Kyoto, Nara and the Kii heritage trail
Temples, gardens and craft over shopping and theme parks. Built for families who want depth, not a checklist.
- Duration
- 7 nights, 8 days
- Route
- Kyoto, Nara, Kii Peninsula
- Best for
- Travellers drawn to heritage, gardens and pilgrimage routes.
- Stays
- Hotel category chosen with you before confirmation.
Highlights
- Kyoto’s temples and gardens at a slower pace
- Nara’s deer park and Todai-ji
- A walk on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail, which Varun has walked himself
Day by day
A sample plan. We adjust the order, pace and hotels to your dates, the season and who is travelling.
Day 1Arrive and transfer to Kyoto
Met at Kansai International Airport and driven to Kyoto.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 2Kyoto’s temples and gardens
Kiyomizu-dera, the Higashiyama lanes and a Zen garden, at a pace that leaves time to sit and look.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 3Arashiyama and craft
The bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji, a shojin ryori lunch at Shigetsu, and a traditional craft workshop in the afternoon.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 4Nara
Nara’s deer park, Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha, then on to Kyoto for the night.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 5Koyasan
Drive to Koyasan, the mountain monastery town, for a night in a temple lodging (shukubo). The temple meals are shojin ryori, already vegetarian. Evening walk through Okunoin cemetery.
Overnight: Koyasan temple lodging
Day 6Into the Kumano
Morning prayers at the temple, then the drive to the Kumano region in the Kii mountains. Stay at a hot spring inn.
Overnight: Kumano (Hongu area)
Day 7Walk the Kumano Kodo
A guided walk on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail to Kumano Hongu Taisha, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Varun has walked this trail himself.
Overnight: Kumano (Hongu area)
Day 8Depart
Drive back to Kansai International Airport for your flight home.
Included
- Private vehicle and guide for your group only
- Itinerary, pace and hotels adjusted to you before confirmation
- Vegetarian and Jain meal planning in advance
- On-trip support from the Ninja Helpdesk in Hindi and Gujarati
Not included
- International flights (quoted separately, or bundled if you prefer)
- Japan visa fees (Bluedust can handle the application)
- Shopping and personal expenses
When to go
This route works all year, but it feels different in every season. The busiest months are March, April, November; for those, plan four to six months ahead. See Japan month by month.
Questions about this journey
Is the price fixed?
No. It scales with season, hotel category and group size. The figure shown is an honest starting point, not a final quote.
Can we change this itinerary?
Yes. Dates, pace, hotels and inclusions are adjusted with you before anything is confirmed.
Do prices include visa and flights?
No, but both can be quoted separately or bundled. Bluedust handles visa applications and books flights alongside the trip if you’d like.
Can meals be vegetarian or Jain?
Yes. We plan meals in advance and brief restaurants on your requirements. Choice is wide in the cities and narrower in rural areas, and we’ll tell you where before you book.
