Tenryuji – Temple of the Heavenly Dragon – UNESCO’s World Heritage Site walking tour

Tenryuji – Temple Tenryuji – Temple

This is a walking tour that usually departs from the Kyoto Samurai & Ninja Museum at 10:00 in downtown Kyoto. The fee covers 10 people. The tour is about 2 hours. Your tour guide is a government licenced tour guide. Whether you are a couple or a a group of 10 people the price is standard. The tour guide escorts you all the time and you take public transportation or ride a taxi as a group.

Please read more below about the venue:
Established by Ashikaga Takauji, the 1st shogun of Muromachi Era in the 14th Century. Takauji was originally serving for Emperor Godaigo, but later turned against him. But Takauji was afterwards said to have struggled from the continuous nightmares of the dead Emperor. So, he decided to build Tenryuji to console the spirits of Emperor Godaigo. Appointed Zen master Musoh-soseki, the temple’s founding abbot, also designed its famous garden.
The temple was burnt down 8 times, and the present temple was built in the late 19th century. But the landscape garden retains the same form as it was in the 14th century. Mt. Arashiyama in the back of garden is borrowed as a part of the landscape. The temple was originally much larger than what it is now, extending to River Katsura, but still has 10 sub-temples.

Having your local private tourguide on the ground makes the traveling experience way more rewarding and fun. Maikoya has constantly been rated as the top cultural experience venue in Osaka and Kyoto and we work with the best tour guides in Osaka and Kyoto who are experts in their field. The best part is we have actual locations in the heart of Osaka and downtown Kyoto, so you can always call us or come to our office if you should have any problems at all. You can also leave your luggaes in our locations.


By having your private government licensed private tour guide you will get


An experienced, licensed local tour guide with all the local knowledge and tips who will make sure that you focus on relaxing and having fun and not worry about getting lost.

A well planned itinerary prepared for you in advance and shared with you in advance so that you don’t have to worry about missing your train or missing the best museum in town because it closes early.

An opportunity to exchange emails with the tour guide and ask some questions you may have including but not limited to good restaurants in town, seasonal activities, local customs and the etiquette, what to bring along and so on.

Your local guide will not only escort you throughout the whole trip, he/she will also share all the interesting facts about the culture and history of your destination that only locals know.

Your local guide will show you the best photo spots, best souvenir shops and off the beaten tracks that may be of interest to you.

You don’t have to pay for your guide’s transportation or meal.

During this tour you get to choose whether to take a taxi or use the public transportation. In either case it is good to bring comfortable shoes and leave your heavy bag at your hotel. You can always leave your belongings at our locations in Kyoto or Osaka if you need to. Also don’t forget to bring some cash to use for the vending machines and the souvenir shops as in Japan some stores still do not accept credit card.


This tour can be adjusted based on your needs and desires. As soon as you make the reservation the tour guide will contact you with the details.