Kyoto Sightseeing Bus to Arashiyama → Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) → Fushimi Inari-taisha → Kiyomizudera
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Going to Top Kyoto Sightseeing Spots with 🚌WOW BUS!🚌
The Most Popular Place to Visit in Japan 2018, Kyoto
and it's easy to see why…
it's the formal Imperial capital of Japan (its name even means "capital city"),
famous for green tea,
geisha/maiko/oiran, gardens, old tea houses,
small "old Japan" style building,
making it the heart of the remaining traditional side of Japan.
Despite all of those great factors,
it isn't as easy to get around and visit places in Kyoto as it is in say Tokyo.
Which makes things even more stressful when traveling.
That's why we wanted to recommend a sightseeing bus service we took this last trip to Kyoto.
① Transportation
Kyoto's transportation isn't as developed as Tokyo or even Osaka, the only means of transportation is bus, car, or bike. Which means there is a lot of walking here and there. It's almost inevitable when sightseeing, no matter how hard you try to pack light, you'll have stuff to lug around which is just exhausting.
② English Speaking Guide
Our tour guide spoke English, but there are also Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Thai available as well.
Once you off the bus, the tour guide took us to the main entrances and had a map of some surrounding sites to check out. Before heading out on your own the guide will always tell you what time to be back at the bus by and which lane the bus is parked at so you don't have to worry about getting lost.
③ Luggage Storing Place
Even if you bring just roller suitcases or a big backpack, you get weighed down and it gets in the way, especially if you're at a really crowded place. But since we too the Hankyu travel bus (Wow! Bus), we just shoved the stuff we really didn't need at the luggage storing place below the bus until the tour was over. It wasn't until we started the tour that we realized HOW NICE it was to not have to carry our luggage everywhere. A lot of streets and shops in Kyoto are particularly narrow, so it worked out really well.
via WOW BUS
Osaka (West Umeda Parking) or Namba Parks (1F)
3-2-1 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Map
❶Arashiyama
❷Golden Pavilion
❸Fushimi Inari Shrine
❹Kiyomizu-dera Temple
So just sit back and relax
while they take you to the 4 most popular tourist sites in Kyoto.
① Hankyu Travel Wow!Bus Sticker
Once you check in before boarding the bus, the tour guide will give you a "Hankyu Travel Wow! Bus" sticker. There are a lot of different tour groups in Kyoto. So to help you find your group and you from getting on the wrong bus, you get a sticker.
② Remember Bus Outline
Before boarding or leaving the bus, it's recommended that you write down your bus design and car number or take a picture of it.
③ Time Punctuality
You of course get free time on the tour, but before heading out on your own the guide will always tell you what time to be back. Be sure not to be late though because they will leave 🙁
Arashiyama → Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) → Fushimi Inari-taisha → Kiyomizudera
Going to Top Kyoto Sightseeing Spots!
The bamboo groves or bamboo forest that is a part of Arashiyama is becoming more and more popular among foreign tourists. The subtle wind blowing through the bamboo branches makes a nice short video. It's said many of the bamboo from Arashiyama is chopped down and used to manufacture tatami mats, boxes, and other bamboo goods. So when you're shopping, keep an eye out for some Arashiyama bamboo products!
The Golden Pavilion is a World Heritage Site that Kyoto is known for. When it was constructed in 1397 it was originally a villa to a lord, but after his death it became a temple. We overhead a funny and unique story about the temple, and that is that it was burned down in the 50's by an angry monk who was apparently "jealous of its beauty". Unfortunately you can't go inside, but just looking at the beautiful gold leaf structure surrounded by Japanese nature is just as nice.
If you've seen the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, then you've seen Fushimi Inari-taisha. It is a bit out of the way, further from many of the "main" Kyoto attractions, which makes this bus tour SUPER convenient!!
If you go to Kyoto and don't stop by Kiyomizudera, it's like you didn't really go to Kyoto. This temple is one of the most known and photographed temples in all of Japan, partly because it is associated with one of Japan's oldest forms of Buddhism. Another is because it is just a beautiful sight that incorporates Japan's tradition and four seasons.
It's Your Choice!
A majority of the tour just went back to Osaka, us however,
we said goodbye there and went on to our hotel in Kyoto.
The guide said it is also a possibility to leave in the middle of the tour.
So like if you want to get off at Kinkakuji, just tell the guide!
Just be aware that they won't drop you off at any other place besides whats decided on the tour.
Online Reservations
Make a Reservation for WOW BUS at Home
Hankyu Travel Kyoto Sightseeing Tour Bus (ENG)
※There is a possibility that the order of places will be changed depending on weather and traffic,
however the places are a definite so no worries.
For more information on things to do at Arashiyama (嵐山), Kinkakuji (金閣寺), Fushimi Inari-taisha (伏見稲荷大社), and Kiyomizudera (清水寺) during the tour, check our blog that has all sorts of recommended shops and traditional Kyoto sites ➡ JAPANKURU Kyoto Bus Tour Guide
Have you ever been to Kyoto before or want to go?
We wanna hear about it in the comment box below!
✧˖°Share your stories with us°˖✧
For more interesting topics,
Be sure to look at JAPANKURU🐶 for more exciting articles every day!!
Or add us on Pinterest, Google+, Instagram to share your Japanese pictures💖🗾
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OSAKA
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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