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.
Tour Itinerary
- 1.9：00 Meet up @ Hotel
- 2.10:00 @ Kinkaku-ji
- 3.11:00 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
- 4.11:10 @ Tenryu-ji
- 5.12:10 Lunch @ Gyoza no Ohsho
- 6.14:00 @ Sanjusangen-do
- 7.15:00 @ Meidi-ya Sanjo Store
- 8.16:00 Disband @ Nishiki Market
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like for Guests Preferring Taxis and Fewer Crowds? A Licensed Guide's Report
The tour was for a group whose members preferred to travel entirely by taxi throughout the day. To ensure they could return to the hotel quickly whenever tired, we visited Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama first, then had lunch in Kyoto city. Since the guests wanted to enjoy delicious gyoza, I took them to Gyoza no Ohsho, a popular casual restaurant loved by locals, and they were delighted that it was inexpensive and tasty. Because I chose a location near the hotel, they said they would come back to eat there again during their stay in Kyoto. As the guests expressed a wish to avoid crowds, we suddenly changed the route to Fushimi Inari Taisha and then Sanjusangen-do. They loved Sanjusangen-do very much and even took photos in the garden. The guests said they wanted to cook using Japanese spices after returning home and asked me to accompany them shopping at a supermarket, so we went to Meidi-ya near the hotel. As I also enjoy cooking, it was fun to chat about various dishes while standing in front of the spice shelves. Finally, we walked together to Nishiki Market and parted ways at the entrance. The guests were very pleased to have spent such a wonderful time and said they would love to show my business card to their friends and recommend me.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Hi! My name is YUKA. I’ve got the government license in 2018 and joined a half year traning to do the guide. But a half year later I started my carreer, Covid came. I should have given up guiding. During the Covid, I’ve read many books and made my own materials to explain Japanese culture, history, etc. I love guiding because the guests expand my horizon all the time and let me know their own country and culture, etc. It is really important for us all to know each other and respect each other to make this world peace. Thank you for coming to Japan! Let’s enjoy Japan together!
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable,…
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I had a fantastic day going around Kyoto with her.
Thank you Yuka!
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour…
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour of Kyoto with Yuka. She mate us promptly at our hotel and customised a tour to get the most out of the day. We saw everything we wanted to see on the day and it was all very smooth and well planned.
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Honeymoon Tour in Kyoto
We were so impressed by…
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Honeymoon Tour in Kyoto
We were so impressed by our beautiful tour of Kyoto! Our tour guide Yuka made our day so special with her positive attitude, sweet disposition, and countless fun and interesting facts about Japan. She went out of her way to make sure we saw everything we wanted to see, and even lent me Yen to buy a special gift for my mother when I was short a few coins. We cannot recommend her enough to make your trip to Japan memorable and worthwhile!
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a…
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a lovely and knowledgeable guide who took great care of us on our recent one day trip to beautiful Kyoto. She met us coming off the Shinkansen and gave us options about how to spend the day wisely. We are so thankful for her thoughtful insights into Japanese traditions and culture, highly recommend doing a guided tour with her as it was very memorable.