The 8 Kyoto Tuk Tuk Tours That Earn Their Price

1.Arashiyama Customized Rickshaw Tour & Bamboo Forest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 432 reviews · 45 - 190 minutes · from $51Our pick

Meet your private rickshaw guide near Togetsu-kyo Bridge and choose 45, 70, 130, or 190 minutes through Arashiyama. You’ll ride the bamboo forest’s rickshaw path, visit Nonomiya Shrine, and possibly continue to Rakushisya, Nison-in, and quieter temple lanes. Guides such as Koki, Aki, Shin, and Yoshi also take photos.

“The Rickshaw tour was a fantastic way to explore Kyoto. Our guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. They made us feel some comfortable, it was very cold and snowing at the time but we couldn’t have been warmer. A must do in Kyoto”

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2.Kyoto Arashiyama Rickshaw Tour with Bamboo Forest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 354 reviews · from $86

Ebisuya’s private Arashiyama tour pairs a rickshaw ride with a walk through the bamboo forest. Guides such as Ocean, Yoshi, Kiko, and Hikaru share local history, take photos, and adjust the route to your chosen duration. Early starts help you avoid the heaviest crowds.

“Shin was a delightful energetic tour kids whose English was very fluent. He was a wealth of information and gave us a terrific experience taking many pictures of our experience. We would highly recommend this tour and again the entire staff was very helpful.”

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3.Kyoto Rickshaw Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 210 reviews · from $39Best value

Ride through Kyoto’s Higashiyama and Gion districts in a private rickshaw with an English-speaking guide. Choose 30 minutes to 3 hours, see wooden townhouses, temples, shrines, stone lanes, and a geisha district, and ask your guide to shape the route around your interests. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is not included.

“Very cool way to get around the Kyoto we hadn’t seen yet. Our drivers took us to Sakura park with hundreds of beautiful cherry blossoms and street vendors and taught us the history behind Temples and shrines in that area. We went through the geisha district and learned so much. We loved this experience.”

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4.Private Rickshaw Tour of Gion and Higashiyama Area

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · 45 - 130 minutes · from $51

Meet near Kodaiji Temple for a private rickshaw ride through Higashiyama and Gion. Your English or Japanese-speaking guide, such as Moto, Shiro, or Daichi, explains local customs, points out temples and wooden townhouses, and takes photos at scenic stops. Choose a short introduction or a longer custom route.

“Our guide was Daichi and was wonderful we thoroughly enjoyed this short tour and wished we had booked a longer tour, high recommended Thank you”

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5.Kyoto Sagano Insider: Rickshaw and Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $228

Spend about 3 hours and 10 minutes exploring Arashiyama by private rickshaw and on foot. Your guide shares local history, takes photos at scenic stops, leads you into a traditional machiya, and visits Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. English and Japanese guides are fluent; other languages depend on availability.

“We had an amazing 70-minute rickshaw ride with Atsu! He is not only a skillful and friendly driver, but also a wonderful photographer. Atsu brought us through many beautiful scenic spots, patiently explaining the history and stories behind tRead more”

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6.Kiyomizu-dera Temple Rent a kimono and ride a rickshaw

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7 reviews · 1 day · from $83

Rent a kimono or yukata near Kiyomizu-dera, meet your rickshaw driver, and follow a 13-minute route through Kiyomizu-dori, quiet back lanes, Ishin-no-michi, Koshin-do, and Kodaiji Park. Then spend the day exploring Higashiyama before returning the outfit by 5pm. Groups are limited to four.

“The rickshaw ride was fun even in the rain. The kimono was kind of basic but it was fun to play dress up. I would recommend both!”

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7.Private 3-hour Kyoto Arashiyama Rickshaw Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $236

Spend three private hours exploring Arashiyama by rickshaw with an English-speaking guide. Choose green temple stops such as Gio-ji and Jojakkoji, or unusual sites including Adashino Nenbutsu-ji and Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. The tour runs from late spring to early summer, with temple admissions extra.

“An amazing experience with an amazing driver, Tai Tai, through the Bamboo Forest, the local streets, tea at a 400-year-old Teahouse. It was the highlight of our trip to Japan. Tai Tai's fitness, knowledge of history, the local area, and his communication and care and attention to us for 2 hours + was fantastic. We would do it again.”

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8.Higashiyama | Kyoto: Sakura Season Private Rickshaw Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 70 minutes - 2 hours

Take a private rickshaw through Kyoto’s Higashiyama and Gion districts during cherry blossom season. Your English or Japanese-speaking guide points out wooden townhouses, geisha culture, riverside views, and photo stops. Choose 70 or 120 minutes, with the longer route including time to walk around Kiyomizu-Dera Temple.

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