Tea Experience and Zenkoji Tour with 'Shukubo' Temple Lodging Stay

We had an absolutely fantastic time with our guide Joyce. She was incredibly knowledgeable and it really helped us fully enjoy all the sights but also gave us some valuable insight into the history of the city. The oyaki restaurant felt intimate and we enjoyed sitting by the fire watching them cook. The sake tasting was also fun, we learned so much and ended up purchasing several things and sent them to our accommodation in Japan for free which was really convenient. During and after the fire ceremony, the monk leading it was kind enough to spend time answering all our questions about the temple. When you visit the main temple, don't miss out on the underground passage! Lastly, our stay at the Shukubo was the perfect way to round out our experience. The hosts were so kind, and both meals were absolutely delicious! She also gave us a great recommendation for lunch inside the station, Meijitei which had amazing local soba noodles and Katsu. Perfect fuel for our snow monkey visit! 10/10 recommend!

Absolutely perfect ! The guide was awesome and very knowledgeable without being overwhelming. First, we had some oyaki in a very nice place with very nice people. Then, some sake tasting. After, we visited Zenkoji and had some free time before the fire ceremony. Finally we learned about the tea ceremony at Tsumugi which was incredible. We slept at Ryōshōin Shukubo for the night. Midori-san was so nice and so helpful. The food was incredible. The next day, we went to the morning ceremony then to the crypt. The guide was extremely energetic at 6am and seemed a little bit miffed at realising that the guide we had the day before had basically told us a lot about Zenkoji already. Everything was seriously great and I definitely recommend. Even the terrible weather we had couldn't put a damper on that wonderful day.

Let's start by saying that Shawn was an excellent guide, kind, friendly, and helpful. Then the rest, the Zenkoji temple, the fire ritual, and the tea ceremony (the couple who runs the restaurant where it takes place is very nice), was super interesting. The shukubo experience was a real enrichment for us.

Detailed and knowledgeable tour of Zinko-ji and the surrounding areas from our tour guide Kevin. Well planned with multiple experiences - tasty oyaki, informal tea at a lovely local restaurant and a sake tasting. Traditional accomodation on the temple site with home cooked food. This was great value for money and really well planned. Would recommend

It was an overall great experience! We did more than what I expected and I came out of it feeling like I actually learned a lot. I also appreciate the communication. Since they one, they have been very responsive and did accommodate to our needs and requests.

The guide was fantastic! Very prepared and knowledgeable. The accommodation was cute. We had our own room with tatami floors and futon beds. We were surprised that we slept like logs! The food was nice to look at but not really our taste (mostly because everything was cold).