Kyoto Uji Byodoin Shrines Guided Walking Tour

Most travelers come to Uji for matcha and Byodo-in, then leave without realizing the town was once the countryside retreat of Kyoto's most powerful aristocrats. This walking tour connects the sites that tell that story, from the Fujiwara clan's vision of paradise built in 1052 to the oldest shrine building still standing in Japan. You'll finish with a clear sense of the area and plenty of time to explore its tea shops and restaurants at your own pace.

- See Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall, the temple featured on Japan's 10-yen coin - Visit Ujigami Shrine, home to the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan - Cross Uji Bridge, a setting in the final chapters of The Tale of Genji