt to visit such as a moss temple, views of the Arashiyama mountains, or the monkey park. After which we will travel to Kinkaku-ji, better known as the Golden Pavilion. The stunning retirement villa of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The tour concludes at the more tucked away and hidden Kitano Tenmangu, a local shrine not often visited by tourists where you can still get a sense of local religious life. Example: Start: Hotel pick up Hour 1~2: One or two hours at Arashiyama. Bamboo forest, Tenryu-ji temple, optional activities (bridge, moss temple, preserved street) Hour 3: Arrival at the Golden Pavilion. Explore the gardens (45min approx.). Hour 4: Arrival at Kitano Tenmangu. Explore around the shrine, its majestic walkway and surrounding gardens.