Travelling to Okayama? Take a private Okayama tour with an insightful, delightful guide from ToursByLocals! See the city's popular attractions, and experience its local charms with a guide who's eager to share the best of Okayama with you.

Looking for a private Okayama tour that's tailored to YOUR travel interests? Find the perfect itinerary below, or design your own tour and experience the city with a friendly and knowledgeable ToursByLocals guide.

Okayama

Cross by ferry from the mainland and take local buses or hire cycles to tour the main museum and display attractions. Art House Project, a collection of abandoned houses and workshops scattered throughout the village, that have been converted into venues and art installations by artists from Japan and around the world. Chichu Museum hosts a small but impressive collection of works by artists including Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. This is the highlight of a visit to Naoshima. The Benesse Museum, arguably the island's centerpiece, also designed by Ando, Benesse House, the structure itself is sculpture-like. It is a museum hotel that is home to works by famed artists Hiroshi Sugimoto, Gerhard Richter, Shinro Ohtake, Richard Long, David Hockney, and others and Kusama Yayoi Giant Pumpkin installation

Experience the Seto Inland Sea island dedicated to modern and contemporary art

Naoshima Art Island

Locating in the northern region of the Seto Inland Sea, Naoshima is famous as the art island and it is the paradise for art and architecture lovers!
Must-see is the Chichu Art Museum designed by world- famous architect Tadao Ando. The Art House Project, a series of old houses which have been transformed into art works, is in a small village.
You can rent a bike to enjoy cycling to visit all the art sites.
I am sure you will love beautiful nature and art.

"Exploring Beautiful Art Island - Museums and Art House Project"

Naoshima Full Day Tour from Okayama

From Okayama to Naoshima island full-day Tour

Naoshima island is a small but attractive destination located in Western Japan.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Estimated Local Cash Needed" costs per person, not per group.
I can meet you at your hotel lobby (except for Airbnb and guesthouses) in Okayama city.
Museums in Naoshima island are closed on Mondays.

When you stay in Osaka, please confirm the tour #158074. And please consider you'll miss some exhibitions in the island because of the limited transportation such as ferry and town bus.

Relaxing time in the island of modern art

Full Day tour of Culture and History in Okayama

A guided tour starting with a visit to historical Okayama Castle. If you would like to include a ceramic-making experience at the castle on the day please let me know and I will check availability.

The castle visit will be followed by a leisurely stroll through adjacent classic landscaped Korakuen Gardens, one of the three topmost beautiful gardens in Japan.

From the gardens, we will take a short train ride to nearby Kurashiki for lunch of which there is a variety of choice and we can discuss your preferences at the start of the day, and visit the Bikan old preserved quarter, a historic area with classic architecture situated along a canal, loaded with shops, eateries & galleries.

Okayama Castle, Korakuen Gardens, Kurashiki Old Preserved District

This tour covers the attractive places in Okayama and Kurashiki cities in a day. Okayama is a "fruit kingdom". I hope you'll find the fresh fruit at every place.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Local Cash Needed" section costs per person, not per group.

View of Oakayama Castle from Korakuen Garden

Let's enjoy the samurai garden and scenic quarter

Okayama and Kurashiki full-day Tour

This is a wonderful day exploring the art on Teshima, one of three islands creating a contemporary art experience set amidst the rice fields and mountains on the island and merges with the rural setting in the surrounding Seto Inland Sea.

During 2019 you may have the opportunity to enjoy one of the two sessions of The Setouchi Triennale (also known as the Setouchi International Art Festival), a contemporary art festival on islands of the Seto Inland Sea held every three years.

We will ferry from Uno Port to Teshima and traveling by local bus, visit the Teshima Art Museum and other art project installations in the town.

Summer Session: July 19 to August 25
Autumn Session: September 28 to November 4

"Teshima Yokoo House", a collaboration between artist Tadanori Yokoo and architect Yuko Nagayama, was created by altering and renovating an old private house

8 Million Lab Installation - Naruse Inokuma architects helped transform a traditional dwelling into a vibrant arts complex. Permanent exhibition by British Japanese artist Spuniko.

Yokoo House: exploiting the building's existing layout, the exhibition areas are divided into a "Main House," a "Warehouse," and an "Outhouse," displaying 11 two-dimensional works. Other features-a stone garden with a pond, and a cylindrical tower-are devoted to installations, so that the art spaces seem to expand symbolically to cover the entire site.

Private Tour: Teshima, an intriguing art experience

Art Island Excursion Full Day Tour

From Okayama to Inujima island full-day Tour

Inujima is the only inhabited island in Okayama City. The most famous Inujima Seirensho ruins were rehabilitated and preserved as an art museum, and since then, the island has attracted many tourists from Japan and abroad. Although there are many works of art, the island's population is only 36. There is no transportation, so visitors are encouraged to appreciate the works of art on foot.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Estimated Local Cash Needed" costs per person, not per group.
I can meet you at your hotel lobby in Okayama city.
Museums are closed on Tuesdays.
Sometimes visitors have to take off shoes to enter.

-IMPORTANT-
The tour is operated only on Saturdays, Sundays and Japan's National holidays due to the transport schedule.

Explore the modern art island

Full day tour of Out and About in Okayama

Visit the Historic Bikan Preserved Quarter area with classic architecture situated along a canal, with shops, eateries & galleries, shrines in the old feudal age preserved quarter.

The Bikan Quarter tour will be followed by a short train ride to the trailhead for a wonderful, leisurely cycling experience through rice fields and orchards.

We'll pop into an ancient burial mound alongside rivers, making our way along the ancient trade route across the Kibi Plain before escorting you back to the arranged tour endpoint.

temple and pagoda on the Kibi Plain cycling route

cycle past between rice fields stretching to either side and amongst orchards on the Kibi Plain cycle trip

Kurashiki and a cycling excursion across the Kibi Plain

From Okayama to Teshima island full-day Tour

Teshima island is one of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima projects planned by famous Japanese architect Mr. Tadao ANDO. This tour covers the main attractions of the island in a single day.
If you are a fan of modern art, then this tour is for you.

Please prepare JPY in cash and remove your shoes at Teshima Art Museum.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Estimated Local Cost Needed" costs per person, not per group.

Please let me know if you are Japan Rail Pass travelers or if you plan on staying in Kyoto.

Island hoppers destination

We spend a wonderful day touring by private vehicle. Among other spots, we'll stroll among the olive groves vista of the picturesque Greek-style windmill or just enjoy the olives in a variety of forms like chocolate, snacks, traditional pickles, and even cosmetics, drop into Marukin Shoyu Soy Sauce Factory & Museum for a glimpse of the age-old industry or delve into the world of Japanese yokai, which are spiritual creatures or monsters rooted in Japan’s culture. Visit a nostalgic village located in the hilly center of Shodoshima  famous for its 800 rice paddy fields 

An Island of surprises, better known to Japanese as "Olive Isalnd" 

Shodoshima 

From Naoshima to Naoshima island full-day Tour

Naoshima island is a small but attractive destination located in Western Japan.
I can meet you at the lobby at a hotel in Naoshima or Benesse House Museum.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Estimated Local Cash Needed" costs per person, not per group.
Museums in Naoshima island are closed on Mondays. Please be careful of choosing the date.

After you book the tour, let me tell you the ticket reservation time for Chichu Art Museum later.

From Okayama to Adachi Museum of Art full-day Tour

Adachi Museum of Art was opened in 1970 by an entrepreneur named Zenko Adachi. He believed was that a garden is like a painting of art.

Wide variety of gardens are spread throughout the 165, 000 square meters such as the dry landscape garden, white gravel and pine tree garden, and moss garden. Those gardens have been ranked as No. 1 in the "Japanese Garden Ranking" since 2003.

It's worth visiting the world-famous garden after three hours of transportation!
Let's meet at JR Okayama station or your hotel lobby in Okayama city.

Tour price costs per group, not per person.
"Estimated Local Cash Needed" costs per person, not per group.
Tour guide lives in Osaka, so the tour price includes the guide's transportation in advance.

When you're interested in another tour starting in Okayama, please confirm the plans below. If you book 2 tours, let me give you the discount rate for the second one.
Please check the tours below:
#286781 from Okayama to Naoshima island.
#255205 from Okayama to Teshima island.

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