All Reviews for Japan Autumn Tours 2025

Will do it again without hesitation. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and fun.

My wife and I wanted to see several top sights in Kyoto in one day, but without the feeling of “it is 10.30, here is the temple, you have 2 minutes to take a couple of pictures then off we go.” Veltra’s full-day Kyoto highlights tour provided more than adequate time to enter each site and absorb its character. We greatly benefitted from an excellent and good-humored tour leader who provided concise but insightful explanations of the site being visited and its historical context. We especially enjoyed Kiyomizudera, where one has the chance to drink from one of three “streams of wisdom” coming from the sacred spring; the Fushimi Inari shrine, with its amazing “tunnel” of ochre torii; and Kinkakuji as the setting sun reflected off its gold exterior. Signing up for the tour was easy; finding the meeting point was easy; and following along with the narrations was easy (though some pre-recorded narrations on the bus were garbled — the guide just jumped in to fill the gap). Taking the optional upgrade to have lunch provided was a fun and cost-effective move. We would not hesitate to tour again with Veltra — a well-run outfit providing great value for money.

Nice pleasant Tour , I Highly recommended If you’re short of time and want to enjoy Kyoto spirit

It was great! The guide seemed very knowledgeable, however she did not speak English and we felt that we missed some information. She did have some videos in English and signs. Overall the tour was good and would recommend it!

Ticked off all the major sights in one day in a nice, clean and easy to get to bus.

Guide George was great, managed us well and had a strong passion for Japan.

I liked the pace of the tour as it meant we could maximise our day.

In Kyoto for a short or long time I would recommend.

Our guide George was excellent. Provided insightful knowledge of Japan and ran the group very well.

Nice clean bus, great weather and interesting sights. Would recommend.

I liked the pace of the tour, we spent the right amount of time at each sight making sure we made the most of the day.

Our visit to Kyoto was planned at the height of fall foliage season, on a national holiday, and a Saturday. That meant lots of traffic and big crowds. Kyoto is a beautiful city but the important sites are spread out. If you only have 1 or 2 days a tour is a must. This tour made it possible for us to go to sites that were remote from the Kyoto station, to enjoy a full hot pot lunch mid day, and get an overview of the history of each site as well as the city and region from the extremely engaging guide.

The tour is a really full day, wear good walking shoes (we got out 20,000 steps in) and pack snacks and water. When they say to be back at the bus at a certain time, they mean it! Several guests were left behind at one temple because they were late. The rules are the rules! It’s the only way you can see every place promised.

Our guide, Jorge, did an extremely good job weaving together practical advice for tourists in Japan, history of each location, interesting tips for enjoying our stay and many insights into Japanese culture. Plus, he was funny, which made waiting due to the holiday crowds far more bearable.

Awesome tour for those who want to see the main sights and not have to fuss with arrangements and trying to find how to get to places. Highly recommended. The balance of sights was good with enough time to see what was needed and just enough insights from the guide to give one the needed overview.

If you add up the costs of all the entry tickets to the temples and gardens, plus a yummy lunch, the tour is okay for the cost. However we thought it was odd to have a tour guide but most of the talking was done by an automated voice over the bus speakers. Sitting near the back, we couldn't hear the voice clearly and it kept pausing and lagging. If the tour guide is knowledgable about the area, they should be able to deliver the information themselves.

We had an issue with the lunch as there weren't enough meals cooked, so we waited as they made more. Didnt get time to look in the shops surrounding the restaurant like the other participants did, but made up for it at the following stop.
Make sure you get back to the tour bus on time or they will leave you behind! But one of the staff went and retrieved the two lost guests and caught up with us later on in the tour.
There were lots of other tours at each of the stops, as to be expected it was crowded, but still some beautiful sights and great for souvenier shopping! If you only have a day in Kyoto, this is good to see it all.

5 stops one day, busy but we could only spare 1 day for Kyoto, so this was just what I wanted.
Late November was a great season for autumn leaves.
Our tour guide Sami, was just as nice as the way we wanted. Not too much nor too less explanation about Kyoto. Just comfortable to listen to.
I had a very nice day in Kyoto with Sami.

Our guide (Lanny) was very helpful to give us specific detail and great advice during the tour. We had the opportunity to see those beautiful temple and shrine with beautiful weather. All time were respected. Great experience overall, definitly recommend! Beautiful Kiyomizo dera temple, great neighborhood and an original japan style Starbucks:)
Golden temple at the end is awsome.

We joined this tour on the last minute, and I am so glad that we did. The tour stops were great, the length was just right, and tour guide, Lanny, was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed the 8 hours on this tour.

As a first timer to Kyoto with limited time, we had a hard time to go to all the most popular attractions on our own. We are happy that Panoramic Tour did this for us. The 5 places in the tour, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Sanju-san-gen-do Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Arashiyama/bamboo forest/Tenryu-ji Temple, and then Kinkaku-ji (golden) temple, are all top rated places. These places are kind of spread out, especially Arashiyama, it would have been difficult for us to visit all on our own.

Our tour guide, Lanny, is excellent. She is knowledgeable and funny. Along the way, we learned not only history, but also local sayings and stories, about the temples and shrines that we visited. Lanny is polite, warm, and cares about her customers. To us, this is the best part of joining a tour group.

The tour was on time at each location. The bus itself was clean and had free wi-fi and charging outlets. The lunch, chicken hot-pot, was also a very interesting experience.

Overall we enjoyed this day trip and the top level services from Lanny and the nice driver. The only area can receive improvement is the description about the meeting location. The direction was clear for us, and we had to stop and ask for directions twice before we finally found the Kyoto Avanti building. Turned out we came out of the wrong exit from the Kyoto station and were on the opposite side of the building. It would be helpful if the online direction says which subway exit(s) to take to get to the meeting place.

Great choice to discover Kyoto highlights in a day.
We enjoyed touring around the city and learning about history and culture. The tour guide spoke very good English and the level of physical activities was appropriate. The temples, shrines and bamboo grooves were spectacular.
The tour is a bit rushed from one place to another but that’s understandable considering all the places they try to cover. If you have short time in Kyoto and want to discover most, this tour is a great option.

The tour for me is money we’ll spend. It saves you time and planning especially for short visit. I want to give
Our tour guide June San, for giving us a wonderful tour very informative and attentive. Thank you! Until next time!

Sayonara Kyoto!

This tour is an excellent introduction to some of the amazing historical sites that Kyoto has to offer. The tour meeting point is across from the main railway station (where there are loads of luggage lockers, 500-700y per day) so is very convenient for day trippers. On the day we went the weather was wet and the guide provided umbrellas which was a nice touch. The temples and shrines we visited were busy despite the weather and our excellent guide (Jorge) informed us that crowds were lighter than usual, so be prepared. Some of the sites were also being renovated (Olympics next year?) which was a shame but didn't detract too much from the overall experience. Lunch was a proper Japanese affair which we found tasty and educational, but if you want beer/sake with your food you will have to pay extra. Our tour group (about 40) was a bit unwieldy for a whistle stop tour but we were given a bit off time at each of the sites to explore. Our also guide pointed out other historical sites on the bus route which was helpful to those with more time. An enjoyable day!

We had a great tour guide named Jorge and we were taken to all the great places in Kyoto. I think we were given enough time to take pictures and explore the areas. Jorge explain each place with great passion and very easy understand and take in. Loved every moment of it. Highly recommend.

This was an amazing full day tour.We travelled with the family with two young children and starting from booking the tour till the end,it was all great,stress free and the travel consultant Jazz,communicated very well with all our queries at every point.We got to see the highlights of Kyoto in a day which would have been very difficult otherwise with young kids.
Our guide Hiromi was very nice,knowledgeable and she spoke good English and she was very helpful.We struggled the previous day to find vegetarian food and she advised us of the places to eat.She spoke about several interesting facts throughout the day.Beautiful temples,Shrines and Bamboo forest and the day was very well organised.We had itinerary at the start of the tour and we knew exactly whats happening.Lot of walking so make sure you get your comfortable walking shoes.Lunch was superb and it was all set on the table when we arrived.We were a bit hesitant initially to book as some had mentioned about the tour felt a bit rushed but overall pace was fine even with the buggy!
Overall its a must one if you have less time in Kyoto and want to visit the highlights of Kyoto in a day and I would definitely recommend this tour!

Amazing tour with an absolutely wonderful tour guide. She was so polite and attentive, Hiromi was the best! I have been to Kyoto many times before and this was the easiest and best way to see the historical sites in Kyoto. Highly recommend for anyone on a short visit to Kyoto.

It was a great tour! It was the best way to get the highlights of Kyoto. It’s very historic place with lots to see. This tour was a great experience, the tour guide was wonderful. The entire day was spent efficiently traveling from one location to another and see what each had to offer. The tour guide took us to some very nice spots in the temples and shrines where We got nice pictures. The street food venders near the shrine were delicious. There’s a lot of little stores along the way going to the temples and you can buy little souvenirs. You have free time to walk around the temples and just had to be back by a certain time so we could move on to the next activity. We got the tour that included a lunch, the food was great! You also have the option of picking vegetarian food. Overall, the experience was great and we never felt like we were confused as where to meet next. if you take this tour you will see some truly beautiful sights and views. There is on temple where I couldn’t take pictures but that was probably my favorite beside the golden pavilion. The bamboo forest was also very beautiful. Make sure you take very comfortable shoes, it’s a lot of walking and take lots of pictures! Can get somewhat crowded at different locations but still a very nice experience! Definitely would do this tour again!

We really enjoyed this sightseeing tour. You get to see the best spots in Kyoto in only one day. However, some spots (such as Arashiyama) require more time to explore. Our guide Jorge was really good, he speaks English fluently and provided just the right kind of information and details. The one thing I did not like was the lunch, so if you are a picky eater, there are other lunch options in Arashiyama.

It was a very good tour. The tour guide is very knowledgable about the places. He also gave us lots of free time taking pictures and buy souvenirs. Our lunch was also good. We will book again here on our future japan tour again. Thank you

It’s the best way to cover all the highlights of Kyoto in a short time!

The tour was excellent especially our guide Lanny! She was outstanding and great fun.

Good tour. Well organized aaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddddttttttttttfffffggggg

This trip truly compassed all of what I expected to see in Kyoto. The entire day was spent efficiently traveling from one location to another and see what each had to offer. I particularly liked the hands-off approach the guide took to the tour. I am tempted to say the tour felt rushed because we were traveling constantly, but this is definitely what you sign up for if you're trying to see so much and so little time. Overall, the direction was good and we never felt like we were confused or unsure where to meet next. if you take this tour you will see some truly amazing sights and be enriched and all that is Kyoto!

It was a full day tour with loads of walking.
Organisation was superb, the tour guide knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating.
This is an excellent tour which manages to show us a great deal of important sites which would be hard to achieve in one day by other operators.
I was extremely satisfied at the end of the day.

Had to work around large crowds and traffic due to holiday. We still saw everything we wanted.

This is a good tour to see the highlights of Kyoto. The driver and tour guide Jun is extremely competent. My only complaint is that the tour feels rushed at each sites. However due to the number of tourists at each locations and in order to cover all the highlights, it is unavoidable to feel rushed.

This tour begins at the Saga-Arashiyama station and ends in Arashiyama. However, the meeting location is at the Kyoto station, approx. 35 min away by train. As guests at the Suiran Kyoto in Arashiyama, it was discouraging to travel the distance for this tour. Suggestion...It would be nice for those staying in Arashiyama to have the opportunity to meet at the tour departure station...the Saga-Arashiyama. As for the tour itself, our family had a fun and exciting time!

It was nice to have all transportation to and from set. It can be a little complicated getting out to Kameoka from Kyoto. The entire experience was worth the cost.