Experience a Private VIP Tour of Kyoto
We wanted to experience a private VIP tour of Kyoto and explore the city with a tour guide that knows all the hidden spots, had options to organize or reserve cultural experiences, different classes, ceremonies and much more. So, I found Kyoto Vip Experience and contacted Niall, who suggested some amazing itineraries for us. We wanted to have a fully personalized plan to discover Kyoto and to get the insider knowledge on the best places that suit our travel personalities. We had a few days to decide what we want to visit and with Niall suggestions, we finally chose our route for the day.
About Kyoto
Kyoto is the former capital of Japan and for more than a thousand years the center of traditional Japanese culture. The city preserves much of its historical charm and beauty in its many temples and shrines, its parks and gardens, and its old wooden houses. Kyoto has several hundred Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, a castle, three palaces, beautiful parks and gardens, numerous museums, and more than 30 colleges and universities. It also has many picturesque and historically interesting sites in the suburbs. These include Arashiyama with its river and temples, the tea-growing district around Uji, Mt. Hiei with the historic Enryaku Monastery, and Lake Biwa with its beautiful views. Among the monuments in Kyoto, the three that usually are mentioned as the most outstanding are the Imperial Palace, the Nijo Castle, and the Katsura Imperial Villa. Kinkakuji contains the lovely Golden Pavilion built in the 14th century, the Kyomizu-dera offers a panoramic view of the city and Fushimi Inari Taisha is still Kyoto’s most important Shinto shrine.
Kyoto VIP Experience
Kyoto is a city blessed with some of the best sightseeing options and no one comes away disappointed. There is so much to see and to do, from temples, shrines, to beautiful parks, lovely restaurants, small streets, to shows, ceremonies and of course geisha performances.
Niall and Kyoto VIP Experience will plan the itinerary exactly by your wishes and you will get a fully customized and unique experience. Niall has access to exclusive experiences such as Geisha performances and a visit to the craftsmen.
How This Works
First, you will receive a short questionnaire regarding the sights you would like to visit or the things you have in mind for your tour in Kyoto. Niall will then recommend a few spots and he will create a unique experience just for you. We said that we would like to visit a Zen Temple in the morning and after that, we continued our journey to some temples and shrines. We visited the Geisha area, walked down the Philosopher’s path, toured Kennin-ji temple and stroll around the gardens of Silver Pavilion. It was a lovely day full of information and interesting places.
The VIP Tours
You can choose a fully customized day or a night tour. Some examples for the day tour are to see some of the highlights of the city combined with lesser known but equally beautiful hidden gems. Niall can organize everything from calligraphy classes, kimono dress up photo shoots, participation at the tea ceremony, a deep tissue shiatsu massage, rickshaw ride through the hidden streets, to private sessions with monks for tours of sacred sites or even meditation practice. Some examples for the night tour are to do a walking tour of Gion with an introduction to the world of Geisha or you can visit some places with a great night scene photo opportunities, Niall can even organize access to some of the exclusive bars, restaurants or clubs or arrange an appointment to have a private audience with a real geisha at a teahouse.
The Price
Custom made night tours start from 25,000yen and day tours from 50,000yen. You can also add some VIP extras to your tour like reservations for cultural activities, reservations for spa or massage, reservations for events, fun activities and cultural experiences, Sagano Romantic Train, Hozu River Rapids boat ride, rickshaw ride, kimono dress up, Taiko Drum classes, pottery making class or tea ceremony.
Conclusion
We had a lovely time on the tour. Niall is friendly and knowledgable and he took us to many interesting places and told us numerous fascinating things about Kyoto its history and customs. We would warmly recommend this tour if you are visiting Kyoto.
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OurWorldTravelSelfies would like to thank Niall for welcoming this review. The opinion is as always, my own. Photos are courtesy of Our World Travel Selfies.
