This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- ①10:00 Meet guests at hotel (Hotel Kyoto)
- ②11:00 Arashiyama Heiseiin (Jizo Bodhisattva)
- ③11:15 Tenryu-ji Garden
- ④11:40 Bamboo Grove Walk
- ⑤13:00 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- ⑥14:30 Lunch in Sanjo
- ⑦15:00 Pontocho～Shijo Kawaramachi～Gion Walk
- ⑧16:00 Sannenzaka・Yasaka Five-Story Pagoda～Ninenzaka～Ishibei-koji Alley
- ⑨16:45 Yasaka Shrine
- ⑩17:00 Disband at Gion-Shijo
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Temples, Shrines, and Local Food
The guests were visiting from North America, and it was their first time in Japan for all of them. They had arrived in Kyoto yesterday after being shown around Tokyo by an acquaintance from work who is Japanese. Since they had already gained some experience with food in Tokyo, I introduced them to casual, everyday eateries that they would not normally visit on their own, such as a popular Chinese-style restaurant serving gyoza and tenshinhan, and their reaction was very satisfying to me. Today I introduced them to Japan's unique religious perspective — visiting a shrine and visiting a temple, the differences between them, what a shogun was in relation to the imperial system, and the folkloric background of customs such as Obon, Jizo Bodhisattva, and stone lanterns. On the other hand, it was very interesting to hear firsthand information about the current state of Halloween in North America.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Karasuma Oike～Nijo | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Nijo～Saga-Arashiyama | 200JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Inari | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Fushimi Inari～Sanjo | 220JPY |
| Total | 880JPY | ||
Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable.…
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable. Spoke perfect English and made the day fun and educational. Was able to adjust the tour based on my needs.
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu…
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu san in Kyoto. From the moment that the tour was booked, his communication with email about planning the day was exceptional.
Kazu gave detailed explanations about the areas we visited and we appreciated all that he had to offer at each of our stops.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu.…
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu. By the end of the day, we felt like we had made a new friend.
Kazu helped us arrange the best day with our short time in Kyoto. He brought us to some “hidden gems” and gave us thorough explanations on history and culture.
I would highly recommend this tour.
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide…
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide Kazu was very knowledgeable in terms of the history and explaining many of
the wonderful ancient sites around Kyoto. Definitely a must! Otherwise, I think it would be
difficult to tourists to understand on their own.