Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car — Guide Toshi

May, 2024

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

  • 1. 12:45 Meet at Kyoto Shinkansen platform
  • 2. 13:00 Lunch @ Le Temp
  • 3. 15:30 Kinkaku-ji Temple
  • 4. 16:30 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
  • 5. 17:30 Kyoto Craft Center
  • 6. 18:15 Dismissal @ Hotel

Can You Do a Private Kyoto Day Tour Visiting Kinkaku-ji and Fushimi Inari? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests for today were a group visiting from North America. I met the group on the Shinkansen platform, first loaded their luggage into a taxi, and we traveled by taxi to the hotel. The group was very friendly, and by the time we shared a meal together at the hotel restaurant, we had become so comfortable with one another that we were exchanging jokes back and forth. After a relaxed halal meal, we began our sightseeing in Kyoto. One of the guests had requested a visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha, but we first headed to Kinkaku-ji, where I introduced the pavilion built by the shogun Yoshimitsu, later becoming the temple Rokuon-ji, and the Shariden reliquary hall. While telling the story of how it was once destroyed by arson committed by a disciple monk, I had them enjoy the beautiful garden. After Kinkaku-ji, we moved on to Fushimi Inari Taisha, where the guests viewed the vermilion-glowing shrine and the thousands of torii gates, experienced a power spot (the Omokaru-ishi stone), and then made their way back down. One of the guests asked me to guide them somewhere they could look for souvenirs symbolic of Japanese culture, so I took the group to the Kyoto Craft Center, which they were delighted with, after which we moved to the hotel and parted ways in front of the hotel.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1OtherKyoto Station Shinkansen～Kyoto Station Shinkansen140JPY
Total140JPY

Tour Report by Toshi

After a rather long teaching experience at Japanese college, I converted my career about 6 years ago into working as a tour guide for the tourists visiting Japan.
As my career overseas, I’ve been in the UN and the Japanese Embassy, all in the USA, totaling more than 6 years.
And then I had made a big change in my career from a diplomat to an academic researcher. For that career to achieve, I studied abroad and won a doctorate degree in linguistics from Indiana University and landed a teaching position at college in Japan.
With all these interesting and exciting experiences I’ve made myself ready to enrich your tour and make it both enjoyable and worthwhile.

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Apr 26, 2026
39ferdinandr
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Exceptional and entertaining
Great tour better the tour guide Toshi.

Apr 9, 2026
X1429XKclaudiam
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Sehr zu empfehlen
Wir haben als Familie diese 6-stundige Tour durch Kyoto…

Jun 28, 2025
WilliamAlfonso_R
Toshi is a very eloquent, knowledgeable, and diligent tour guide.
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Toshi was…

May 30, 2025
Z
ZevP5
Best Tour Guide!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Yoshi was the best guide!! He was so…