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Kyoto · Uji
Kyoto Uji: 2-Hour Byodo-in & Shrines Guided Walking Tour
Walk Uji with a guide: Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall, Japan's oldest surviving shrine building and the bridge from The Tale of Genji.
- 2 hours
- Small group, up to 8
- ¥4,500 per person for 2
Launch price: book by 10 December
Prices rise on 11 December. Book now to keep this price for any tour date.
Most travelers come to Uji for matcha and Byodo-in, then leave without realizing the town was once the countryside retreat of Kyoto's most powerful aristocrats. This walking tour connects the sites that tell that story, from the Fujiwara clan's vision of paradise built in 1052 to the oldest shrine building still standing in Japan. You'll finish with a clear sense of the area and plenty of time to explore its tea shops and restaurants at your own pace.
- ✓See Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall, the temple featured on Japan's 10-yen coin
- ✓Visit Ujigami Shrine, home to the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan
- ✓Cross Uji Bridge, a setting in the final chapters of The Tale of Genji
The route
Stop 1
Byodo-in
Byodo-in is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its Phoenix Hall reflected in the surrounding pond, the same view featured on Japan's 10-yen coin.
Stop 2
Uji Shrine
Uji Shrine is a quiet shrine dedicated to a scholarly prince of ancient Japan, known for its rabbit motif inspired by the legend of a rabbit that guided him here.
Stop 3
Ujigami Shrine
Ujigami Shrine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose main hall, dating to the late Heian period, is the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan.
Stop 4
Uji Bridge
Uji Bridge is one of Japan's oldest bridges, first built in the 7th century, and a key setting in the final chapters of The Tale of Genji.
Meeting point
Included
- ✓English-speaking guide
Not included
- –Entrance fee to Byodo-in (700 JPY per person)
Cancellation policy
Full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the tour starts. No refund for cancellations within 24 hours or if you don't show up, unless you cancel because of severe weather or a natural disaster. If we cancel the tour, you get a full refund.
Plan your visit
- Uji Matcha Guide: Where to Drink, Taste and Buy Tea in Uji
Why Uji is the home of matcha, the teas you'll find there, the best tea houses and cafés, where to try a tea ceremony or grind your own matcha, how to buy matcha to take home, and how to plan a day in Uji from Kyoto.
Launch pricePer person, 2 travelers
¥4,500