Temple, shrine & monastery tours
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 temple tours with Lunch worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Visit Tlatelolco, Guadalupe Shrine, and Teotihuacan from Mexico City with transport, a guide, tequila tasting, and optional lunch.
“Great walk of history and learning experience. Don’t be late, as the bus needs to runs tight schedule.”
Explore Ayutthaya’s four major temples from Bangkok with a guide, air-conditioned transport, Thai buffet lunch, and useful cultural context.
“We had a fantastic day visiting Ayutthaya with our guide, Paul. He was friendly, very knowledgeable, and brought the history of the ruins and temples to life. Everything was smooth and well organized, and Ayutthaya is an absolute must-visit from Bangkok. Highly recommend this tour!”
Review of Angkor Wat’s $20 small-group sunset tour, covering temples, lunch, transport, walking demands, park fees, and practical tips.
“Diversity of temples! The humidity and heat were quite oppressive so drink loads of water, wear cotton and keep moving. We did 20,000 + steps so good footwear is a must.”
Review of Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai’s White, Blue and Black Temples tour, with lunch, hotel transfers, hot springs and practical tips.
“Very nice day trip, included the main tourist spots in Chiang Rai, very well organised and right on time. The guide was also very hepful with a lot of explanations along the way. We were aprox. 10 people in a minivan with air conditioning, very good travelling conditions. The White Temple is magnificent, highly recommend choosing this trip, very good value for money.”
Review of the $35 Ayutthaya temple tour from Bangkok, with four historic sites, local lunch, expert guides, and practical booking tips.
“Our guide (Sam) was just amazing - we cannot recommend him more. He knew everything we wanted to know and spoke perfect English. This was by far the best thing we did in Bangkok and just wish we could travel around Thailand with him. Genuinely such a lovely day and you are back in Bangkok by 3pm”
See Arashiyama, Nara Park, and Fushimi Inari in one day, with Kobe beef shabu-shabu lunch and transport from Osaka or Kyoto.
“Gary's kindness and attentiveness were highly appreciated. The itinerary was consistently adhered to, and the destinations were exceptional, with Gary's recommendations proving valuable.”
Review of Luxor’s Karnak and Luxor Temple tour, with lunch, hotel pickup, expert guides, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“Very good tour, our guide mena oweda was really great! He knows a lot of history about the temples.”
Review of a 7.5-hour Ayutthaya temple tour from Bangkok with air-conditioned transport, guide, four ruins, and lunch.
“Kelly was a wealth of information about the history of Thailand. This tour was a perfect mix of guided tour, inside information, and free time to explore. The lunch was excellent.”
Review of the 15-hour private Luxor to Abu Simbel tour, with transport, guide, lunch, temple access, costs, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“I had a great time and I can recommend booking this tour. For a reasonable price the operator arranges for a driver, for the ticket to the site, a knowledgeable guide and for lunch. The temple is very impressive and well worth the long journey.”
A peaceful Kyoto half-day tour with Zen meditation, temple gardens, monk-led instruction, a Buddhist lunch, and a small group.
“It was a excellent zen experience with japanese garden and temple. I learned about zen and Buddha and Buddhism. Also vegetarian lunch was a excellent choice”
Review of Siem Reap’s $26 Angkor Wat small-group tour, with Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, lunch, air-conditioning, and sunset at Phnom Bakheng.
“Excellent tour and tour guide, Sam. Extremely knowledgeable, exploring all the sights inaround Angkor Wat and Sam had a deep knowledge of the history and architecture. Delicious lunch as well eating local Cambodian food. Highly recommend!”
Review of Gozo’s guided day trip with Ġgantija Temples, Dwejra, Victoria, lunch, ferry transport, costs, and practical tips.
“Overpriced, disorganized, waste of time. If you want to see Gozo, go yourself. Charging close to $100 for a tour you share with about 50 people is not right. I wanted to see Gozo and decided that it will be easier for me to take a tour. The information stated that the tour starts at 9:45am. Only the day before the tour I was informed that I need to be ready for the pick up at 8:15. The pick up van smelled like an old ashtray and we were treated to the loud music from the radio the entire ride. Later it became clear that we are brought to a…”
Explore Ayutthaya from Bangkok with palace visits, ancient temples, riverside Thai lunch, and a scenic long-tail boat ride.
“The guide was very interesting and engaging. The places are definitely worth seeing. Transportation was in a small, comfortable group.”
Review of Bali’s $75 Ubud ATV, Monkey Forest, temple, and lunch tour, with practical advice on value, fitness, timing, and what to expect.
“Krisda was amazing!!!! So glad we got him as our guide. Picked us up on time and took us to all the spots and we were able to enjoy a nice lunch and the ATVS were amazing!! It was such a long drive back but Krisda got us back to the hotel safely. Thank you Krisda!!! You are awesome !!!”
Review of Crete’s 5-hour quad safari with monastery, mountain trails, olive mill, Cretan lunch, Malia Palace views, and beach swim.
“The experience was amazing, the views you get from the drive are stunning. Dimitri was a wonderful guide !”
