Hōkō-ji Temple tours

I was truly impressed with this trip. Every place we visited was absolutely beautiful. The guide took great care of us and gave us enough time at each destination to fully enjoy and soak in the atmosphere. The travel time between each stop was just right, and I loved every destination along the way. I would definitely love to come back and take this trip again!

The transportation to all three locations wasn't great, so I booked a tour. It seemed like everyone else was with companions, but since I was alone, I was able to sit next to our guide, Jackson. Being in the front seat gave me a great view of the scenery.👍🏻 I think I was the only Korean person on the tour, and even though I can't speak English or Chinese, I had a wonderful time. <For any Koreans who might see this, I'm sharing my itinerary in case it helps.> First, when you arrive at Ine no Funaya and get off, you'll go into the souvenir shop. You'll have about 10 minutes to quickly buy anything you want and use the restroom. (The souvenir shop and the boat boarding area are right next to each other.) ➡️ Take the boat, feed the seagulls, and enjoy the scenery. ➡️ Get off the boat and immediately board the bus to the "photo spot" where the Ine Funaya boathouses are clustered (about 25 minutes of free time – plenty of time for photos). ➡️ Head to Amanohashidate. ➡️ You'll have about 110-120 minutes of free time. When you get off the bus, the guide will lead you to the lift or monorail boarding area. Enjoy your free time! (For reference, the bus drop-off point is near Chionji Temple and the red rotating bridge.) ➡️ After moving to Miyama Village, you'll have about 40 minutes of free time. The village is small, so there was plenty of time to take photos and buy souvenirs. // When I went, the weather at Ine no Funaya and Amanohashidate was fantastic, with clear skies, a cool breeze, and lots of clouds. When we moved to Miyama Village, it drizzled a bit, but it stopped quickly, and the village, enveloped in fog after the rain, was incredibly picturesque. The scenery was so unique and much different from what I saw in pictures.☺️ // And, as I mentioned earlier, my tour guide was Jackson. Every time we moved and arrived at a new location, he would send a message via LINE saying, 'Free time is until [time], please come to [location],' so you can just copy that and put it into a translator. He also sent Google Maps links for the bus's location, so don't worry! Jackson also shared snacks with us in between, and at the end, he even gave us a photo card. I'm usually too lazy to leave reviews, but it was so good that I had to write this. 👍🏻I was very satisfied.👍🏻

Our guide Ms Shion was amazing! She is very enthusiastic and engaging. The walk covers quite a lot at a good pace but we didn’t spot any maikos or geishas which was my main objective. I wonder if the route could be reversed so there’s a higher chance of spotting the talented artistes at the the Queen of Geisha district?

awesome experience! it's really rare to meet a geisha/maiko and it was so fun to play a game with her so close

We had a great experience with Ben who was very knowledgeable. Booking this on the first night arriving was a good idea to beat the heat during the day and we managed to cover a lot of area including some uphill locations which would have been exhausting by foot. We learnt a lot about the general history of Kyoto itself and significance of a few sites which was a great base to build upon for the rest of the trip thank you again Ben!

Aye was an absolutely amazing tour guide at Nijo Castle! He was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so many fascinating details about the castle, its history, and features that we never would have noticed on our own. I had previously visited Nijo Castle without a guide, and I can honestly say that this experience was 100% better. I learned so much and walked away with a completely new appreciation for the castle and its history. On top of being an excellent guide, Aye was incredibly thoughtful and attentive. When it started to rain during our tour, he even offered to get umbrellas for us! It was such a kind gesture and really showed how much he cares about the people on his tours. I cannot recommend Aye enough. If you’re visiting Nijo Castle in Kyoto, having him as your guide makes the experience so much more meaningful and memorable. Thank you, Aye, for such a wonderful tour!

So this activity is three parts in total. The first one takes you to a temple, then there is a beautiful boat ride that takes you to a dam and finally the sake tasting and optional sale. For those arriving by car, there is parking near the south exit. Our guide Claudia was proactive, interative and cooperative and made this activity fun with information sharing, whenever we sought it. She speaks good english and knows Kyoto well. We did this activity with a 5 month old, so you know thats entirely possible should you choose. Baby prams can be stored near the boat boarding point and rest rooms are available one you reach the dam or at the sake museum. There is a great presentation at the Sake musuem on the brewing process and history. All in all, I would recommend this activity to anyone looking for some good time with family / friends, including infants. Thank you. (Date of activity : 05/05/2026)

hands down best way to introduce yourself to Kyoto & Japan in general’s food! Tara was so knowledgeable and really engaging!

our tour guide was great. we walked through temples. old streets. and my wife actually saw a geisha. she .ever would of unless it was pointed out they ride in cabs lol. so keep your eyes peeled.