Yamanobe-no-michi Road, the oldest road in Japan, runs through at the foot of eastern mountains of Nara Basin.
In this area, huge burial mounds and oldest shrines blend well with quiet farming villages.
This tour might take you back in time to the ancient mythical period. The road is mostly flat and comfortable to walk on.
JR Nara Station
Meet and move to Yamanobe-no-michi Road.
In the beginning, make a short stop at "Kurozuka Kofun Exhibition Hall". Then start walking through small villages, along the huge tombs of ancient emperors, in the rice paddy fields and orchards. (Fruits picking experience is available in autumn.) Those fruits and vegetables are sold at unattended stands along the roadside. Stop to take a break at a fine-viewing spot.
Visit Hibara Shrine and have lunch.
Visit Omiwa Shrine, Japan's oldest shrine, whose object of worship is Mt.Miwa on the back. "Sake", Japanese rice wine, originated here in Miwa Shrine. You can visit "Sake" shop or other shops selling local specialties, such as "Somen" noodle, very thin noodle made from wheat, or "Monaka", a kind of Japanese sweet.
the end of the tour
JR Nara Station
Yamanobe-no-michi Road has been kept unchanged. So visitors can enjoy the ancient atmosphere.
For start, you'll visit the Kofun Exhibition Hall and get brief information on the burial mounds and this area.
Then take time to enjoy walking in the peaceful historic road.
Many fruits, especially persimmon and orange, are grown here, and you'll have a chance to enjoy fresh or processed fruits on the way.
In autumn, you can also enjoy fruits picking as an optional experience.
You'll be refreshed during the walking through the beautiful historic landscape.
guide fee (JPY22,200), the transportation fee of the guide(JPY2000),
Your transportation fee (JPY570 for an adult), lunch,
The price of the tour includes the guide fee and the guide's transportation fee between home and the travel city.
Not Available in August
・Wear clothes and shoes that are easy to walk in.
・Bring enough drinks.
・Keep good social distance and wear masks if necessary.
We enjoyed two fantastic tours with Michiko! She introduced us to both Kyoto and Nara. Her expertise, planning, kindness and English were much appreciated. In Kyoto, we explored the Fushimi Inari Shrine, the Monkey Park, the Bamboo Forrest and had an excellent meal. In Nara, we visited a magnificent shrine, fed deer, played in a toy museum, and had extraordinary deserts. All members of our family had a great time. Thank you, Michiko!
Thank you for the wonderful review! I also had a great time with you and your family in Nara and Kyoto. In all the places we visited, you and your family were immersed in the atmosphere, to feel it to the fullest, which impressed me a lot. We have many more places to visit, so I hope you and your family will come back to Japan near future!
We had the pleasure of having Michiko as our tour guide in Nara, and she exceeded all our expectations. Her English is excellent, making communication smooth and easy. She was fantastic with our two kids, engaging them with a fun scavenger hunt game where they used stickers to mark the places we visited. This thoughtful touch kept them entertained and made the tour even more enjoyable. Michiko is one of the best tour guides we've encountered in all our years of traveling to different countries. She was proactive in communicating with me before the tour, discussing the itinerary in detail and offering helpful suggestions for transportation options. Her knowledge, kindness, and attention to detail made our experience unforgettable. We highly recommend Michiko to anyone visiting the Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka areas. She truly made our trip special!
Thank you for the wonderful review. I also had a great time guiding such a loving family like you! I was impressed that you always kindly talked to your children and helped them understand the value of what they had seen. This tour became one of my unforgettable experiences! I hope you will come back here and see you again!
Michiko was very friendly and knowledgeable about the transportation system in Nara allowing us to see so much even though we only had a half day tour with her. She took to us to Nara deer park where we got to see the deer nursery and pet many deers. She also showed us Kasuga Taisha shrine with 2000 lanterns, Todaiji temple where we saw the big bronze Buddha statue, and Mochi making demonstration at a local shop. She was very flexible with what we wanted to do. She altered the tour to accomodate our kids who wanted to spend more time feeding and petting the deers at Nara park. She is very enjoyable to talk to and we highly recommend Michiko to anyone who needs a tour guide in Nara. Thank you Michiko for such a memorable day in Nara.
Thank you so much for the kind review! I also enjoyed a relaxing time with such a lovely family as yours. It was a great pleasure to see the children getting on so well with each other, feeding and petting the deer to their hearts' content. I was so happy to share the moment when a fawn just started to walk! I'm also impressed that you appreciated Japanese culture, history and nature. I hope you will return to Nara in the future!
Our guide Michiko took us to Osaka castle and Dotonbori. She handled all the details including obtaining the entrance tickets and taxis. She was extremely professional and above all a nice and knowledgeable person. We would recommend her without any reservations.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review. I'm honored to have guests as friendly and intelligent as you in Osaka. Everyone was close to each other and the tour was full of laughter. I hope to make a trip like this with close friends and family someday. I'm happy if this tour will leave a deep impression on Osaka. Bon voyage!