Uplifting Uji: Kyoto's Tea, Shrines, and Natural Spirituality | 4 hours

15 Reviews | Uji
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 8 travelers in total.
Adult (13-90) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 8
2
Child (2-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 8
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Group Tour
2 Adults x $398.00
$796.00
Approx Total
$796.00
Private Tour
Uplifting Uji: Kyoto's Tea, Shrines, and Natural Spirituality
2 Adults x $235.00
$470.00
Approx Total
$470.00

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English, Spanish
  • Admission to all temples and the museum at Byodoin.
  • Gyokuro tea house experience with Japanese sweet
  • Food and drink outside of the tea experience

Overview

Embark on an exclusive journey through Uji, Kyoto, the birthplace of Japanese tea. Limited to eight guests, this intimate tour promises a uniquely personalized experience immersed in Japanese culture. Enrich your senses with a sublime Green Tea Experience against Uji's lush tea fields, where the pinnacle of Uji matcha awaits. Immerse yourself in the spiritual allure of Ujigami Temple and the Zen tranquility of Koshoji Temple, both cradled within Uji's breathtaking landscapes. The limited group size ensures tranquility, fostering a deep connection with sacred grounds. The journey crescendos at the iconic Byodoin, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Marvel at the architectural masterpiece nestled in serene surroundings. This meticulously curated Uji tour guarantees an unforgettable cultural immersion, serving as an intimate escape from central Kyoto's hustle for our fortunate guests in nature's embrace.

Meeting points

Keihan Uji Station Information Centre
Japan, 〒611-0021 Kyoto, Uji, Otsukata−７−１３ 京阪宇治ビル １階

Open in Google Maps

In front of Keihan (not JR) Uji Station, near the taxis.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • Takumi-no Yakata

    Get some caffeine with this one of a kind Gyokuro tea drinking experience. Gyokuro tea is the highest grade of green tea in Japan. Slowly steam the leaves in increasingly warm water while learning about the tea making and brewing process. Finish up by eating the tea leaves with some ponzu sauce for a healthy and unique snack.

    30 minutes

  • Ujigami Shrine

    Pay a visit to the oldest original shrine in Japan. A UNESCO world heritage site, this shrine also houses the last of Uji's underground spring water that naturally bubbles up to the surface. Local tea shops collect the water to make tea for their customers.

    30 minutes

  • Koshoji Temple

    End your tea journey at the oldest Soto Zen temple in Kyoto. Zen Buddhism originally came in from China and helped pioneer the tea ceremony in Japan.

    30 minutes

  • Byodoin Temple

    Enter into this magnificent temple dating back to the Heian period. The magnificent temple hall sits on a man made lake, and not only is it a UNESCO world heritage site, but it's also the same temple featured on the back of the 10 yen coin. Also see some of the artifacts from the temple in the subterranean temple museum.

    45 minutes

  • Byodoin Omotesando

    Travel down the pilgrimage street leading to Byodoin Temple. Lined with tea shops, many going back to the medieval period, smell the aroma of fresh tea and discover the wide variety of tea produced in this historical region.

    45 minutes

  • Prefectural Uji Park

    Stroll along this pleasant island in the middle of the river, and discover about the ancient tradition of cormorant fishing with birds.

    30 minutes

  • Uji River (Pass By)

    Envelope yourself in Uji's rich natural beauty. Although shallow now, this river was the lifeblood for trade with the capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and tea, sake, and more from all over the country and the rest of Asia.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • The itinerary as is includes many stairs. If this poses a problem, let us know, and we'll make suitable modifications.

Free Cancellation

June 19100% refund
June 20No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.7

15 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    14
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    1

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 14 reviews with 5 stars

Highly recommended!

Published on Oct, 2024

We had a lovely time visiting Uji, Kyoto. Our guide helped us along in perfect English. The best part was visiting the old tea house, where we learned about the brewing of tea and how the same tea can taste differently depending on how you make it. Truly amazing! I would highly recommend this tour!

Highly recommended!

Published on Oct, 2024

We had a lovely time visiting Uji, Kyoto. Our guide helped us along in perfect English. The best part was visiting the old tea house, where we learned about the brewing of tea and how the same tea can taste differently depending on how you make it. Truly amazing! I would highly recommend this tour!

Chill paced tour to learn about tea and spiritual culute of Japan

Published on Sep, 2024

This was a great informational tour if you love tea and want to learn more about the spiritual culture of Japan - especially considering there are so many temples and shrines in the country. Ferdinand was an excellent guide. Very patient, answered all out questions and really enjoyed the group size. 4 people, 5 with the guide made it easy. The tour wasn't overwhelming and wasn't a lot of walking which was welcomed after our other 25-30k steps every other day of our trip. I personally enjoyed learning the proper way to brew tea and properly make my own matcha tea. We went in the afternoon tour but got to Uji early to grab lunch and explore a bit. I think that was ideal as all the shops and restaurants were closing by the time we finished our tour. Alternatively you could also go in the morning but think the lines would have been longer to wait so just need to pick your battles. Really enjoyed Uji and all the matcha foods! Gotta try them all!

Chill paced tour to learn about tea and spiritual culute of Japan

Published on Sep, 2024

This was a great informational tour if you love tea and want to learn more about the spiritual culture of Japan - especially considering there are so many temples and shrines in the country. Ferdinand was an excellent guide. Very patient, answered all out questions and really enjoyed the group size. 4 people, 5 with the guide made it easy. The tour wasn't overwhelming and wasn't a lot of walking which was welcomed after our other 25-30k steps every other day of our trip. I personally enjoyed learning the proper way to brew tea and properly make my own matcha tea. We went in the afternoon tour but got to Uji early to grab lunch and explore a bit. I think that was ideal as all the shops and restaurants were closing by the time we finished our tour. Alternatively you could also go in the morning but think the lines would have been longer to wait so just need to pick your battles. Really enjoyed Uji and all the matcha foods! Gotta try them all!

Amazing Uji

Published on Jul, 2024

We had the perfect guide through Uji. Unfortunately I don’t remember her name. She used to work at a tea farm and the tea place we ended our tour. We visited two beautiful temples and had the luxury of being there almost by ourselves. The serenity and the break we had inside the Kosho-ji temple was magical. And at the end of the tour we got to taste the amazing tea and matcha for the first time. Thank you for this amazing experience.

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