Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple

Yuka our guide was informative, funny and hospitable made the whole trip better! We visited temples(even got side tracked by a local market) and then headed for meditation then lunch. all in all it was a good day and experience!

Yutaka was a fantastic tour guide, we had a memorable day visiting the temples & we learned lots along the way. He was full on interesting information and local knowledge. The temples were stunning and not too busy with other tourists. Lovely guided meditation session with a monk & a delicious vegan lunch to finish off the tour perfectly. We highly recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic experience.

The tour, guided by a kyoto local, was a great experience! I love the places and explanation of the philosophy behind everything, as Kyoto is a city rich with religious and unwritten culture. The meditate was great, it really helped me learn of what proper meditation feels like as well as helped clearing the mind for the day.

Eri, who gave us the tour, was so bright and kind! She explained things kindly and thoroughly, and she speaks both Japanese and English!! And the temple we actually went to and the meditation class were also helpful. I highly recommend it 🥺❣️

Our tour guide, Yoshida, was very responsible and welcomed us warmly. He also prepared the appropriate materials during the Zen meditation so we could understand the monks' Japanese explanations. Each temple in Tofuku-ji has its own unique characteristics, making it perfect for careful and leisurely appreciation.

What a lovely experience! I highly recommend this tour with our guide Yutaka, a Kyoto local. He had a lot of knowledge to share of the temples as well as Japanese culture. He was very open and friendly. We were able to start the tour early and he was kind enough to show us an additional sub-temple so we could get a goshuin. The tour size was small, only 3 people, and it lasted until 3pm. It was a very relaxed pace including 20 minutes peaceful contemplating at a small temple, a history of Buddhism and meditation instruction. The meditation and lecture with the monk lasted an hour. The class is attended mostly by locals and is conducted in Japanese. However, the tour provided all information in an English booklet which made it easy to follow.

I joined the tour with Mr. Yutaka, which ended with a beautiful meditation session, and it was truly one of the highlights of my first trip to Japan. It was also my first time meditating, and I absolutely loved the experience — it’s definitely something I’m taking back home with me and plan to continue doing. Mr. Yutaka was incredibly knowledgeable, answering every question we had with patience and depth. He shared fascinating insights into Japanese culture and history related to the temples, gardens, and the Zen tradition, which made the whole experience even more meaningful. On top of that, he was very friendly, warm, and genuinely pleasant to spend time with. I felt comfortable and welcomed throughout the entire tour. I super recommend Mr. Yutaka as a guide, and I will definitely contact him again when I’m back in town!

My trip was guided by Eri, a very warm lady who took good care of us. She detaily introduced each garden with adequate amount of history for our information. And she's also so cheerful that made the tour so enjoyable. And for the Zen meditation guided by the monk, it was also a very calming experience that I never have in other places. And finally, the vegan meal was remarkable! Every dish is so exquisite, each of us enjoy that a lot.

I highly recommend this trip to friends who come to Kyoto. I would like to express my special thanks to the tour guide Mr. Yutaka. He carefully explained the entire trip and was very talkative and interesting. I learned a lot of Kyoto-related knowledge from him. The whole trip is divided into three parts: Part One It is a tour of the temple, where you can appreciate the temple's landscape and related history and culture, as well as the philosophical meaning behind it. In addition to adding basic knowledge, it adds a deeper meaning; the second part is to study and learn from the monks in the temple. , the whole atmosphere feels relaxing and comfortable, and it is recommended for friends who experience meditation for the first time; the third part is a vegetarian lunch, the lunch content is very delicious, and it is a perfect ending to the entire journey. Highly recommended to those who come to Kyoto and want to experience a different authentic culture!

If you ever want to experience something unique in Kyoto, this is a must-do activity. Learn about zen meditation and the history of Kyoto temples. The experience guide provides insight and unique experiences for the tour. And there’s a delicious vegetarian lunch provided.