Overview

Many people say that Kyoto is the best city for tourists in Japan. This tour is designed for our visitors who have special dietary requirements such as Muslims, vegans or those with allergies. A local guide will show you the popular spots in the Gion and Higashiyama areas of ​​Kyoto while ensuring that your meals and snacks are suitable for your needs.

① Pick up at your hotel (9:00)

② Nishiki Market (9:20-10:10)
After departure from your hotel, this tour will visit the Nishiki market first. The Nishiki market is a popular shopping area for Kyoto locals, and is filled with seasonal fish and fruits, as well as traditional craft items unique to Kyoto. The market is five blocks long so makes a good place to enjoy both shopping and eating while strolling.

③ Yasaka Shrine/Maruyama Park (10:30-11:20)
Located 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 involves hundreds of people carrying floats and dates back over a thousand years. The number of worshipers over New Year's period tops more than 1 million every year, making it one of the most popular shrines in the country. The adjacent Maruyama Park is one of the most famous places in Japan to enjoy cherry blossoms, making the shrine especially beautiful during spring.

④ Lunch at Yakiniku Naritaya (11:30-12:20)
After visiting Yasaka Shrine, we will have lunch time at Halal Yakiniku Naritaya, 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. If you have other dietary requirements, or if you prefer to eat something else, please inform us in advance and we will arrange an alternative lunch spot.

⑤ Gion (12:40-13:25)
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 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.

⑥ Kenniji Temple (13:30-14:20)
Constructed in 1202, the Kenniji Temple is the oldest zen temple in Kyoto. It was opened by Eisai, the Buddhist monk who introduced zen Buddhism to Japan after returning from study trips to China. The vast temple is made up of many towers and beautiful gardens, especially famous is the pebbled “zen garden” where you can sit and contemplate freely.

⑦ Fushimi Inari Shrine (15:00-16:00)
Almost everyone has seen pictures of the thousands of red torii gates leading from the base of this Shinto shrine all the way to the top of Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. People have historically gathered there to pray for bountiful harvests and prosperity for their families.
As well as checking out the grounds of the main shrine, you can ascend the mountain through the torii gates, keeping an eye out for smaller shrines and statues along the way.

⑧ Conclude at your hotel in Kyoto (16:30)