Kyoto in Half a Day: Sightseeing ③: Nishiki Market — Guide Nori
September, 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
- 08:30 Meeting point: JR Kyoto Station (Central Exit)
- 09:10 Sightseeing ①: Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 10:50 Sightseeing ②: Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- 12:10 Sightseeing ③: Nishiki Market
- 12:30 Dismissal: Nishiki Market (West End)
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 08:30 at JR Kyoto Station (Central Exit) and ended at 12:30. The day ran to 4 hours from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in Sightseeing ①: Kinkaku-ji Temple at 09:10, Sightseeing ②: Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine at 10:50 and Sightseeing ③: Nishiki Market at 12:10.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kyoto to Enmachi by train (190JPY); Nishinokyo-Enmachi to Kinkakuji-michi by bus (230JPY); Kinkakuji-michi to Nishinokyo-Enmachi by bus (230JPY); Enmachi to Inari by train (200JPY); Inari to Kyoto by train (150JPY); Kyoto to Shijo by subway (220JPY). Across 6 sections the fare came to 1,220JPY per person.
What Is a 4-Hour Private Walking Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guest was a visitor from Africa on a trip to Japan. The guest was in Japan for about ten days as part of a company-organized tour that also included training, traveling together with the group. At the end of the tour, we briefly met the rest of the group at Nishiki Market just to say hello, and I learned that they preferred cycling tours and had spent the day separately. The itinerary was a "4-hour course" using public transportation. The initial requested destinations were Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, and Nishiki Market, but the travel distances were long, so planning the route was a bit challenging. However, when I sent a greeting email the day before, I received a reply saying, "I went to Arashiyama by myself today," so by dropping Arashiyama and visiting the remaining three locations, I was able to arrange the course comfortably within four hours.
On the day, the temperature, which had finally started to fall, began to rise again, making it a slightly hot tour for late September. We made full use of JR, city buses, and the subway, and were able to move smoothly with almost no traffic congestion. Above all, it was fortunate that the guest was a strong walker who kept a quick pace. Although it was the guest's first visit to Japan, the guest had researched Japan well in advance and asked many questions, which made for a very pleasant guiding experience.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Kyoto～Enmachi | 190JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Nishinokyo-Enmachi～Kinkakuji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Kinkakuji-michi～Nishinokyo-Enmachi | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Enmachi～Inari | 200JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Inari～Kyoto | 150JPY |
| Section 6 | Subway | Kyoto～Shijo | 220JPY |
| Total | 1,220JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Kyoto tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at JR Kyoto Station (Central Exit) at 08:30, and the tour finished at : Nishiki Market (West End) at 12:30.
How long does the tour last?
About 4 hours in total, from 08:30 to 12:30.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Sightseeing ①: Kinkaku-ji Temple, Sightseeing ②: Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and Sightseeing ③: Nishiki Market.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,220JPY per person across 6 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?
Nori 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.
Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the…
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
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We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the time we had. Nori explained the history of all places we visited. He
was so passionate about everything, we were very lucky to have him as tour guide.
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
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Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with…
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with Kamon-San, and he was a great guide to show off the sites and features of Nara! He got their early, and had a detailed and interesting schedule planned for us, including several of the local shrines and temples, allowing us to also enjoy the deer throughout our tour.
He also took us to a nice local restaurant where we were able to enjoy some of the best soba and catsu curry we had all trip! Kamon-san’s insights and trivia were definitely one of the top highlights from our entire trip to Japan! We would strongly recommend not just Nara but this guided tour to anyone who wants to appreciate more than just the deer!
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with…
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with his knowledge of Kyoto history and culture. Well paced tour, covered Imperial Palace, temples, shrines, Bamboo Grove and Arashiyama. Helpful with navigating rail system. Very worth while. Nori earns highest rating possible.
Oct 16, 2025
Michael_H
Thoroughly enjoyed the…
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Michael_H
Thoroughly enjoyed the…
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Thoroughly enjoyed the day out with our guide Nori. Without him we would have been
literally lost & seen nowhere near the amount of sites. Nori guidance was top notch.