Sightseeing Tours

Excursions

Hozugawa Yusen organizes excursions down a 15-km (9-mi) stretch (about 90 minutes) of the Hozu Rapids in flat-bottom boats, from Kameoka to Arashiyama, which cost ¥3,900. Sunrise Tours, a subsidiary of Japan Travel Bureau, conducts full- and half-day tours to Nara and Osaka. An afternoon tour to Nara costs ¥6,300. Morning and afternoon trips to Osaka, for ¥8,900 and ¥6,200, respectively, are not worth the cost, especially if you have a JR Pass.

Contacts

Hozugawa Yusen (0771/22-5846). Sunrise Tours (075/341-1413).

Orientation Tours

Sunrise Tours organizes half-day morning and afternoon deluxe coach tours highlighting different city attractions. Pickup service is provided from major hotels. A ¥5,300 morning tour commonly covers Nijo-jo, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Higashi-Hongan-ji, and the Kyoto Handicraft Center. A ¥5,300 afternoon tour includes the Heian Jingu, Sanjusangen-do, and Kiyomizu-dera. An ¥11,200 full-day tour covers all the above sights and includes lunch.

Contacts

Sunrise Tours (075/341-1413. jtb.co.jp/sunrisetour/kyoto).

Special-Interest Tours

There are several private companies offering guided tours of Kyoto. Joe Okada of Kyoto Specialist Guide Group will tailor a tour to fit your interests and budget. Your Japan Speciality Services is run by the editor-in-chief of the Kyoto Visitor's Guide, Ian Roepke, and offers half-day or full-day tours of Kyoto, including both familiar sights and lesser-known backstreet views. If you would like a seasoned guide to shed insight into the mysterious world of the geisha, Peter MacIntosh of Kyoto Sights and Nights takes both morning and evening walks through the old teahouse districts of Gion. Private tours are more expensive than group tours. Volunteer guides can be requested by calling Utano Youth Hostel. Bookings must be made three days in advance. The Kyoto International Community House can arrange home visits.

Contacts

ISC (Utano Youth Hostel, Ukyo-ku. 075/462-2288). Kyoto International Community House (2-1 Torii-cho, Awata-guchi, Sakyo-ku. 075/752-3010). Kyoto Sights and Nights (090/5169-1654. www.kyotosightsandnights.com). Kyoto Specialist Guide Group (1137 Amarube-shimo, Maizuru-shi. 0773/64-0033). Your Japan Speciality Services (090/5642-4724. www.kyoto-tokyo-private-tours.com).

Walking Tours

The Japan National Tourist Office (JNTO) publishes pamphlets with descriptions of five walking tours, including maps. The tours range in length from about 40 to 80 minutes. Pick up the pamphlets at the Kyoto Tourist Information Center in the Kyoto Station building.

Personable Kyoto-ite Johnnie Hajime Hirooka conducts walking tours of Kyoto, in English, that leave from Kyoto Station at 10:15 AM from Monday to Thursday, early March through late November, rain or shine. Itineraries vary–he often takes people to sights they might not otherwise see. Walks take four hours and cost ¥2,000 per person, ¥3,000 per couple.

Contacts

Johnnie Hajime Hirooka (075/622-6803). Kyoto Tourist Information Center (9F JR Kyoto Station building, Kyoto International Prefectural Center, Karasuma-dori, Shimogyo-ku. 075/344-3300. www.kyoto-kankou.or.jp).