Osaka Kyoto Day Trip Bus Tour 2026: Arashiyama & Kiyomizudera

Osaka Kyoto One-Day Bus Tour

Fushimi Inari Shrine Arashiyama

Ginkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera: Your Essential Itinerary

Hello, fellow adventurers!

I'm Nabongsun, your guide and fellow travel influencer!

As someone who spends 1-2 months a year in Japan for both work and wanderlust,

I've had the incredible opportunity to explore Kyoto countless times.

This time, I planned a special trip just for my husband and me, as it was his first visit to the region.

To make sure we could comfortably explore various Kyoto gems like Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and the serene Arashiyama Bamboo Grove all in one day,

we booked an amazing Kyoto one-day bus tour!

Join me as I share all the details on how to book this fantastic Kyoto bus tour and what our itinerary looked like,

which allowed us to freely soak in the beauty of Japan's Kyoto with a wonderfully kind and knowledgeable guide!

1. Booking Your Kyoto Bus Tour from Osaka

First off, when planning our Kyoto adventure, I decided to skip Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) as I've explored it quite a few times already.

Instead, I sought out bus tours departing from Osaka that included the enchanting Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), famed for its stunning walking paths, even if it's a bit less crowded.

And sure enough, I discovered some fantastic tour options!

After carefully sifting through the options, I chose the Indigo Travel product, which perfectly offered a day-trip bus tour to these incredible spots:

Fushimi Inari Shrine (approx. 70 min stay) -

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (approx. 2 hours 40 min stay) -

Ginkaku-ji (approx. 40 min stay) -

Kiyomizu-dera Temple (approx. 1 hour 20 min stay).

When I booked, MyRealTrip offered the best price for this exact tour!

You can snag a discounted rate by booking below.

Osaka Departure Kyoto 1-Day Bus Tour Booking
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The reviews were fantastic, and the itinerary, hitting four spots in one day, felt perfectly paced and relaxed – it was exactly what I was looking for!

What was included?

A professional guide, all transportation,

and the rental cost for audio transceivers.

What wasn't included?

Personal expenses, your independent lunch costs within the bamboo forest area,

and entrance fees for attractions like Ginkaku-ji (for adults: ~$6)

and Kiyomizu-dera Temple (for adults: ~$3).

We kicked off our adventure by meeting bright and early in Dotonbori.

This spot is a vibrant hub for Osaka bus tours, and it was certainly bustling with travelers and tour buses right from the morning!

Thankfully, our guide was holding a clearly visible tour agency flag, making it super easy to spot them, confirm our names, and hop onto our bus.

2. Exploring the Fox Shrine and the Enchanting Bamboo Forest

Our first captivating stop on the Kyoto one-day bus tour was none other than

Fushimi Inari Shrine, famously known as the Fox Shrine!

Right from the entrance, a vibrant commercial area greeted us,

with souvenir shops and delectable street food stalls lining the path in a delightful continuum.

This place is world-renowned for its thousands of vibrant red Torii gates, acting as spiritual gateways to the shrine, so my excitement was palpable!

As I walked through these tunnel-like gates amidst a sea of fellow explorers, I was momentarily swept away by the mystical atmosphere.

But then, I learned a surprising detail: these countless red Torii, donated by individuals and companies, are apparently removed without hesitation if donations aren't maintained.

It certainly added a rather chilling, albeit fascinating, layer to the experience!

On these red torii gates, the names and titles of individual donors and companies were written one by one.

The deity enshrined at Fushimi Inari is 'Inari Okami,' and foxes are known to be the messengers of Inari Okami, which is why there are so many fox statues everywhere.

Based on the poses our guide showed us, we took a variety of fun photos.

The second tourist attraction we visited on our bus tour was Arashiyama, famous for its bamboo forest.

Here, we were given about 2 hours and 40 minutes of free time, including lunch, so it felt quite relaxed.

I remembered visiting around this time last year, so I started my leisurely exploration from Togetsukyo Bridge, a famous hot spot where you can enjoy a relaxed coffee.

Then, Tenryu-ji Temple, a World Cultural Heritage site with beautiful gardens,

and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, where you can walk among towering bamboos reaching for the sky – there was such a variety of sights to see.

As Kyoto is a Japanese travel destination that attracts so many tourists, there are many restaurants with long waiting lines. But our guide kindly provided a well-curated list of great restaurants for those who wanted a proper lunch, and even helped with phone reservations. Thanks to this, we could smoothly enjoy our lunch even amidst the crowds.

My husband and I opted for a quick wagyu skewer for lunch and spent our free time exploring one more attraction. When we returned,

our guide had taken plenty of DSLR and phone photos for us against the backdrop of the Togetsukyo riverside, so we were able to beautifully capture our precious memories.

3. Ginkaku-ji Temple and Kiyomizu-dera Temple Itinerary

Our third destination was Ginkaku-ji Temple. Ginkaku-ji is a temple that represents Japan's Muromachi period, built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a Japanese shogun. He is regarded as a culturally significant figure who devoted himself to art and culture after retirement, and the villa he lived in at that time is said to be the present-day Ginkaku-ji.

I thought that since Kinkaku-ji is covered in gold, Ginkaku-ji would be covered in silver. However, Ginkaku-ji isn't a flamboyant place like that; instead, it's a place of understated beauty,

and its walking paths are so beautiful that, personally, I preferred it even more than Kinkaku-ji. If you walk up a bit further, you can reach an observatory with a magnificent view that's truly healing.

Near the bus stop, the Philosopher's Path extends, offering a space where you can slowly stroll, reflect, and find a sense of healing.

I initially thought 40 minutes might be too short, but it's smaller than I expected, so we quickly looked around, thoroughly enjoyed souvenir shopping, and even managed to grab a drink to-go from a cafe in that time.

The last place we visited was Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which could be called the heart of a Kyoto trip to Japan.

Kiyomizu-dera is not only a representative temple of the region but also one of the most important Buddhist heritage sites representing Japan itself.

It's a wooden structure built without using a single nail, and although it has been destroyed by fire multiple times, the Kiyomizu-dera building you see today was reportedly reconstructed in 1633.

The highlight is the main hall, a massive wooden structure built on a cliff, so if you have the time and energy, I highly recommend paying the entrance fee to experience it.

As you continue further in, I hope you'll visit

the spacious terrace known as the

'Kiyomizu Stage.'

As you walk further down, you'll also

encounter the Otowa Waterfall.

Each of its three streams of water is said to

symbolize academics, love, and health.

It's believed to bring good fortune if you

choose to drink from just one of them,

which is why you'll often see many travelers

and tourists patiently waiting in line.

We thoroughly explored the Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka slopes,

a Kyoto travel course where you can truly

immerse yourself in the authentic old-world atmosphere,

and of course, enjoyed some delicious snacks along the way!

4. Concluding Our Kyoto Bus Tour

This bus tour, departing from Osaka,

was truly an excellent choice! My husband and I were able to

explore all the core attractions without any of the usual transportation hassle,

and I was quite proud of ourselves for picking such a perfect plan.

This time, with my husband by my side, the day trip felt even more meaningful.

Our itinerary was packed with wonders:

Fushimi Inari Shrine -

Kyoto's Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (Chikurin) -

Ginkaku-ji - Kiyomizu-dera.

They even offered receiver rentals, which meant

you could either follow the expert guide for insightful explanations,

or, for frequent Japan visitors like me,

enjoy free sightseeing within the allotted time.

It was truly a Kyoto day bus tour that allowed for a comfortable yet in-depth experience,

perfectly tailored to your preferences.

​Book Your Kyoto 1-Day Bus Tour from Osaka
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