－ Trip Highlights －
・Exclusive round-trip transfer by KKday, with a private day tour available for groups of 6 or more.
・Kyoto Rakusai Day Trip: Ryoan-ji, Ninna-ji, and Kinkaku-ji.
・Limited-time cherry blossom season itinerary: Visit Hirano Shrine at night to enjoy the moon and night cherry blossoms.
－ Trip Information －
・Meeting Time: 09:45
・Departure Time: 10:00
・Duration: Approx. 7 hours (approx. 10 hours with the add-on itinerary).
・Return Information:
- For those without the add-on: Return to the departure point at 17:00.
- For those with the 'Hirano Shrine' add-on: Return to the departure point at 20:00.
－ Trip Introduction －
・Kyoto Rakusai
As the name suggests, Rakusai is the western region of Kyoto. Although it is close to the major urban areas of Kyoto, it boasts rich natural scenery. This area has not yet attracted much attention from tourists in Kyoto, but it is scattered with many unique temples and shrines.
・Ryoan-ji
Ryoan-ji was originally a villa for aristocrats during the Heian period. It was converted into a Buddhist temple in 1450 and was designated as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. The most famous attraction in the temple is the 'Rock Garden' in front of the Hojo Hall. The rock garden is also known as the 'Tiger Cub Crossing Garden' or the 'Seven-Five-Three Garden,' featuring fifteen stones of various sizes placed in a dry landscape garden made of white sand. It looks randomly arranged, but if you look closely, you will find that no matter which angle you look from, you can only see fourteen stones. This Zen-filled garden is considered the ultimate masterpiece of Japanese dry landscape art and once attracted Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom to visit.
・Ninna-ji
Completed in 888 during the reign of Emperor Uda in the Heian period, Emperor Uda became a monk at Ninna-ji after his abdication and served as the head priest of the temple. Since then, successive head priests have been from the imperial family, so it is also known as the Omuro Gosho, and even the cherry blossoms here have the nickname 'Omuro Cherry Blossoms.' People say that when the 'Omuro Cherry Blossoms' at Ninna-ji are in full bloom, it is time for spring in Kyoto to bid farewell. The trees are only about 2 meters tall, lower than ordinary cherry trees, allowing you to get close to the beauty of the cherry blossoms. The Omuro cherry blossoms, which bloom around April 20th every year, have also been selected as one of the 100 best cherry blossom spots in Japan.
・Kinkaku-ji
The most famous temple among the three World Heritage sites connected by the 'Kinukake-no-michi' (Road of the Silk Canopy), also known as Rokuon-ji. It was originally a villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu during the Muromachi Shogunate period and was converted into a Buddhist temple according to his will after his death in 1408. Kinkaku-ji (Shariden) is a three-story pavilion-style building adjacent to the Kyoko-chi pond. The first floor is in the Shinden-zukuri style of the Heian period, 'Hossui-in,' symbolizing the aristocracy; the second floor is 'Cho-on-do,' a samurai-style building; and the third floor is a Chinese (Tang Dynasty) style Zen Buddhist hall called 'Kukyo-cho,' with a golden phoenix decoration symbolizing good luck on the top.
・Hirano Shrine (Limited time: 3/25 - 4/20)
The main hall is registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and the shrine crest is a cherry blossom. Every year on April 10th, a cherry blossom festival called the 'Sakura-sai Shinko-sai' is held. The origin of this festival can be traced back to 985, when Emperor Kazan visited this shrine and ordered a festival to pray for the prosperity of future generations. Compared to the late-blooming cherry blossoms at Ninna-ji, the unique Saki-gake cherry blossoms at Hirano Shrine bloom in mid-March, signaling the beginning of the cherry blossom season. From then until late April, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of about 400 cherry blossom trees of about 60 varieties blooming in sequence. During the cherry blossom season, the lights will be on until 21:00 at night, and you can easily enjoy the night cherry blossoms while sitting at the stalls around the shrine.
－ Plan Introduction －
・For 1 - 3 people
- A minimum of 4 people is required for the tour to depart. If the minimum number of participants is not met, the tour will be canceled, and an e-mail notification will be sent 3 days before the departure date.
- Shared tour, you must share the ride with other passengers.
- Pick-up and drop-off location: MK TAXI Service Center at Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station.
・For 4 - 5 people
- The tour will depart upon booking.
- Shared tour, you must share the ride with other passengers.
- Pick-up and drop-off location: MK TAXI Service Center at Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station.
・For 6 - 9 people
- The tour will depart upon booking.
- Exclusive private tour with convenient pick-up and drop-off at your hotel entrance.
- Pick-up and drop-off location: Hotels within Kamigyo-ku, Nakagyo-ku, Shimogyo-ku, Minami-ku, and Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto Prefecture.
・Limited-time add-on: Hirano Shrine Night Cherry Blossoms
- Applicable period: 3/25 - 4/20
- The vehicle used for this itinerary is the same as the vehicle for the daytime tour.
- This is an add-on itinerary and cannot be booked separately.
－ Important Information －
・Infants under 6 years old who do not occupy a seat are free of charge, but each adult is limited to bringing 1 infant.
・Children 6 years old and above are considered adults and must purchase a seat. If they do not meet the requirements on the day, the on-site staff has the right to refuse boarding.
・Please note that this shared tour is equipped with only 1 driver and no tour guide or translator.
・You cannot specify the vehicle type for this shared tour. The vehicle type will be determined based on the final number of participants, and the vehicle will be a 6-9 seater SUV.
・This platform will not accept orders that only book the 'Hirano Shrine Night Cherry Blossoms' itinerary; such orders will be canceled directly and refunded.
・If you need to combine orders or add more people, you must notify customer service at least one working day before the event date. Changes to the number of people in the order cannot be made on the day of the event.
・The times stated in the itinerary are for reference only. Due to force majeure factors such as road conditions or large crowds, the stay time at each attraction or the order of the itinerary will be adjusted according to the situation.
・This itinerary takes place during the Japanese cherry blossom season. However, the condition of the cherry blossoms is easily affected by force majeure factors such as weather. This platform does not guarantee or provide any compensation mechanism for the actual blooming status on-site.
