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
- 08:30 Hotel Kyoto
- 09:15 – 10:00 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- 10:40 – 11:00 Sagano Bamboo Grove
- 11:00 – 12:00 Okochi Sanso Villa
- 12:45 – 13:30 Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 14:00 – 14:45 Ginkaku-ji Temple
- 15:30 – 16:00 Yasaka Pagoda, Sannenzaka
- 16:15 Dismissal City Bus Higashiyama Shichijo Bus Stop
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited Hotel Kyoto at 08:30, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine at 09:15, Sagano Bamboo Grove at 10:40, Okochi Sanso Villa at 11:00, Kinkaku-ji Temple at 12:45, Ginkaku-ji Temple at 14:00 and Yasaka Pagoda, Sannenzaka at 15:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kyoto City Bus Higashiyama Shichijo to Kyoto City Bus Gion Shichijo by bus (230JPY); Keihan Railway Shichijo Keihan to Keihan Railway Fushimi Inari by train (170JPY); JR Inari Station to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station by train (240JPY); JR Saga-Arashiyama Station to JR Emmachi by train (190JPY); Kyoto City Bus Nishinokyo Emmachi to Kyoto City Bus Kinkaku-ji-michi by bus (230JPY); Kyoto City Bus Kinkaku-ji-michi to Kyoto City Bus Ginkaku-ji-michi by bus (230JPY); Kyoto City Bus Ginkaku-ji-michi to Kyoto City Bus Shijo Kawaramachi by bus (230JPY); Kyoto City Bus Gion to Kyoto City Bus Kiyomizu-michi by bus (230JPY). Across 8 sections the fare came to 1,750JPY per person.
What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
Today I guided the guests on a private one-day tour of Kyoto's popular sightseeing spots. I put in extra effort to make sure they had an enjoyable day in Kyoto. As we had already run over on time, I explained the key points of our final stop, Kiyomizu-dera, in front of the Nio-mon Gate, and then saw the guests off at the bus stop nearest their hotel. They plan to visit Kiyomizu-dera on their own the next day. In the final stage of the tour, we encountered a large-scale demonstration on Kawaramachi-dori and Shijo-dori, which significantly delayed the buses, but I believe the guests were still able to have an enjoyable day.
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 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Higashiyama Shichijo～Kyoto City Bus Gion Shichijo | 230JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Keihan Railway Shichijo Keihan～Keihan Railway Fushimi Inari | 170JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | JR Inari Station～JR Saga-Arashiyama Station | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | JR Saga-Arashiyama Station～JR Emmachi | 190JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Nishinokyo Emmachi～Kyoto City Bus Kinkaku-ji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Kinkaku-ji-michi～Kyoto City Bus Ginkaku-ji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Ginkaku-ji-michi～Kyoto City Bus Shijo Kawaramachi | 230JPY |
| Section 8 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Gion～Kyoto City Bus Kiyomizu-michi | 230JPY |
| Total | 1,750JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Hotel Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Sagano Bamboo Grove, Okochi Sanso Villa, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Ginkaku-ji Temple and Yasaka Pagoda, Sannenzaka.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,750JPY per person across 8 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Haru is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Personal data
Born in : May 1st, 1957
Hobby : Visiting scenic places,
historic spots, Japanese
gardens and old townscape
Former career : Worked for electric
company and engaged in
international sales for
about 40 years.
Travel history in the former career :
Visited about 20 countries about 200 times
Career as guide interpreter
Acquisition of guide license : 2016
Career of guide : 8 years
Genre of my specialty :
Japanese historic structures such as
temple, shrine, castle and garden.
Area of guide : Kyoto, Nara, Osaka &
Himeji
Let’s enjoy Japan with me !!
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained…
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained the history of the sites on our tour. He even prepared a book that helped explain the historical significance of each site we visited. He was really fantastic, funny and engaging and connected with every member (young and old) in our group. We all learned a lot! Thank u Haru!
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was…
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was very knowledgeable about the various cites and came prepared with a binder and useful images. He was organized and even found a delicious ramen place for our family of 6 (not an easy task in the middle of busy Nara). He really cared about the cites and the history of the temples and spoke great English. Highly recommend!
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with…
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn’t bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He…
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He added a lot to our trip and
allowed us to experience a lot in the limited time we had available.