Kyoto: Arashiyama Monkey Park & Nijo Castle — Guide Satoko

Title: What's a Private Day Tour of Arashiyama and Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group who appeared to be relatives traveling together. At the Arashiyama Monkey Park, some of the guests spent quite a long time feeding the monkeys inside the hut at the top of the hill. They were deeply moved by the beauty of the bamboo grove, and when I introduced Nonomiya Shrine at the end, they were breathtaken by the beauty of the moss-covered garden.

For lunch, although a bit pricey, I guided them to a newly opened ramen specialty restaurant. The place is run by the owner and a part-time staff member, so it cannot accommodate many people, but thanks to the cheerful hospitality of the staff, the guests were able to enjoy a bright and pleasant lunch. There was even a special menu where you could enjoy raw Kobe beef prepared shabu-shabu style in the ramen soup. Fitting for its location near the bamboo grove, the menu featured creative touches such as julienned boiled bamboo shoots and tofu-style fish cakes, as this is also an area famous for tofu. However, since they only offer a chicken-based soup, anyone expecting a tonkotsu (pork bone) soup might be disappointed. Still, it allows you to avoid the main street, Nagatsuji-dori, and finish a meal quickly.

After that, we moved to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. The guests enjoyed the many rakan statues with their various expressions and the relaxed atmosphere of the hall where they could sit at leisure.

Then we moved on to Nijo Castle. Unfortunately, I had not been aware that the Ninomaru is closed on Tuesdays, so we could only take photos in front of the gate. When I apologized, they kindly told me, "We were tired anyway, so please don't worry about it."

Even though we traveled by taxi, walking around the Monkey Park requires quite a bit of stamina, so I imagine they were tired. Since they were chatting among themselves in the car, we were not able to talk together at great length, but I was glad the tour ended without any trouble.

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

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!